White Plains, city, seat of Westchester County, southeastern New York, on the Bronx River; incorporated as a city 1916. It is a residential community near New York City, a major retail center, and the site of many corporate offices. The city also is the site of Pace University-White Plains Campus (1923) and the Westchester County Center, focus of cultural and recreational activities. Of historic interest are the site of an important American Revolution battle in 1776; the Jacob Purdy House (1721), used by George Washington as his headquarters during the battle; and the Elijah Miller House (1738) in nearby North Castle, also used by Washington.
The area, which was settled by Puritans in 1683, had been called by a Siwanoy term meaning “the white plains,” referring probably to the mists above the marshes here. In 1776 White Plains was the scene of the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the New York Provincial Congress. A major program of urban renewal included the construction of large office and retail buildings in the 1970s and early 1980s. Population 46,999 (1980); 48,718 (1990); 53,077 (2000).
