Carthage, New York

Carthage is a village located in the Town of Wilna in Jefferson County, New York. The population was 3,747 at the 2010 census. The village is named after the historic Carthage in Tunisia.The Village of Carthage is at the southeast town line and is east of Watertown.HistoryThe original settlement was called "Long Falls" and was first settled around 1798.Its claim to partial fame is that American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film music composer John Carpenter was born here when his mother was visiting her sister. Mr. Carpenter was married to actress Adrienne Barbeau.The village was chartered in 1869. Carthage is one of only twelve villages in New York still incorporated under a charter, the other villages having incorporated or re-incorporated under the provisions of Village Law.In 1861, a major fire destroyed about twenty buildings in the village, and a smaller fire at the end of the year destroyed more property. A somewhat less destructive fire occurred in 1872. Another large fire in 1884 spread across the river from West Carthage and caused extensive damage, reducing more than 150 buildings to ruin. The First Baptist Church and Cook Memorial Building, State Street Historic District, and United States Post Office are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2002, another fire destroyed eight buildings in the downtown area, displacing nearly 150 residents and leaving a pile of ruin.