Home » New York » Cold Spring

James W. Loewen (1942-2021)

We mourn the loss of our friend and colleague and remain committed to the work he began.

Cold Spring

New York

Basic Information

Type of Place
Independent City or Town
Metro Area
Politics c. 1860?
Don’t Know
Unions, Organized Labor?
Don’t Know

Sundown Town Status

Sundown Town in the Past?
Probable
Was there an ordinance?
Don't Know
Sign?
Don’t Know
Year of Greatest Interest
Still Sundown?
Probably Not, Although Still Very Few Black People

Census Information

The available census data from 1860 to the present
Total White Black Asian Native Hispanic Other BHshld
1860
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910
1920
1930 1784 5
1940
1950
1960 2083 0
1970
1980
1990 1980 1
2000 1983 1915 9 21 3 57 1
2010
2020

Method of Exclusion

  • Private Bad Behavior
  • Realtors

Main Ethnic Group(s)

  • Unknown

Group(s) Excluded

  • Black
  • Hispanic

Comments

“I grew up in Cold Spring NY [from] 1967-1985. It was an all white town to the extent that it did block out blacks and hispanics. There were some families from India and such as they were doctors in the now defunct local hospital. There was two or three black families (during my years there) that ‘some how managed to get in’ as my father would say. There was an ‘unspoken’ rule not to let minorities rent your properties or to sell to them. I know one family owned
the local dry cleaners. I thought it ironic that my father did work for them and yet would not let me talk to
their son! I remember cops stopping a friend because they were driving through town. The guy wasn’t doing
anything wrong. Just a black guy driving through town with a white girl from town in the car…
“[My father] would say things like that when he did show the apartment to blacks. I also heard it from my
mom… that they would have issues with the other residents if they ever did rent to blacks. (my father
would not have anyway)…
“I do not believe the family that owned the dry cleaners] lived in town. And I believe that Cold Spring
tried hard to keep out blacks but it was not always possible. If they had money they could manage to get in.”
-former Cold Spring resident

August 2005
One person wrote: Cold Spring NY has no public signs but still is. “Don’t be a healthy minority” buyer tactics may have changed but they still drive you out.