Editing Yaphank, New York

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Yaphank, New York
|settlement_type          = [[Hamlet (New York)|Hamlet]] and [[census-designated place]]
|nickname                 =
|motto                    =
<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Swezey-Avey House; Yaphank, New York.JPG
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = The historic Swezey-Avey House on the southeast bank of Upper Yaphank Lake
|image_flag               =
|image_seal               =
<!-- Maps -->
|pushpin_map              = USA New York Long Island#New York
|pushpin_label            = Yaphank
|pushpin_label_position   = bottom <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_map_caption      = Location within the state of New York
|pushpin_mapsize          =
|image_map                =Yaphank-map.png
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = U.S. Census map
|image_map1               =
|mapsize1                 =
|map_caption1             =
<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[New York (state)|New York]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in New York|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk]]
|government_footnotes     =
|government_type          =
|leader_title             =
|leader_name              =
|leader_title1            =
|leader_name1             =
|established_title        =
|established_date         =
<!-- Area -->
|area_footnotes           =
|area_magnitude           =
|area_total_km2           = 35.7
|area_land_km2            = 35.4
|area_water_km2           = 0.3
|area_total_sq_mi         = 
|area_land_sq_mi          = 
|area_water_sq_mi         =
<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     =
|population_total         = 5974
|population_density_km2   = auto
|population_density_sq_mi =
<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = −05:00
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = −04:00
|elevation_footnotes      =
|elevation_m              = 13
|elevation_ft             = 43
|coordinates              = {{Coord|40|50|7|N|72|55|45|W|region:US-NY_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]
|postal_code              = 11980
|area_code                = [[Area codes 631 and 934|631, 934]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 36-83426<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0971807<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=2008-01-31|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=2007-10-25}}</ref>
|website                  =
|footnotes                =<ref name="GR1">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>
}}

'''Yaphank''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|j|æ|p|æ|ŋ|k}}) is a [[Hamlet (New York)|hamlet]] and [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in [[Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk County]], New York, United States. The population was 5,945 at the time of the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]].<ref name="Census 2010">{{Cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US3683426| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212191104/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/1600000US3683426| url-status=dead| archive-date=2020-02-12| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Yaphank CDP, New York| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=2013-01-10}}</ref>

Yaphank is located in the south part of the [[Administrative divisions of New York#Town|Town]] of [[Brookhaven, New York|Brookhaven]]. It is served by the [[Longwood Central School District]], except for extreme southwestern Yaphank, which is served by the [[South Country Central School District]].

In the 1930s, Yaphank was a center of American [[Nazism]] where [[Camp Siegfried]] drew up to a thousand weekly visitors from New York City for pro-Nazi rallies and vacationing.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Clancy |first=Ambrose |date=2007-05-04 |title=This was Yaphank {{!}} Long Island Business News |url=https://libn.com/2007/05/04/this-was-yaphank/ |access-date=2022-07-04 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Casey |first=Nicholas |date=2015-10-19 |title=Nazi Past of Long Island Hamlet Persists in a Rule for Home Buyers |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/20/nyregion/query-for-home-buyers-in-a-long-island-hamlet-are-you-german.html |access-date=2022-07-04 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Nazi camp thrived in Yaphank in 1930s, photo exhibit shows |url=https://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/nazi-camp-thrived-in-yaphank-in-the-1930s-photo-exhibit-shows-v79134 |access-date=2022-07-04 |website=Newsday |language=en}}</ref>

== History ==

[[File:In the YMCA cover.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Sheet music of one of the songs featured in ''[[Yip Yip Yaphank]]'' (1918), the musical revue Sgt. [[Irving Berlin]] wrote at [[Camp Upton]] and took to Broadway]]
[[Captain Robert Robinson]] came to Yaphank and built his Dutch Colonial house with the building dated at 1726. He was then granted permission to dam the [[Carmans River]] to build a mill across the street from his house. The construction of this mill in 1739 was considered the founding date of the Hamlet of Yaphank.<ref>[https://yaphankhistorical.org/yaphank-history/ Yaphank Historical Society]</ref>

