DeWitt’s history dates to the Revolutionary War when soldiers were offered 500 acres of virgin land in exchange for three years of military service. DeWitt was created in 1835 by the division of Manlius. The Erie Canal opening in 1825 was followed closely by railroad construction through East Syracuse in 1839. Together these events populated the Town of DeWitt with over 2,800 residents as people and commerce moved west.

Expansive residential growth followed both world wars, with DeWitt’s population peaking in 1970 at 29,000 people. Today, DeWitt has a stable resident population of 25,000 with 43,000 workday residents.

The Jamesville Dewitt school district has approximately 2,900 students supported by a community deeply committed to quality education. The Jamesville Dewitt school district prides itself for excellence in academic performance; but it is equally proud of the student performance in the arts, athletics, as well as the students’ contributions to their community.

The City of Syracuse which borders the Town of Dewitt, located in Onondaga County, is the region’s major metropolitan center. It has been appropriately called the Crossroads of New York State, due to its central location and the fact the State's two major interstate routes the east-west New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) and north-south Interstate 81 intersect here.

The Greater Syracuse area is a region of rolling hills, flat plains, lakes and streams. The City of Syracuse is located on a rise at the southern end of Onondaga Lake. The gently rolling terrain stretches north of the city for 30 miles, where it meets Lake Ontario. The Finger Lakes begin 20 miles to the southwest and Oneida Lake is eight miles northeast. The location allows you to enjoy the wonderful outdoor recreation of skiing, boating, hiking, sunbathing, snowshoeing, kayaking and much more.

A strategic central location and a well-developed transportation network have made Syracuse a major distribution center. Air and rail terminals are just 10 minutes from Dewitt. Syracuse Hancock International Airport is serviced by all of the major airline carriers and the low-cost carrier JetBlue Airways and offer approximately 250 daily arrivals and departures. Over two million travelers pass through Hancock International Airport each year. Amtrak services rail passenger needs. Within 4 hours of drive time we can be in major cities, such as, New York, Boston, Toronto, and Ottawa.

Major area employers include Syracuse University, five hospitals, and Lockheed-Martin.

The Syracuse area provides excellent health care resources. Besides the Veteran’s Hospital, there are four hospitals providing national recognized care in most specialties, especially in cardiac, stroke and orthopedic fields, and University Hospital is a teaching hospital as part of the SUNY medical school. We are proud to be the home of the Golisano Children’s Hospital which opened its doors less than a year ago. Golisano’s dedicated pediatric staff care for patients, in an inpatient setting, that consists of General Pediatrics, Pediatric Surgical Unit, hematology/oncology, the only pediatric intensive care unit in a 17-county referral area, and the only dedicated pediatric Emergency Department between Rochester and Vermont. Primary care is available in good supply to meet everyday needs, as well as specialists in all fields, for more complex issues. There are several large multi-specialty outpatient centers that provide convenient medical care (one is less than 10 minutes from St. David’s).

Cultural events and artistic opportunities are many and varied in and around the city of Syracuse. Symphoria, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit formed in late 2012, is a musician-led cooperative orchestra, one of only two in the United States. The orchestra presents more than 50 concerts and reaches 100,000 people annually in venues ranging from libraries and health care facilities to public parks, churches, museums, and our home venue, the Crouse-Hinds Theater at the Civic Center. Other musical performing arts groups are Syracuse Opera Company, Civic Morning Musicals, Jazz Central, Syracuse Chorale, Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music and the Syracuse Pop’s Chorus to name a few.

Various types of dramatic and musical theater productions are offered by Syracuse Stage (a professional equity theater), Syracuse University’s Drama Department (many notable alumni), and the Broadway in Syracuse Theater series as well as many other theater companies.

Visual arts are well represented by the Everson Museum of Art. Designed by architect I.M. Pei, it houses more than 11,000 works of art including one of the country’s largest collections of American ceramics. Many other art galleries provide outlets for artists to exhibit and sell their works. St. David’s Church sponsored the Celebration of the Arts for 49 years as a gift to the community. It included at least two free performances and an invitational art exhibit. Since 2004, the exciting Syracuse International Film Festival has presented films to the Syracuse Community.

The Museum of Science and Technology (MOST) has many “hands-on” scientific exhibits for people of all ages and houses the Bristol IMAX Omni Theater as well as a planetarium.

Lectures are provided by the Syracuse University Lecture Series given by world-renowned academicians, architects, designers, writers, business and media experts and statesmen. Offered through the Onondaga County Library, the Rosamond Gifford Lecture series features writers and is now the largest library-related lecture series in the country.

The Syracuse area has a rich history, and there are many museums for enjoyment and research including the Salt Museum, Skä•noñh Great Law of Peace Center (formerly St. Marie among the Iroquois Living History Center), The Stickley Furniture Museum, and the Erie Canal Museum. Our history includes former “safe” houses in the Underground Railroad.

 The Syracuse area enjoys a four-season continental climate with marked seasonal changes.