Jump to content

Pittsford, New York

Coordinates: 43°05′23″N 77°31′0″W / 43.08972°N 77.51667°W / 43.08972; -77.51667
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Mollie-wan (talk | contribs) at 03:11, 14 November 2022 (→Government: Fixed typo). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For the village, see Pittsford (village), New York.
Pittsford
Town
Location in Monroe County and the state of New York
Location in Monroe County and the state of New York
Location of New York in the United States
Location of New York in the United States
Coordinates: 43°05′23″N 77°31′0″W / 43.08972°N 77.51667°W / 43.08972; -77.51667
CountryUnited States
StateNew York
CountyMonroe
IncorporatedMarch 25, 1814; 210 years ago (1814-03-25)[1]
Government
 • Town SupervisorWilliam A. Smith Jr. (R) elected 2013
  • Katherine Bohne Munzinger (R)
  • Kevin S. Beckford (D)
  • Stephanie Townsend (D)
  • Cathy Koshykar (D)
Area
[2]
 • Total23.40 sq mi (60.61 km2)
 • Land23.19 sq mi (60.07 km2)
 • Water0.21 sq mi (0.54 km2)
Elevation
564 ft (172 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total30,617 Increase
 • Density1,320.26/sq mi (509.76/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code
14534
Area code585
FIPS code36-055-58365
Websitewww.townofpittsford.org

Pittsford is a town in Monroe County, New York. A suburb of Rochester, its population was 30,617 at the time of the 2020 census.[3]

The Town of Pittsford (formerly part of the town of Northfield) was settled in 1789 and incorporated in 1796. The Village of Pittsford was incorporated in 1827. It was named by Colonel Caleb Hopkins, War of 1812 hero and subsequently Pittsford Town Supervisor, for the town of his birth, Pittsford, Vermont.

The Erie Canal passes through the town.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 23.4 square miles (60.6 km2), of which 23.2 square miles (60.1 km2) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.5 km2) (0.81%) is water.

The Town of Pittsford is located in the southeastern portion of Monroe County approximately eight miles from the city of Rochester, New York. The Town of Mendon lies to the south, the Town of Perinton to the east, the Towns of Henrietta and Brighton to the west, and the Towns of Brighton and Penfield to the north of Pittsford.

History

The town is situated within the region subject to the Marquis de Denonville's expedition of 1600 French soldiers, 400 Canadian colonials, and 983 Native American allies in 1687, for the purpose of punishing the Seneca tribe, the foremost nation of the Iroquois Indian Confederacy, for their connection with the English and their interference in the lucrative French fur trade.[4]

In 1788, Massachusetts abandoned its claim to this region in favor of New York. Oliver Phelps and Nathaniel Gorham of Connecticut settled with the state of Massachusetts for a title of land in western New York. On July 8, 1788, Oliver and Nathaniel met with the Senecas and signed the Treaty of Buffalo Creek at Geneseo in Livingston County where the Indians gave up their title. The District of Northfield was formed in Ontario County in 1792. This became the Town of Northfield in 1796. What is now the Village of Pittsford was settled the same year. As Northfield, which was renamed Boyle in 1808 and again to Smallwood in 1813, was subdivided in the following years, a final split formed the towns of Pittsford and Brighton in 1814.[5]

The completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 led to increased development of the various towns in Western New York along its route. Proximity to Rochester via canal and the Genesee River proved beneficial to the village of Pittsford too.

The Auburn and Rochester Railroad arrived in 1840, providing faster passenger service than the canal. This line soon became part of the New York Central operation and was in use until 1960. The enlarged Erie Canal continued to provide cheap transportation to the mills of Rochester though. By 1918, the modern barge canal was in service, following the same route as older canals, but widened and deepened.

