of light made light keepers unnecessary so the Coast Guard closed the lighthouse. The Saugerties Lighthouse Conservancy was established in 1985 with the mission to restore and maintain the lighthouse. After extensive restoration, it was recommissioned by the Coast Guard as an aid to navigation. The foundation for the original lighthouse remains as a small island adjacent to the existing lighthouse. Geography The town has a total area of 68.0 square miles (176.2 km2), of which 64.5 square miles (167.2 km2) is land and 3.5 square miles (9.0 km2) (5.13%) is water (United States Census Bureau statistics). The northern town line is the border of Greene County, New York, and the eastern town line, marked by the Hudson River, is the border of Dutchess and Columbia counties. Esopus Creek enters the Hudson River south of Saugerties village. In 2016, a Kingston Creative study of social media data found that the Catskill Animal Sanctuary, Opus 40, and HITS were leading drivers of tourism, by virtue of mentions on instagram. Demographics As of the 2010 census, there were 19,482 people; 8,163 households and 5,193 families residing in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 94.2% White, 1.7% Black or African American, .03% Native American, 1.1% Asian, .87% Pacific Islander (U.S. Census), and 2.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5% of the population. Of the 8,163 households, 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 29.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.92. In the town, the median age was 42.9 years; 7.3% are over 65. Education Saugerties Central School District, including Saugerties High School, is the primary public school district serving the town. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York operates Catholic schools in Ulster County. St. Mary of the Snow School in Saugerties closed in 2013. Notable people Maurice Hinchey, United States congressman Joe Sinnott, Marvel Comics artist, Sinnott illustrated the Treasure Chest educational comic book series. Roger Donlon, first Medal of Honor recipient of the Vietnam War, and the first Green Beret to receive the award. The municipal building on Partition