thumb|[[Israel Putnam, Major General in the American Revolution and the county's namesake]]
Putnam County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,668. The county seat is Carmel, within one of the county's six towns. The county is part of the Hudson Valley region of the state.
Putnam County is bordered by Dutchess County to the north, Connecticut and its county of Fairfield to the east, Westchester County to the south, and the Hudson River and Orange County to the west. Midtown Manhattan is around a one-hour drive, and the county is included in the New York metropolitan area.
Putnam County was formed in 1812 from Dutchess County and is named for Israel Putnam, a hero in the French and Indian War and a general in the American Revolutionary War.
It is one of the most affluent counties in America, ranked 21st by median household income, and 43rd by per-capita income, according to the 2012 American Community Survey and 2009–2013 American Community Survey, respectively.
History
thumb|Map of [[Philipse Patent (showing the Oblong and Gore)]]
In 1609, the Wappinger Native American people inhabited the east bank of the Hudson River. They farmed, hunted, and fished throughout their range, often encountering Dutch fur traders. They obtained metal tools and goods such as alcohol and firearms in exchange for furs.
The colonial Province of New York and the Connecticut Colony negotiated an agreement on November 28, 1683, establishing their border as east of the Hudson River, and north to Massachusetts. Dutchess county was organized as one of New York's twelve counties. It included all of today's Putnam County and two towns in the present Columbia county. Until 1713, Dutchess was administered by Ulster county.
In 1691, a group of Dutch traders purchased a tract of land from the Wappingers that spanned from the Hudson River to the Connecticut border. Six years later they sold it to wealthy Dutch-American merchant Adolphus Philipse, who obtained a Royal sanction for a "Highland Patent" (later to be known as the Philipse Patent) that encompassed most of today's Putnam County.
In 1737, the New York Colonial Assembly designated the Philipse Patent as the South Precinct of Dutchess County. The Philipses began leasing farms to migrants from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Long Island, and lower Westchester. After Adolph Philipse's death, the Patent was divided in 1754 into nine lots granted to three heirs: Mary Philipse, Philip Philipse, and Susannah Philipse Robinson. During the French and Indian War, many of the Wappinger went to Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Jacob Haviland settled in the Oblong in 1731 in what became known as Haviland Hollow. The first village in the county was Fredericksburg, now the hamlet of Patterson.
thumb|250px|A 1799 map of Connecticut which shows [[The Oblong. From Low's Encyclopaedia]]
During the American Revolution, the Philipses stayed loyal to the Crown. As a consequence, their lands were confiscated by the New York government. It sold the Philipse Patent along with the rest of their holdings. The dispute over The Oblong was resolved in the aftermath of the war, with the heavily settled tract being incorporated as the first of two versions of the Town of Southeast. Also resolved were two "Gores", the Beekman Gore and the Rombout Gore, which being geographically similar to the Livingston and Beekman patents they abutted, were ceded by the Philipses to Dutchess County in 1758 and 1771 respectively.
Due to the increasing population of the Southern Precinct of Dutchess County and the great distance of these communities from the county seat in Poughkeepsie, It encompassed all of the Philipse Patent and the Oblong abutting it, less a triangular area in the farthest northwest reach of the Patent. There, a lowland near Fishkill Creek isolated from the rest of Putnam County and its adjacent upland drainage leading into the Hudson Highlands to the south, were ceded to Dutchess.
Putnam travelers mostly used boats and ships along the Hudson River. Boats transporting goods traveled up the Hudson to ports, mainly at Peekskill, New York. They were transported by road into Putnam County, or goods were unloaded in Putnam County at Cold Spring, New York.
- District 1 - Nancy Montgomery (D)
- District 2 - William Gouldman, Deputy Chair (R)
- District 3 - Toni Addonizio (R)
- District 4 - Laura Russo (R)
- District 5 - Jacob D'Angelo (R)
- District 6 - Thomas Regan, Jr. (R)
- District 7 - Daniel G. Birmingham, Chair (R)
- District 8 - Amy Sayegh (R)
- District 9 - Erin L. Crowley (R)
County Legislators are elected to three-year terms. Each single-member district contains approximately 10,500 people. Any person elected to the County Legislature on or after February 1, 2014, is limited to four three-year terms in office (without taking into account any previous terms held by such person prior to February 1, 2014). Legislative terms are staggered so that one-third of the members of the County Legislature is elected each year.
