Orchard Park
Town
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Erie County
Area	38.6 sq mi (100 km²)
- land	38.5 sq mi (99.7 km²)
- water	0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²), 0.26%
Center
- coordinates	42°45′43″N 78°44′29″W / 42.76194, -78.74139Coordinates: 42°45′43″N 78°44′29″W / 42.76194, -78.74139
- elevation	866 ft (264 m)
Population	27,637 (2000)
Density	716 /sq mi (276.4 /km²)
Incorporated	1850
Supervisor	Mary Travers Murphy (2007)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	14127
Area code	716
FIPS code	36-55266
GNIS feature ID	0979318
Location of Orchard Park in Erie County
Location of Orchard Park in New York
Location of New York in the United States
Website : http://www.orchardparkny.org

Orchard Park is a town in Erie County, New York in the United States. The population was 27,637 at the 2000 census.

Within the Town of Orchard Park is a village also named Orchard Park. Orchard Park is one of the "Southtowns" of Erie County and is south of the city of Buffalo, New York.

History

The town was originally a settlement of Quakers around 1803.

The town was separated from the Town of Hamburg in 1850 and was first named the "Town of Ellicott," after Joseph Ellicott, an agent of the Holland Land Company. Within months, the name was changed to the "Town of East Hamburgh". Around 1934, the town was renamed Orchard Park after its principal settlement.

In the early 1900's a large fire burned down most of the central part of the village of Orchard Park around South Buffalo Street.

Geography

Orchard Park is located at 42°45′43″N, 78°44′29″W (42.762159, -78.741405)^[1]. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 38.6 square miles (99.9 km²), of which, 38.5 square miles (99.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.18%) is water.

US 219 passes through the west part of the town and forms junctions with US 20A (Quaker Street) and NY 179 (Milestrip Road).

US 20 (Southwestern Boulevard) passes through the north part of the town and forms a junction with NY 277 and NY 240 (Orchard Park Road).

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 27,637 people, 10,277 households, and 7,656 families residing in the town. The population density was 717.7 people per square mile (277.1/km²). There were 10,644 housing units at an average density of 276.4/sq mi (106.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.57% White, 0.48% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.96% of the population.

There were 10,277 households out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.3% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the town the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $59,762, and the median income for a family was $71,552. Males had a median income of $51,341 versus $31,429 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,692. About 1.4% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in the Town of Orchard Park

• Armor -- A hamlet at the west town line.
• Chestnut Ridge County Park -- A popular county park with a wide range of activities is located south of the village of Orchard Park on Chestnut Ridge Road (Route 277).
• Duells Corner -- A hamlet south of Orchard Park village.
• Ellicott -- A hamlet south of Orchard Park village.
• Erie Community College -- The official location of the south campus, although most of the campus is in the adjacent Town of Hamburg.
• Loveland -- A hamlet on the east town line.
• Orchard Park -- The Village of Orchard Park, located at the junction of Routes 240 and U.S. 20A.
• Ralph Wilson Stadium -- The home stadium of the NFL's Buffalo Bills lies on the western edge of the town.
• Webster Corners -- A hamlet north of the village of Orchard Park by the intersection of Webster and Orchard Park Roads.

Education

The Orchard Park Central School District has four elementary schools (Eggert, Ellicott, South Davis, and Windom), the Orchard Park Middle School, and the Orchard Park High School. The mascot for the Orchard Park School District is the Quaker.

Bryant and Stratton College is located in Orchard Park.

Erie Community College (ECC) is at the western town line.

Orchard Park also has a number of Catholic schools.

Culture

Art

The annual Quaker Arts Festival, an outdoor art and craft show, is held each year on the picturesque campus of the Orchard Park Middle School on the third weekend of September. It was organized in the 1960s by Orchard Parkers John Coleman of The Suburban Press and Chet Seymour of the Orchard Park Presbyterian Church, and was originally held on the grounds of the Orchard Park Presbyterian Church. In its early days, the festival was cosponsored by the newspaper and the church. The festival is now cosponsored by the Orchard Park Jaycees and The Southtowns Citizen, successor to The Suburban Press.

Music

Since 1985, under the direction of the Orchard Park Council of the Arts, local businesses and the Town of Orchard Park sponsor free outdoor musical entertainment throughout the summer at the Pavilion bandstand on the grounds of the Middle School.

Organized in 1949, the Orchard Park Symphony Orchestra, composed of more than 70 volunteer musicians, performs four regular concerts each year in the Middle School Auditorium.

Food

Orchard Park is home to a Duff's Famous Wings.

Media

Print Newspapers

• The Southtowns Citizen - Weekly
• The Orchard Park Bee - Weekly

Sports

Ralph Wilson Stadium, the home stadium of the NFL Buffalo Bills is located in Orchard Park.

The 1993 and 1994 Orchard Park Little League Baseball team won the New York State Championship.

The Orchard Park Little League (http://www.opll.org) has baseball and softball divisions at all levels

The Orchard Park Starz girl's travel softball program ( http://www.orchardparkstarz.com) is made up exclusively by Orchard Park players and competes in the Metro Girl's Softball Association

Notable Residents - Current and Former

• Carl Burgwardt; Owner of the Pedaling History Bicycle Museum, the worlds largest all bicycle museum; historian and former owner of Community Steel Corporation.
• Jim Burt, former NFL professional football player.
• Dave Hollins, former Major League Baseball player
• Rick James, (1948-2004) musician.
• Dick Jauron, Coach of the NFL Buffalo Bills.
• Jim Kelly, former professional football player, Buffalo Bills.
• Lex Luger a.k.a. Lawrence ("Larry") Wendell Pfohl, former professional wrestler
• Josh Thomas, Defensive End for the NFL Indianapolis Colts.
• Mary Travers, Town Supervisor
• Craig Wolfley, former NFL professional football player.

References

1. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
2. ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.

External links

• Village and Town information: Orchard Park
• Orchard Park GIS: Orchard Park

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