A Look into the History of Valhalla, NY

The car accident attorneys in Valhalla, NY, at Banville Law bring you the following piece on the area's history.

Valhalla, NY

Within Westchester County lies the hamlet, Valhalla. It is located 15.8 miles northeast of Yonkers and less than a one-hour drive north of Manhattan. The Kensico Reservoir creates the eastern border of the neighborhood.

History

The name of the town, Valhalla, was inspired by an admirer of Richard Wagner. Wagner, a German composer, is known for his music dramas and operas. One piece of his work was titled Entry of the Gods into Valhalla, in reference to Norse mythology. Some other pieces of his work include:

• The Flying Dutchman - 1843
• Tristan und Isolde - 1865
• Parsifal - 1882
• The Ring of the Nibelung - 1869

Recent Events

In July of 2006, Valhalla suffered a tornado that caused mass destruction through the town. Although there were no deaths, the damage triggered a substantial relocation of over 2,217 residents from 2006 to 2010.

On September 11, 2006, Valhalla dedicated a memorial called The Rising to the September 11th victims. An architecturally designed structure was erected in the Kensico Dam Plaza. Designed by Frederic Schwartz, it lists the residents' names and former residents who were lost in the attack. In addition, is a quote for each that was provided by their families. Visitors can visit the memorial and view the names.

In 2017, approval was given for the development of a $1.2 billion biotech hub in Valhalla. Under the developer, John Fareri, the area will include three million square feet of lab, retail, and medical space in addition to a 100-room hotel. This mixed-use development will be done in phases.

Historical Landmarks

Some landmarks to visit while in Valhalla include:

• the Kensico Cemetery - founded in 1889
• the Kensico Dam - built in 1917
• the Valhalla train station - open for service in 1846
• John A. Hartford House - built in 1930

Demographics

As of 2000, Valhalla's population was 5,379, which consisted of 1,847 households and 1,470 families. Of the population, 22.88% of the residents were born outside of America. Spanish and Serbo-Croatian are languages spoken in addition to English. The ethnic breakdown for the area is as follows:

• 95.85% white
• 0.76% African American
• 0.07% Native American
• 2.12% Asian
• 0.02% Pacific Islander
• 3.36% Hispanic or Latino
• 0.3% other races
• 0.87% two or more races

Valhalla has among the highest population of residents with Italian ancestries, a massive 34.2% ranking the neighborhood 28th in America. Other resident's ancestries include:

• Italian
• Irish
• German
• African
• French

The average income for a household in Valhalla was $76,003 and for families $91,205. More than 47.14% have a minimum of a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the average American community of 21.84%. Working from home is more prevalent in this town than the average American neighborhood, with 11.26% not commuting to work. The areas occupational breakdown is the following:

• 11.76% sales
• 10.73% management
• 8.61% teaching

Learn More: A Brief History of Irvington, NY

Our Local Office

Car accident have you left without a ride? Let the experience of our Valhalla, NY car accident attorneys at Banville Law get you the compensation you deserve. Call today for a no-cost consultation.

Banville Law
44 S Broadway #100
White Plains, NY 10601
(914) 228-1866