{| class=wikitable
|+ Chairs of the County Legislature
|- valign=bottom
! Chair !! Party !! Years
|-
| nowrap | Ethel Forkell*
| Republican
| 1979
|-
| nowrap | Robert J. Bondi
| Republican
| 1980–1981
|-
| nowrap | Raymond M. Maguire
| Republican
| 1982–1983
|-
| nowrap | Kevin L. Wright
| Republican
| 1984–1985
|-
| nowrap | Joseph G. Hickey
| Republican
| 1986–1989
|-
| nowrap | Jim Gordon
| Democratic
| 1990–1993
|-
| nowrap | William R. Bell
| Republican
| 1994–1996
|-
| nowrap | Arne Nordstrom
| Republican
| 1997
|-
| nowrap | Michael K. Semo Jr.
| Republican
| 1998
|-
| nowrap | Tony Hay
| Republican
| 1999
|-
| nowrap | Arne Nordstrom
| Republican
| 2000
|-
| nowrap | Robert J. Pozzi
| Republican
| 2001–2002
|-
| nowrap | Robert McGuigan Jr.
| Republican
| 2003–2005
|-
| nowrap | Daniel G. Birmingham
| Republican
| 2006–2007
|-
| nowrap | Tony Hay
| Republican
| 2008–2009
|-
| nowrap | Vincent M. Tamagna
| Republican
| 2010–2011
|-
| nowrap | Mary F. Conklin
| Republican
| 2012
|-
| nowrap | Richard T. Othmer Jr.
| Republican
| 2013
|-
| nowrap | Carl L. Albano
| Republican
| 2014–2015
|-
| nowrap | Ginny Nacerino
| Republican
| 2016–2017
|-
| nowrap | Joseph Castellano
| Republican
| 2018–2019
|-
| nowrap | Toni Addonizio
| Republican
| 2020–2021
|-
| nowrap | Neal Sullivan
| Republican
| 2022
|-
| nowrap | Paul Jonke
| Republican
| 2023–2024
|-
| nowrap | Amy Sayegh
| Republican
| 2025
|-
| nowrap | Daniel G. Birmingham
| Republican
| 2026-Present
|}
- * The County Charter took effect on January 1, 1979, and the County Legislature was established on that day. The County Board of Supervisors was dissolved on the previous day and members of the County Legislature for the year 1979 were the supervisors of each of the six towns. Ethel Forkell was Supervisor of the Town of Kent and was elected by her colleagues as the first Chair of the County Legislature.
County Executives
The county has had six County Executives:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name
! Party
! Term
|-
| David D. Bruen
| Democratic
| January 1, 1979 – December 31, 1986
|-
| Peter C. Alexanderson
| Republican
| January 1, 1987 – December 31, 1990
|-
| Robert Bondi|Robert J. Bondi
| Republican
| January 1, 1991 – December 31, 2010
|-
| Paul J. Eldridge
| Independent
| January 1, 2011 – November 11, 2011
|-
| MaryEllen Odell
| Republican
| November 11, 2011 – December 31, 2022
|-
| Kevin M. Byrne
| Republican
| January 1, 2023 – present
|-
|}
County courts
There are three types of general trial courts in Putnam County: the New York Supreme Court, the County Court and the Justice Courts. The Supreme Court is the trial level court of the New York State Unified Court System, which presents some confusion as the Supreme Court is the highest court of appeals in the federal system as well as in most states, whereas the Court of Appeals is the highest court in New York. The Supreme Court has broad authority over all categories of cases, both civil and criminal. Generally the Supreme Court in Putnam hears civil cases involving claims in excess of $25,000. While the Supreme Court has jurisdiction over criminal cases in most counties this is handled by the County Courts. In Putnam, however, the Supreme Court does exercise jurisdiction over some criminal cases.
The County Court is authorized to hear all criminal cases that have occurred in the county as well as limited jurisdiction over civil cases. The County Court handles felony cases exclusively and shares jurisdiction with the town and village justice courts on misdemeanor cases and other minor offenses and violations. The County Court's jurisdiction on civil cases is limited to those involving less than $25,000.
