Pittsford (village), New York

Geobox Settlement
name = Pittsford
native_name =
other_name =
other_name1 =
category = Village


image_size =
image_caption =


flag_size =
symbol =
symbol_size =
nickname =
nickname1 =
motto =
country = United States
state = New York
region_type = County
region = Monroe
district_type = Township
district = Pittsford
area_imperial = 0.7
area_land_imperial = 0.7
area_water_imperial = 0.04
area_water_percentage = auto
area_percentage_round = 2
area_round = 1
location =
lat_d = 43
lat_m = 05
lat_s = 20
lat_NS = N
long_d = 77
long_m = 30
long_s = 54
long_EW = W
elevation_imperial = 492
elevation_round = 1
population_as_of = 2000
population = 1418
population_density_imperial = 2025
population_density_round = 1
established_type = Incorporated
established = 1827
mayor = Robert Corby "(2007)"
timezone = EST
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
postal_code = 14534
postal_code_type = ZIP code
area_code = 585
area_code_type =
code2_type =
code2 =
free_type =
free =
free1_type =
free1 =


map_caption =
map1 = New York Locator Map.png map1_caption = Location of Pittsford in New York
map1_locator = New York
map2 = Map of USA NY.svg
map2_caption = Location of New York in the United States
website = http://villageofpittsford.org

Pittsford is a village in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 1,418 at the 2000 census. It is named after Pittsford, Vermont, the native town of a founding father.

The Village of Pittsford is the oldest village in Monroe County, incorporated in 1827. The village, an Erie Canal community, is in the Town of Pittsford. Pittsford is a suburb of Rochester.

Geography

Pittsford is located at coor dms|43|5|20|N|77|30|54|W|city (43.089013, -77.515239)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²), of which, 0.7 square miles (1.7 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (4.35%) is water. Pittsford is located seven miles southeast of Rochester in western New York State. The village is bisected by the historic Erie Canal.

History

Pittsford is the oldest of Monroe County's ten incorporated villages. Israel Stone, the village's first settler, built the village's first structure, a log house, in 1789. Early Pittsford served as the governmental seat for the town of Northfield, comprising most of what is now eastern Monroe County. The settlement contained the county's first school (1794), the first library (1803), the first permanent church (1807), the first post office (1811), and the first newspaper (1815). In 1813, after the surrounding towns were organized, reducing Northfield's territory, the name Pittsford was adopted to honor the Vermont birthplace of Colonel Caleb Hopkins, a farmer, community leader and hero from the War of 1812.

Pittsford prospered as a local trading center due to its location on the primary road between the mills at the Genesee Falls in Rochesterville and Canandaigua, the region's oldest and largest town. In 1816 Samuel Hildreth established the area's first stage coach line, eventually putting Pittsford at the center of a large stage network covering much of western New York.

Pittsford grew rapidly after the opening of the Erie Canal in 1822 and was incorporated as a village on July 4, 1827. Local entrepreneurs made fortunes from both canal construction and other businesses which benefited from the canal trade. Pittsford's fine collection of Federal period buildings are remaining evidence of the prosperity the community enjoyed during this period.

Because of its waterpower, Rochester soon eclipsed Pittsford as Monroe County's dominant economic and population center. Pittsford grew slowly through the rest of the nineteenth-century. Boosted by the arrival of the Rochester & Auburn railroad in 1834, Pittsford remained an important shipping center for local grains and produce until the mid-twentieth-century. Village industries included a flour mill, lumberyards, produce warehouses, a malt house and several fruit dry houses. The present charm of the Village's waterfront is due to the survival of historic canal warehouses, mills and silos, many of which have been renovated for boutiques and restaurants.

In the second half of the nineteenth-century wealthy Rochesterians began to establish country estates in and around the village. These estates were the first step in Pittsford's evolution from a farming community into a suburb.

Three of these grand homes remain within the village. Pittsford Farms, the oldest of the three village estates, was established in the 1860's by Jarvis Lord, a canal contractor. The property has retained its historic appearance and remains today a 200-acre working farm. The farm's dairy plant continues to bottle milk in returnable glass containers. The Town of Pittsford has purchased the development rights to this farm and seven others to ensure their open space remains for generations to come.

During the first quarter of the twentieth century, the construction of the Rochester & Eastern Trolley line and growing automobile ownership placed Pittsford within easy commuting distance of Rochester. By the 1950's Pittsford began to experience significant population growth from suburban residential development.

As the area surrounding the village continued to grow, residents became increasingly concerned about the effects of this growth on the village. Increasing traffic, demolition of historic buildings, commercial encroachment into historic neighborhoods, and the loss of open space led to the beginning of grass roots preservation efforts. Over the last forty-five years, residents, business people, and government officials have worked cooperatively to preserve, enhance and revitalize Pittsford Village. Among the community's accomplishments are the restoration of numerous village buildings, the establishment of a historic preservation district, the redevelopment of the village's Erie Canal waterfront for commercial and recreational use, and the preservation of farmland through the town's purchase of development rights.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 1,418 people, 633 households, and 386 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,156.8 people per square mile (829.5/km²). There were 652 housing units at an average density of 991.7/sq mi (381.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.95% White, 0.56% Black or African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.14% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.92% of the population.

There were 633 households out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the village the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $60,543, and the median income for a family was $69,297. Males had a median income of $51,389 versus $35,156 for females. The per capita income for the village was $32,637. About 2.8% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

* [http://www.villageofpittsford.org Village of Pittsford webpage]
* [http://www.townofpittsford.org/ Town of Pittsford website]
* [http://pittsfordchamber.org/pittsford/ Pittsford Chamber of Commerce - About Pittsford]
* [http://www.historicpittsford.com/ Historic Pittsford website]