Romulus, New York

Romulus is a town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 2,036 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the mythical founder of Rome, Romulus, a name assigned by a clerk with an interest in the classics. The current Town Supervisor is David Kaiser.

The Town of Romulus is in the central part of the county, northwest of Ithaca, New York.

History
Before the American Revolution, this area was controlled by both the Cayuga tribe and the Seneca tribe. Jesuit missionaries visited the area in the 17th Century. A punitive action in 1779 destroyed native villages and drove many of the Native Americans away. Romulus contains the area of Kendaia (Apple Town), a former Iroquois (Cayuga) village destroyed by the residents in anticipation of the arrival of the Sullivan Expedition on September 5, 1779.

After the war, this town became part of the Central New York Military Tract, land for veterans of the Revolution. Returning natives were provided with land at the north end of Cayuga Lake. This reservation was partly in the eastern side of modern Romulus. The first non-native settlers arrived around 1789.

The town was formed while still part of Onondaga County in 1794. In 1800, part of Romulus was used to make the Town of Fayette. The north part of Romulus was used to form the Town of Varick in 1830.

The town also contains the former Seneca Army Depot (1941 - 1990s), built during World War II and finally phased out after the Gulf War. It was a major employer for citizens of Romulus and surrounding parts of Seneca County. The Seneca Army Airfield, located along NY-96A, provided a long runway for transport aircraft.

Willard State Hospital was converted to a state prison drug treatment center in 1995.

(Portions of a diary written by Henry McLafferty Jr (1819–1859) are available online from the Rochester Public Library: Romulus Revisited: Extracts from the Diary of Henry McLafferty, Jr. 1856–1857).

Geography
The town lies between Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake at latitude 42° 45' 8" N. and longitude 76° 50' 2" W. at an altitude of 705 ft (214 m).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 51.3 sqmi, of which 37.8 sqmi is land and 13.5 sqmi (26.34%) is water.

Romulus is in the Finger Lakes District of New York and lies between Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake.

New York State Route 89, New York State Route 96, New York State Route 96A, and New York State Route 414 are all north-south highways in the town.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,036 people, 583 households, and 420 families residing in the town. The population density was 53.9 people per square mile (20.8/km²). There were 812 housing units at an average density of 21.5 per square mile (8.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 81.88% White, 13.75% African American, 0.05% Native American, 0.79% Asian, 1.87% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.96% of the population.

There were 583 households out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.5% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the town the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 124.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 137.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $42,404, and the median income for a family was $45,938. Males had a median income of $39,417 versus $25,938 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,332. About 9.1% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.5% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Romulus

 * Elm Beach – A location on the west shore of Lake Cayuga, south of Poplar Beach on NY-89.
 * Five Points Correctional Facility – A state prison in the town.
 * Hayts Corners – A hamlet in the southeast of Romulus at the junction of County Roads 129 and 130.
 * Kendaia – A hamlet located by NY-96A near the state park, built on the site of a former Cayuga village.
 * Marsh Corner – A hamlet in the eastern part of the town, east of Romulus village.
 * Pontius Point – A projection into Seneca Lake north of the state park.
 * Poplar Beach – A hamlet on the shore of Cayuga Lake, on NY-89.
 * Romulus – The hamlet of Romulus is by the north town line on NY-96.
 * Sampson – A community located in the state park.
 * Sampson State Park – A state park on the east shore of Lake Seneca. The park is on the site of Sampson Naval Base during World War II and Sampson Air Force Base during the Korean War.
 * Seneca Army Depot – A south half of the former supply location is in the town. The land is being re-converted to other uses.
 * Seneca Lake – Deepest of the Finger Lakes.
 * Tannery Corners – A location in the southeast of Romulus, south of Poplar Beach.
 * Willard – A hamlet in the southwest corner, on the shore of Seneca Lake and County Road 132.
 * Willard Drug Treatment Center – A former state mental hospital that was taken over by the state prison system.