The new Putnam County Courthouse opened on January 2, 2008. It was constructed at a cost of $22.8 million. Jury assembly, court clerks and a public law library are located on the first floor. The second floor includes a Family Court and hearing room. On all floors are judges' chambers, jury deliberation rooms, prisoner cells and conference rooms. The third floor has two courtrooms for the County Court. The Supreme Court and a law library occupy the fourth floor.
Law enforcement
Law enforcement is providing by the following departments:
- State-side: K Troop, New York State Police (Zone 2, based on Route 22, at the Brewster Barracks)
- County-side: Putnam County Sheriff's Department
- Town/Village-side:), Southeast: (Village of Brewster Police Department), Town of Carmel Police Department, Town of Kent Police Department, and the Putnam County Probation Department. The Sheriff's Department includes a Civil Bureau, patrol division, a marine unit, a motorcycle unit, a school resource unit, and a narcotics enforcement unit.
State and national government
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Putnam County is part of the 94th State Assembly District (Towns of Carmel, Patterson, Putnam Valley and Southeast), represented by Matt Slater (R), and the 95th State Assembly District (Towns of Kent and Phillipstown), represented by Dana Levenberg (D).
Putnam County is part of the 40th State Senate District (Towns of Carmel, Patterson, and Southeast), represented by Peter Harckham (D), and the 41st State Senate District (Towns of Kent, Phillipstown and Putnam Valley), represented by Democrat Michelle Hinchey.
Putnam County is located in the 17th congressional district and has been represented by Republican Mike Lawler since 2023.
Putnam County has voted consistently for Republican presidential candidates, largely bucking the Democratic trend in the New York City suburbs. From 1828 to 1868, Putnam was a Democratic stronghold, but since 1872, the only Democratic presidential nominees to carry Putnam County have been Woodrow Wilson in 1912 and Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.
Geography
thumb|The county is covered in natural lakes, streams, and reservoirs. Here [[New York State Route 301|NY 301 crosses over West Branch Reservoir in Carmel]]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (6.5%) is water.
Putnam County is situated in the lower Hudson Valley in the southeastern part of New York, between the Hudson River on its west and the New York-Connecticut border on its east.
Putnam is southeast of Newburgh, and it is north of White Plains. Depending on precise location within the county, road travel distance to New York City ranges between .
The terrain of the county is generally hilly. The region of the county nearest the Hudson River is especially so, and is part of the Hudson Highlands. The highest point in Putnam County is Scofield Ridge, with four summits at approximately above sea level. The lowest point is sea level along the Hudson.
The Hudson River, named for Henry Hudson, has provided transportation of goods from New York City, north to the Hudson Valley, throughout history. These include Bog Brook in Southeast; Croton Falls Reservoir in Carmel and Southeast; Diverting Reservoir in Southeast; East Branch in Brewster; Middle Branch Reservoir in Southeast; West Branch in Kent and Carmel, and Boyds Corner Reservoir in Kent. In the winter, bouts of cold, dry air arrive from Canada, and interior sections of North America.
{| class="wikitable" align="center" style="font-size: 100%; margin-left:1em"|
| colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:100%;background:#E8EAFA;"|Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures For Carmel, New York on the top and average monthly precipitation in inches on the lower section.
|-
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000; height:15px;"| City
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Jan
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Feb
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Mar
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Apr
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| May
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Jun
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Jul
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Aug
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Sep
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Oct
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Nov
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Dec
|-
! style="background:#f8f3ca; color:#000; height:14px;"| Carmel
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 33/16
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 38/19
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 48/27
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 60/37
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 71/48
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 78/57
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 82/62
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 81/60
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 74/53
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 62/42
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 49/32
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 38/22
|
|-
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000; height:15px;"| City
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Jan
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Feb
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Mar
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Apr
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| May
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Jun
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Jul
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Aug
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Sep
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Oct
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Nov
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;"| Dec
|-
! style="background:#f8f3ca; color:#000; height:14px;"| Carmel
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 3.58"
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 3.10"
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 4.06"
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 4.44"
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 4.33"
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 4.11"
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 5.07"
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 4.09"
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 4.72"
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 4.12"
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 4.42"
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;"| 3.86"
|-
| colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;background:#E8EAFA;"|'
|}