Most people, even those who live here, don't know too many details about the Village of Larchmont, like who settled it and what are some of its lesser-known stats, laws or requirements.
No, I don't mean "height" and "weight." Those were recently abolished, after the ACLU got involved. Now, if you're anything like me, well, let me first say I'm terribly sorry. Then I'll go ahead and assume you also like trivia about your hometown.
If that's the case, below you'll find some things about Larchmont you might have missed.
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Larchmont was originally inhabited by The Algonquin Indians. Yet, the Dutch claim to have discovered it in 1614. Since the Algonquins were already here, they asked the Dutch if they'd bothered to look up the term "discover" in a dictionary. The Dutch said no, but that the thesaurus could back them up. Which they then handed to the Algonquins. Not only did this convince the Indians, but their chief said that by accepting the thesaurus, this constituted payment for the entire town. The Indians sadly accepted this defeat. But not before demoting the chief to head of arts and crafts.
Another little known fact is the part early Larchmont resident Peter Jay Munro played in the Abolitionist movement. He personally hid numerous runaway slaves in his home. This was a mixed blessing for the slaves, though, because Munro gave them an unbelievably long 'to-do' list. For instance, writing Munro's 'thank you' notes alone took two weeks. In fact, when slavery was officially abolished, this was one of the first jobs to go.
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And, do you know how Larchmont got its name? Munro's home, also known as The Manor House, faced the Post Road and in the summer got covered in dust. So, he imported inexpensive Scottish trees known as Larch Trees, to combat this. The trees were so inexpensive, in fact, that for a few extra bucks, Munro was able to buy 10 Scotsmen, as well.
Then, there are little known facts for the demographically obsessed among us. According to the 2000 Census, there were 6, 485 people in town. If you're scoring this, it breaks down into 2,418 households, 1,709 families, or 11 hip hop crews. Hey, you know how big those entourages can get! The population density, as of 2000, was 6,073.6 people per square mile. Most of them are pretty normal looking. Except the guy who is the 0.6. He is pretty freaky, but he makes up for it by having a great personality.
That same census says that 29.3 percent of the population is under 18. And 12.9 percent is 65 years or older. Typically, these two groups don't agree on anything. Except the new Eminem album. Which everyone agrees is off the hook!
In 2000, the median income for a household was $123, 238 and $163, 965 for a family. After reading this, a number of these family members broke into those households and took stuff. Thus, redressing the balance.
For those of you interested in celebrity, there are any number of famous folk who originally came from, or lived in, Larchmont. Among them:
Young Yang Chung, the world-renowned textile scholar. And, I think, the guy who sang "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" in the 80s.
Timothy Geithner, the current Secretary of The Treasury. Regarding the current economy? Well, you can always find his house and burn it down. But really, it's too late now.
D.W. Griffith, a filmmaker, who made the loathsome, "Birth Of A Nation" that sings the praises of the KKK. Accordingly, there's talk of turning it into a rock musical this Fall.
Jasun Martz, who arranged the Jefferson Starship song, "We Built This City." I don't know how you feel about this. But for those of us who love rock and roll, it means only one thing: he's running neck and neck with D.W. Griffith.
Peter is a humor columnist and Rye resident whose work appears frequently on local Patch sites.