In the mid-18th century, John Homan built two mills along the Carmans River, which runs directly through the center of the town. These two mills inspired the first name for the town: Millville. The translator-author [[Mary Louise Booth]] was born in Millville in 1831. In 1846 a post office was opened in the town, but because there were thirteen other towns named "Millville" in [[New York state]] at the time, the town was renamed "Yaphank", from the local [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] word ''Yamphanke'', meaning "bank of a river".{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}

In 1843 the [[Long Island Rail Road]] built a [[Yaphank (LIRR station)|railroad station]] in Yaphank (still named Millville at the time), and nearly overnight the small mill town became a major commercial center. By 1875, Yaphank had two [[grist mill]]s, two [[lumber mill]]s, two [[blacksmith]] shops, a [[printing press|printing office]], an [[upholstery]] shop, a [[stagecoach]] line, two [[physician]]s, a shoe shop, two [[wheelwright]] shops, a meat market, a [[dressmaker]] and a [[general store]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}

Today, Yaphank is home to about half of those industries. The grist mills, blacksmith, physician, shoe shop, wheelwright shops, meat markets and the dressmakers are long gone, although the rail road station is still there, along with the general stores.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}

Today, Yaphank holds three delis, one pizza shop, a shooting supply company, a skeet range, a bank, and a house moving company.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}

Yaphank was the home of [[Camp Upton]], which was used as a [[recruit training|boot camp]] in 1917. In 1947, the [[United States Department of War|U.S. Department of War]] transferred the Camp Upton site to the [[United States Atomic Energy Commission|Atomic Energy Commission]], and it now serves as the home of [[Brookhaven National Laboratory]]. Before the end of [[World War I]], more than 30,000 men received their [[basic training]] there, including songwriter [[Irving Berlin]]. It was there that Berlin composed the musical comedy [[revue]] ''[[Yip Yip Yaphank]]'', which had a brief run on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], and wrote the patriotic tune "[[God Bless America]]".<ref>{{cite news |last=Coleman |first=Nancy |date=July 3, 2019 |title=The Rich and Complicated History of 'God Bless America'|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/03/arts/music/kate-smith-god-bless-america.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=January 6, 2023}}</ref>

A [[American Quarter Horse|quarter horse]] racing facility named [[Parr Meadows]] operated in Yaphank in 1977. The racetrack reopened in 1986 for a single meet, then called [[Suffolk Meadows]]. In 1979, Parr Meadows served as the venue of a tenth-anniversary reunion concert that featured many of the original performers from the [[Woodstock Festival]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}

A number of Suffolk County facilities are located in Yaphank, including [[Suffolk County Police Department]] headquarters, the county fire academy, and the Suffolk County Farm and Education Center, which offers a glimpse into the workings of an authentic 100-plus-year-old farm and educational programs by [[Cornell University|Cornell]] [[Cooperative Extension]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}

===Camp Siegfried and Nazism===
{{main|Camp Siegfried}}

In the 1930s, Yaphank was home to [[Camp Siegfried]], a summer camp that taught [[Nazi]] ideology.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://lihj.cc.stonybrook.edu/2010/articles/long-island-nazis-a-local-synthesis-of-transnational-politics/ |title=Long Island Nazis: A Local Synthesis of Transnational Politics |last1=Shaffer|first1= Ryan|date=Spring 2010 |work=Long Island History Journal |access-date=2012-02-05|volume=21|issue=2|issn=0898-7084}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.longwood.k12.ny.us/history/index.htm |title=The German American Bund |author=Neuss, Gustave |date=November 2002 |publisher=Longwood's Journey |access-date=2012-02-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Wunderlich's Salute: The Interrelationship of the German-American Bund, Camp Siegfried, Yaphank, Long Island, and the Young Siegfrieds and Their Relationship with American and Nazi Institutions |last=Miller |first=Marvin D |year=1983 |publisher=Malamud Rose Pubns |isbn=978-0-9610466-0-6 |pages=336 }}</ref> It was owned by the [[German American Bund]], an [[American Nazi]] organization devoted to promoting a favorable view of [[Nazi Germany]], and operated by the German American Settlement League (GASL).

