Profile for Beacon, New York, NY

Beacon is on the east bank of the Hudson River.

Former and merged names include:
· Matteawan
· Fishkill Landing

According to local legend, New York City merchants Francis Rombout and Gulian Verplanck bought land from the Wappinger Indians. Rombout bargained for "all the land he could see," then climbed to the top of Mount Beacon. His land grant included what is now the city of Beacon and the towns of Wappinger, Fishkill and East Fishkill.

After the War of 1812, John Jacob Astor and others built a foundry and cotton mill here

The community was established in 1913 by the merger of Matteawan and Fishkill Landing.

Crime: The number of violent crimes recorded by the FBI in 2003 was 53. The number of murders and homicides was 0. The violent crime rate was 3.8 per 1,000 people.

Filming location for:
· 1994 movie, "Nobody's Fool"
· 2005 movie, "War of the Worlds"

Local festivals include:

• Latin American Festival - July 14, 2007

Nearby parks & recreation: Hudson Highlands State Park

Historic sites and museums: Mount Gulian Historic Site, Madam Brett Homestead, Dia:Beacon

Support for libraries: Local government funding for the local library system, in fiscal years 2001-2002, was below the national average. (See library links below.)

Listed places near Beacon

Airports (1)

Attractions (1)

Cemeteries (25)

Colleges (1)

Communities (17)

Hotels (13)

Libraries (7)

Museums (7)

Parks (2)

Wineries (1)

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• Beacon population
• Ancestry of people in Beacon
• Housing in Beacon
• Income in Beacon
• Marital status of adults in Beacon
• Place of birth of people in Beacon
• Residence in 1995, of people in Beacon
• School enrollment & education levels in Beacon
• Transportation & commute times in Beacon
• Dutchess County data
• Fastest-growing counties in New York
• State data - New York
• Data by street address
• Historical census records (Ancestry.com)

Sections below provide additional information and links about Beacon demographics, travel and tourism, nearby airports, cemeteries, the Dutchess County economy, education, environment, genealogy, government, historic sites, libraries, maps, museums, newspapers and other media, nonprofit groups, real estate, recreation, religion, transportation, and weather in the 12508 ZIP code.

(Also see local map below.)

• Beacon city government
• Dutchess County government
• Beacon tourism

12% of Beacon residents report German ancestry, and 15% report Irish. For more info on local ancestry groups, see the Beacon ancestry & family history guide.

• Cemeteries in or near Beacon
• Cemeteries in Dutchess County
• Libraries in or near Beacon

Post a query on a message board:

• Dutchess County Ancestry forum
• GenForum

Records & databases:

• Ancestry.com - NY data
• Birth, marriage & death records
• Cemetery records
• County history catalog
• Census records (historic)
• Court, land & probate records
• Death index
• Family & local history
• Immigration records
• Military records (historic)
• Newspaper articles

• Beacon museums
• Beacon historic sites
• Beacon area parks
• Wineries near Beacon

• Add a local cemetery to our listings
• Beacon area cemeteries
• Cemeteries in Dutchess County
• Cemetery record compendium
• New York cemetery message boards
• National database of cemetery records
• Veteran grave locator

• Communities near Beacon
• Nearby cities of 10,000 or more
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• Communities in Dutchess County

• Beacon business guide
• Better Business Bureau
• Business licenses
• Corporate records search

• Courts in New York
• Local ordinances in New York (Partial selection)

• Crime in Dutchess County
• Arrests in Dutchess County

• Obituaries - search nearby newspapers
• Obituary database - Ancestry.com
• Charitable donations

• Local information on disability access
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Independent living centers in New York
• National Council on Independent Living

At the time of the 2000 census, the per capita income in Beacon was $20,654, compared with $21,587 nationally.

• Banks
• Building permits
• Current labor force
• Wage estimates
• Dutchess County economic census
• Dutchess County economic summary
• Dutchess County employment growth
• Dutchess County unemployment rate
• New York economic data

19% of Beacon residents age 25 and older have a bachelor's or advanced college degree.

• Colleges in or near Beacon
• Colleges in New York
• Learning Disabilities Association in New York
• Schools in or near Beacon
• School districts in or near Beacon
• School report cards
• Yearbooks (old) of New York high schools

• Movies & TV shows filmed in Beacon
• Movies playing in or near Beacon
• YouTube videos about Beacon

• Air pollution in Dutchess County
• Diesel soot in Dutchess County
• Land contamination in Dutchess County
• Nature Conservancy projects in New York
• Ozone status & air pollution - American Lung Association
• Plant life in Dutchess County
• Toxic chemical releases in Dutchess County
• Water levels & streamflow conditions in New York

Beacon festival dates:

• Latin American Festival - July 14, 2007

Dates often change. Check with local tourism officials to be sure.

• ePodunk festival listings
• New York county fairs
• New York festivals (New York tourism department)
• Send us festival info for Beacon

• Confluence of latitude & longitude near Beacon
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• Beacon items now on sale

• Beacon local government Web site
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• New York state government
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• Local historical societies in New York
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• Historic sites in or near Beacon
• Historic sites in New York
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• Museums in New York
• New York state archives
• National Historic Landmark search
• Search the Library of Congress
• Search the National Register for historic properties
• Post history questions in Dutchess County genealogy forum

Median rent in Beacon, at the time of the 2000 Census, was $579.   Monthly homeowner costs, for people with mortgages, were $1,193.

• Research Beacon Apartments
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Libraries in Beacon include Howland Public Library ... View libraries

• Libraries near Beacon

• New York library

• Get directions from Beacon
• Get directions to Beacon
• Census map of Beacon area
• Historic maps of NY cities - Library of Congress
• Historic maps of New York
• Topographic map of Beacon

• Daily newspapers in or near Beacon
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• Search historic newspaper articles
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• Military bases in New York
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• Check daily newspapers in or near Beacon
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• Nonprofit guide for Beacon
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• Aerial photo of Beacon
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Dutchess County supported George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election. For more information, see our Beacon political report.

• New York Democratic party
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• Dutchess County elections board
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• Churches, other places of worship in or near Beacon
• Total membership by faith, in Dutchess County

• Nearby restaurants taking online reservations
• Chowhound message boards for the metro area

The average commute time for Beacon workers is 32 minutes, compared with 26 minutes nationwide.

• Train schedules

• Beacon travel guide
• Airports near Beacon
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• New York tourism bureau

• Monthly averages & records
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