Ossining

Ossining is located along the Hudson River. It contains two villages, the village of Ossining and part of Briarcliff Manor. The rest is located in the town of Mount Pleasant. Ossining is a vital community with a vast range in types of housing, from the very modest to the luxurious estates, and a diversified population enjoying a healthy racial and religious mix.

Ossining is very well known for the Sing Sing Prison, from which the town also got its name. As the prison became notorious, the village tried to distance itself from the prison’s harsh reputation and changed its name to Ossining on March 25, 1901.

Residents of Ossining can conveniently reach New York City via the Metro North Railroad or major highways. Westchester County also has an extensive bus system which enables commuters to use public transportation to go anywhere in the county.

Ossining will lead the way in making better use of your tax dollars through efficiency initiatives like LED street lights, energy efficiency upgrades, the municipal solar buying program, and municipal energy aggregation.

HISTORY

In 1685, the Sint Sincks sold their land to Frederick Philipse who incorporated it into his land holdings known as the Manor of Philipsburg. The Manor comprised of about 165,000 acres and extended from Spuyten Duyvil Creek at the tip of Manhattan on the south to the Croton River just north of the Village of Ossining. The land was leased to tenant farmers of Dutch, French, and English origin.

The area remained with the family until the end of the Revolution when the last Lord of the Manor, Colonel Frederick Philipse, was imprisoned for being a British loyalist. His land was confiscated by the Commissioners of Forfeiture of the new State of New York and sold at auction. Many of the farms were sold to the tenant farmers who had work them, especially those who had supported the American cause. At this time the area became known as Sing Sing.

As the eighteenth century drew to a close, the Sing Sing hamlet became a successful port where local farm produce was shipped to New York City from docks at the mouth of today’s Kill Brook and Sparta Brook.

On April 2, 1813, Sing Sing became the first incorporated village in Westchester County to be state chartered.

In 1825, construction of Sing Sing Prison began. Native granite was used to build the first cellblock. Commerce and industry flourished throughout the 1800’s. The industrial growth included a shoe factory and a stove foundry, both of which relied on convict labor.

COFFEE & COMMERCE

First Village Coffee serves as a classic (yet unique to the area) coffeehouse and social hub where locals and destination seekers alike enjoy the highest-quality specialty coffee and teas, pastries, art, music, community, and ambience.

First Village Coffee

Located in the beautiful and historic Hudson Valley, Fable is a farm and food hub dedicated to sustainable agriculture. They believe that through dedication, hard work, and modern technological advancements in agriculture, they can provide the freshest produce all year round without the use of harmful pesticides.

From their farm to your table, Fable’s crops are sustainably grown in the Hudson Valley and truly set the standard of excellence in local fruit and vegetable production.

Fable Foods

Sing Sing Kill Brewery is a New York Farm Brewery committed to crafting beer with a low carbon footprint using fresh local ingredients, water conservation methods, and 100% renewable NY energy.

Sing Sing Kill Brewery

Melita's Home Furnishings is Westchester's finest selection of Home Decor, Furnishings, Upholstery & Furniture Refinishing Services. It is a fantastic place for gifts, but an even better place to find something for yourself.

Melita's Home Furnishings

RECREATION

Ossining has an extensive recreational program for all age groups, including a summer day camp for local children. Students and adults can enjoy classes, trips, sports and other activities throughout the year. There are programs especially designed for senior citizens such as swimming, art and dance. There is a publicly owned boat and canoe club and boat launching ramp, and a few private marinas.

Ossining Recreation and Parks

Teatown is a nonprofit nature preserve and environmental education center in the Lower Hudson Valley, with 15 miles of hiking trails, a two-acre island refuge for over 230 species of native wildflowers, year-round programming, wildlife exhibits, and natural science day camps in the summer and school breaks.

Teatown Lake Reservation

EDUCATION

Ossinging's public schools include one pre-k, an early childhood center, two elementary schools, one middle school and one high school.

Ossining High School, which was in the list of the country’s top 250 best schools in the year 2000, offers students a variety of enrichment opportunities, including two high school programs which offer college level courses. One of these is a free program of advanced placement courses, the other offers college credit courses under the supervision of Syracuse University.

Ossining Union Free School District

In addition to Ossining’s public schools, there are three parochial schools in the area that include kindergarten through eighth grade.

COMMUNITY INFORMATION

Additional information for the village of Ossining, including public safety, government, and resources, can be found on their website.

Village of Ossining