Jefferson County > Clayton
Population:
4,770 town
1,705 village
Clayton was named after John M. Clayton, Whig who served as U.S. senator from Delaware.
The Antique Boat Museum, one of the largest nonprofits in Clayton, features more than 320 boats, including canoes, runabouts, skiffs, and a 106-foot houseboat. Nonprofit activity in the community understandably centers on life along the St. Lawrence, through organizations such as the Thousand Islands Land Trust and Save the River.
School districts: Thousand Islands Central School District
Libraries: Hawn Memorial Library
Emergency services: Thousand Islands Emergency Rescue Service, Clayton Fire Department
Fraternal organizations: American Legion, Lions, Rotary
State parks: Canoe-Picnic Point State Park, Cedar Point State Park
Not-for-profit cemeteries: Clayton Cemetery, Omar Cemetery, Riverside Cemetery of Wellsley Island, St. Lawrence Union Cemetery
Change agents:
Grants to local organizations have funded efforts to improve regional water quality, develop the Ringer Gallery Building, and other causes.
Recent grants:
Antique Boat Museum
Cleveland H Dodge Foundation - New York, NY - $5,000 (2024)
Antique Boat Museum
Cleveland H Dodge Foundation - New York, NY - $2,000 (2024)
Antique Boat Museum
Cleveland H Dodge Foundation - New York, NY - $10,000 (2024)
Antique Boat Museum
Dodge Charitable Trust - Mechanicsville, MD - $7,000 (2024)
Antique Boat Museum
Edward John Noble Foundation - Greenwich, CT - $15,000 (2024)
Antique Boat Museum
Helen and Ritter Shumway Foundation - Dallas, TX - $50,000 (2024)
Antique Boat Museum
Tahoe Maritime Foundation - San Jose, CA - $6,000 (2024)
Antique Boat Museum
Texas Instruments Foundation - Dallas, TX - $6,463 (2024)
Antique Boat Museum
Twin Trees Foundationinc - Hobe Sound, FL - $5,000 (2024)
Clayton Chamber of Commerce
Phinney Charitable Foundation - Clayton, NY - $13,000 (2024)
Grindstone Island Methodist Church
Delaney Bay Fund - Watertown, NY - $5,000 (2024)
Grindstone Island Research & Heritage Center
Delaney Bay Fund - Watertown, NY - $1,000 (2024)
Handweaving Museum and Arts Center
Edward John Noble Foundation - Greenwich, CT - $5,000 (2024)
Save the River
Cleveland H Dodge Foundation - New York, NY - $4,000 (2024)
Save the River
Edward John Noble Foundation - Greenwich, CT - $2,500 (2024)
Save the River
Helen and Ritter Shumway Foundation - Dallas, TX - $40,000 (2024)
Save the River
Melinda Gray Ardia Environmental Foundation Ltd - East Amherst, NY - $1,500 (2024)
Save the River
Pfizer Foundation - New York, NY - $1,285 (2024)
St. Mary's Church
Sisters of St. Joseph Foundation - Watertown, NY - $4,000 (2024)
Thousand Islands Arts Center
Leonard C & Mildred F Ferguson Foundation - Canton, OH - $10,000 (2024)
Thousand Islands Arts Center
Leonard C & Mildred F Ferguson Foundation - Canton, OH - $10,000 (2024)
Thousand Islands Arts Center
NYS Council on the Arts - New York, NY - $49,500 (2026)
Thousand Islands Arts Center
NYS Council on the Arts - New York, NY - $40,000 (2024)
Thousand Islands Arts Center
Twin Trees Foundationinc - Hobe Sound, FL - $1,000 (2024)
Thousand Islands Central School District
U.S. Department of Education - Washington, DC - $29,648 (2024)
Thousand Islands Land Trust
Cleveland H Dodge Foundation - New York, NY - $8,000 (2024)
Thousand Islands Land Trust
Delaney Bay Fund - Watertown, NY - $3,000 (2024)
Thousand Islands Land Trust
Edward John Noble Foundation - Greenwich, CT - $5,000 (2024)
Thousand Islands Land Trust
Fresh Sound Foundation - Cambridge, MA - $10,000 (2024)
Thousand Islands Land Trust
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation - Albany, NY - $37,250 (2025)
Thousand Islands Land Trust
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation - Albany, NY - $77,890 (2025)
Thousand Islands Land Trust
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation - Albany, NY - $2,480,000 (2025)
Thousand Islands Land Trust
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation - Albany, NY - $90,000 (2024)
Thousand Islands Land Trust
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation - Albany, NY - $43,385 (2024)
Thousand Islands Land Trust
Pfizer Foundation - New York, NY - $1,200 (2024)
Thousand Islands Land Trust
Phinney Charitable Foundation - Clayton, NY - $2,500 (2024)
Thousand Islands Land Trust
Price Choppers Golub Foundation - Schenectady, NY - $1,000 (2024)
Thousand Islands Land Trust
U.S. Department of the Interior - Washington, DC - $150,000 (2024)
Thousand Islands Land Trust
U.S. Department of the Interior - Washington, DC - $150,000 (2024)
Thousand Islands Performing Arts Fund
Edward John Noble Foundation - Greenwich, CT - $7,500 (2024)
Thousand Islands Performing Arts Fund
NYS Council on the Arts - New York, NY - $10,000 (2024)
Thousand Islands Performing Arts Fund
Price Choppers Golub Foundation - Schenectady, NY - $1,000 (2024)
Town and Village of Clayton
William G. Pomeroy Foundation - Syracuse, NY - $1,950 (2024)
Town of Clayton
Community Development Block Grant - Albany, NY - $895,811 (2024)
Town of Clayton
Regional Economic Development Councils - Albany, NY - $895,811 (2024)
Village of Clayton
NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation - Albany, NY - $8,200,000 (2025)
Largest nonprofits in Clayton (by assets) include:
Jefferson-Lewis School Employees Health Plan
Antique Boat Museum
Thousand Islands Land Trust
Clayton Improvement Associaton
Thousand Islands Emergency Rescue Service
Save the River
Antique and Classic Boat Society
Clayton Volunteer Fire Dept
Clayton Yacht Club
Thousand Islands Performing Arts Fund
Kamargo Housing Development Fund
Hawn Memorial Library
Handweaving Museum and Arts Center
American Legion
Hibernian Charity
Thousand Islands Museum
Thousand Islands Snowmobile Club
Phinney Charitable Foundation
Paynter Senior Center
Thousand Islands Association
Clayton Chamber of Commerce
1000 Islands Charity Poker Run Corp
Thousand Islands Education Association Local 3052
Thousand Islands Youth Hockey Association
Clayton Figure Skating Club
Clayton Local Development Corporation