Camp Siegfried was one of many such camps in the US in the 1930s, including Camp Hindenburg in [[Grafton, Wisconsin]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.americainwwii.com/stories/americansforhitler.html |title=Americans for Hitler |author=Van Ells, Mark D. |date=2007 |website=America in World War 2 |access-date=2012-02-05}}</ref> Camp Nordland in [[Andover, New Jersey]],<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.oldmagazinearticles.com/1930s_German-American_Bund_Nazis_Camp_Nordland_article |title=American Nazis in the 1930s |author=Staff |date=1938 |newspaper=Click Magazine |access-date=2012-02-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Nazis in Newark |last=Grover |first=Warren |year=2003 |publisher=Transaction Publishers |isbn=978-0-7658-0516-4 |pages=292 }}</ref> and Deutschhorst Country Club in [[Sellersville, Pennsylvania]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/230640/German-American-Bund |title=German-American Bund |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |access-date=2012-02-05}}</ref>

Until 2017, homes in the former Camp Siegfried area, on land that was owned by the German-American Settlement League, were under covenants restricting residents to those of German extraction only.<ref name="ap">Eltman, Fred (May 20, 2017) [http://m.sfgate.com/news/us/article/New-York-enclave-with-Nazi-roots-agrees-to-change-11160846.php "New York enclave with Nazi roots agrees to change policies"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170521113809/http://m.sfgate.com/news/us/article/New-York-enclave-with-Nazi-roots-agrees-to-change-11160846.php |date=2017-05-21}} [[Associated Press]]</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the CDP has a total area of {{convert|35.7|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|35.4|km2|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|0.3|km2|order=flip}}, or 0.89%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010" />

==Demographics==
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 5,025 people, 1,566 households, and 1,130 families residing in the CDP. The population density was {{convert|359.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,650 housing units at an average density of {{convert|118.0|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the CDP was 85.11% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 11.22% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.24% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.03% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.04% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.94% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.41% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 7.34% of the population.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}

There were 1,566 households, out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.14.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 34.6% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 115.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 118.1 males.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}

The median income for a household in the CDP was $70,534, and the median income for a family was $72,348. Males had a median income of $48,807 versus $35,406 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the CDP was $25,020. About 3.3% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}

==Education==
Most of Yaphank is served by the [[Longwood Central School District]]<!--UNI 19230-->, with some parts also served by the [[South Country Central School District]]<!--UNI 00008-->.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st36_ny/schooldistrict_maps/c36103_suffolk/DC20SD_C36103.pdf|title=2020 census - school district reference map: Suffolk County, NY|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|page=4 (PDF p. 5/6)|access-date=2025-02-27}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st36_ny/schooldistrict_maps/c36103_suffolk/DC20SD_C36103_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref>

==Notable person==
* [[Fred Hembeck]] (born 1953), comic book writer and illustrator

==See also==
{{Portal|New York (state)}}
* [[Brookhaven Rail Terminal]]
* [[Robert Hawkins Homestead]]
* [[Homan-Gerard House and Mills]]
* [[St. Andrew's Episcopal Church (Yaphank, New York)]]
* [[Suffolk County Almshouse Barn]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Yaphank, New York}}
* [http://www.longwood.k12.ny.us/community/longwood_journey/hamlets/yaphank Yaphank History (Longwood Public Library)]

{{BrookhavenNY}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Brookhaven, New York]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Hamlets in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Suffolk County, New York]]
[[Category:Hamlets in Suffolk County, New York]]