High Falls, New York

High Falls, New York
FIPS code		36-34451
GNIS feature ID	0952733

High Falls is a

.

Portions of High Falls are located in the towns of Marbletown, Rosendale, and Rochester.

History

The High Falls Historic District and Lock Tender's House and Canal Store Ruin are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[2]

High Falls takes its name from the nearby feature on the Rondout, where the creek cuts through a large rock formation and goes over a large waterfall. It was an attractive source of water power, and millers were drawn to it from colonial times. The first bridge to nearby Stone Ridge, on the main road through the valley between the

, was built during this time. The stone Jacob DePuy House, from 1797 (expanded in mid-19th century), reflects this era and retains much of its original fabric.

A large stone house with a large American flag draped across its upper right story behind an evergreen tree. In front of it is a blue and gold historical marker. The Jacob DePuy house In the early 19th century, a cotton and woolen factory in the hamlet made it a center of local manufacturing, serving many of the farms in the surrounding area. This set the stage for the construction and opening of the canal in 1828. The D & H was built to transport anthracite coal from Northeastern Pennsylvania to New York City via Kingston, where it was transferred to ships plying the Hudson River.

High Falls would be important not only for its location at a key water crossing, spanned by a

, such as a lock tender's house and general store, small stores and shops were built nearby to take advantage of the canal traffic. They and the hamlet's street and block layout still exist today, a testament to that period.

Development declined along with the canal's fortunes, and the district has changed little since the canal ceased operations in 1899, other than the state's relocation of the portion of Route 213 that goes through it in 1956. Its post-canal future began thirty years earlier. The road extending down from the Shawangunks had made High Falls a point of embarkation via carriage for canal or rail travelers destined for Mohonk Mountain House atop the ridge. This may have helped it establish itself as a vacation or weekend destination of its own, a reputation it still enjoys today. The nearby hills and fields and their mountain vistas are home to many second homes for residents of New York City and its downstate suburbs. The shops and stores are now boutiques and restaurants that cater to them on weekends and in summertime.

Geography

High Falls is located at 41°49′37″N 74°7′20″W / 41.82694°N 74.12222°W / 41.82694; -74.12222 (41.826892, -74.122151).^[3]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all land.

In addition to Marbletown and Rosendale, a small portion of High Falls falls within the town of Rochester.^{[citation needed]}

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2000	627		—
2010	627		0.0%
2020	700		11.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[4]

At the

Of the 271 households 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 33.6% of households were one person and 10.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.98.

The age distribution was 22.5% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 30.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% 65 or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.

The median household income was $35,735 and the median family income was $52,895. Males had a median income of $31,339 versus $27,500 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $18,781. About 12.1% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the

poverty line

, including 11.0% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Popular culture

The 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series season 4 episode "Unidentified Flying Leonardo" is set in High Falls.^[6]

Part of the 1961 movie Splendor in the Grass starring Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty was filmed at the waterfalls in the hamlet.

See also

References

External links

• Media related to High Falls at Wikimedia Commons