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In 1685, Frederick Philipse bought our town from the Sint Sinck Indians, members of the Wappinger Confederacy. It constituted a part of the Manor of Philipsburg, which extended from Spuyten Duyvil Creek to the Croton River.
Because the last Lord of the Manor, Colonel Frederick Philipse, was a Loyalist during the Revolutionary War, the Manor was confiscated by the State in 1779. Subsequently, many of the former tenants bought their old farms from the State.
Visit the Virtual Archives on the Historical Treasures of Westchester County website. |
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The creation of the village of Ossining, the Town of Ossining, and the village of Briarcliff Manor:
- In 1813 the Village of Sing Sing was incorporated.
- In 1845, by an action of the state legislature, a new township was created from the northern part of the Town of Mount Pleasant. On the advice of an eminent Indian authority this new town was christened Ossinsing, a different form of Sing Sing. The next year the name was shortened to Ossining which proved easier to pronounce.
- In 1901, local officials changed the name of the village to Ossining to avoid confusing goods made in the village with prison-made products that were at that time allowed to be sold on the open market.
- The village of Briarcliff, east of the village of Ossining, was settled during the nineteenth century, and was then called Whitson's Crossing after one of the early families. In 1902 it was incorporated as the village of Briarcliff Manor, the name was given to it by Walter W. Law founder and chief landowner.
Also visit the nonprofit New York Correction History Society and web presentation of historian Robert L. Gold's "Searching Sing Sing for My Father" here.
Ossining Historical Society
196 Croton Avenue
Ossining, NY 10562
(914) 941-0001
Museum Hours:
Wednesday - Saturday, 1-4 pm daily, and by appointment.
info@ossininghistorical.org
| Demographics: |
Town of
Ossining1 |
Village of
Ossining |
Village of
Briarcliff |
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| Population (2000 US Census) |
5,514 |
24,010 |
7,696 |
| Area (Square Miles) |
3 |
3.2 |
6 |
| Median Household Income (1996 Estimate) |
$84,129 |
$53,549 |
$127,274 |
| Households (2000 US Census) |
1,693 |
8,227 |
2,435 |
1. The "Town of Ossining" refers to the Town unincorporated area, excluding the Villages of Ossining and Briarcliff.
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