Esopus, New York
| Esopus, New York | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
Town hall
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 Location in Ulster County and the state of New York. |
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| Coordinates: 41°51′21″N 73°59′31″W / 41.85583°N 73.99194°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Ulster |
| Area | |
| • Total | 41.9 sq mi (108.5 km2) |
| • Land | 37.2 sq mi (96.5 km2) |
| • Water | 4.6 sq mi (12.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 650 ft (198 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 9,041 |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 12429 |
| Area code(s) | 845 |
| FIPS code | 36-24691 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0978944 |
Esopus is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 9,041 at the 2010 census. The name comes from the local Indian tribe and means "high banks."
The town of Esopus is on the west bank of the Hudson River south of the City of Kingston. The town center is in Port Ewen. US Route 9W passes up the east side of the town.
The area was a notable trading site between the Dutch and the native Esopus tribe. The town of Esopus was founded in 1811 from Kingston, New York, which also was called "Esopus" at one time.
The Cumming-Parker House, Esopus Meadows Lighthouse, Col. Oliver Hazard Payne Estate, Poppletown Farmhouse, and Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Klyne Esopus are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In the early 19th century, Esopus was the summer residence for wealthy American families like the Astors, Durkees, Paynes, Rockefellers, Smiths, Tiffanys and Whitneys who built architecturally significant mansions and hunting lodges on the west bank of the Hudson River, across from the Vanderbilt and Roosevelt estates on the east bank. By 1864, the Hudson Valley had lost some luster among the very rich in favor of Newport, Rhode Island.
Historical figures and celebrated people who have lived in Esopus include naturalist John Burroughs, financier Harry Payne Bingham, abolitionist Sojourner Truth, 19th century U.S. politician George W. Pratt, Standard Oil treasurer Colonel Oliver Hazard Payne, business leader and president of Avco Corporation Raymond Rich, the Smith Brothers who invented the first cough drops in America, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini (patron saint of immigrants), Major Gen. Daniel Butterfield, who founded the American Express Company and wrote "Taps" in 1862, Eugene R. Durkee who made a fortune in spices and salad dressings and whose West Park summer mansion became part of the Christian Brothers monastery, John Jacob Astor III, boxing champion Floyd Patterson who attended Wiltwyck School for Boys in West Park, and 1904 Democratic nominee for president Alton Brooks Parker, a lawyer and judge, who lost to incumbent Theodore Roosevelt.
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