The Adsit Cobblestone Farmhouse, Cole Cobblestone Farmhouse, Gates-Livermore Cobblestone Farmhouse, Mendon Cobblestone Academy, Mendon Presbyterian Church, Miller–Horton–Barben Farm, Sheldon Cobblestone House, Stewart Cobblestone Farmhouse, and Whitcomb Cobblestone Farmhouse are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[6]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18201,582—
18301,83215.8%
18401,9838.2%
18502,0613.9%
18602,028−1.6%
18701,974−2.7%
18802,23613.3%
18902,129−4.8%
19002,37311.5%
19103,63453.1%
19204,61427.0%
19307,19255.9%
19407,7417.6%
19509,41321.6%
196015,15661.0%
197025,05865.3%
198026,7436.7%
199024,497−8.4%
200027,21911.1%
201029,4058.0%
202030,6174.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[7] 2020[3]

As of the census[9] of 2000,[10] there were 27,219 people, 9,448 households, and 7,341 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,173.7 people per square mile (453.2/km2). There were 9,709 housing units at an average density of 418.6 per square mile (161.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 92.61% White, 1.60% Black or African American, 0.08% Native American, 4.57% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population.

There were 9,448 households, out of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.4% were married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. Of all households, 19.1% were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $109,344, and the median income for a family was $119,509.[11] Males had a median income of $70,780 versus $39,336 for females. The per capita income for the town was $42,723. About 1.5% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Pittsford has the highest average household income in New York State north of the New York City metropolitan area.[citation needed]

Greenprint

In 1996 the Town of Pittsford adopted its Greenprint Plan to preserve open space from the encroaching development that had taken so much of the town's countryside since the 1960s. The Greenprint involved the town's purchase of development rights to what was then two-thirds of Pittsford's remaining farmland. Initiated and successfully carried through by Supervisor William A. Carpenter, with passage of the Greenprint, Pittsford became the first town in the State of New York to save open space by purchasing development rights. In the years since, Pittsford's Greenprint has been recognized nationally and remains a frequently-cited example of successful open space preservation.

In 2021, the Town Supervisor, William A. Smith, Jr., proposed expanding the Greenprint, to protect more land from development. This proposal is consistent with the expression of opinion in the Town's 2019 Community Survey, in which a substantial majority of residents supported expanding the Greenprint.

Education

Public schools are administered by the Pittsford Central School District.

The District has received the New York State Governor's Excelsior Award for quality.[12] It costs $13,900 per year to educate a Pittsford student. Barker Road Middle School and Calkins Road Middle School have also received an award in 2006 and 2009 as one of the national "Schools to Watch".[12][13]

The District has two high schools, Pittsford Sutherland and Pittsford Mendon. Sutherland plays its athletics as the Knights while Mendon students are known as the Vikings. In sports for in which the two high schools combine to form a single team, such as football and lacrosse, they are known as the Panthers. The two schools have a long-standing rivalry in basketball, culminating with the annual Rainbow Classic game held at the University of Rochester. The Rainbow Classic is an annual fundraiser to support Golisano Children's Hospital. The Rainbow Classic was created in memory of Katelyn Pasley, who was treated at the Golisano Children's Hospital before she died. In addition, when Ryan McCluski died in 2004 after treatment at the hospital, the Pasley and McCluski families joined together to turn the tragedies into something positive for the community. The event has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Golisano Children's Hospital. Adding to the many successful sports teams in Pittsford, NY, the Pittsford Mendon Vikings soccer team has a strong tradition, holding the New York State record of seven state championships.[14] Pittsford's swimming program is ranked overall 22nd in the nation, with girls being ranked 12th and having won 14 straight sectional championships, and boys being ranked 22nd, having won 13 straight titles.

The District has renovated many of its schools and built some entirely new facilities. In 2006, it completed work on Calkins Road Middle School, a middle school for students that will be attending Sutherland High School. The other middle school is Barker Road.

The Pittsford Central School District also operates five elementary schools, Jefferson, Park, Thornell, Mendon Center, and Allen Creek. They are all named for the roads on which they're located.

Pittsford is home to Allendale Columbia School, a leading independent, co-educational college preparatory school for students in grades Nursery through 12. Allendale offers a combined interscholastic sports program in Grades 7-12 with The Harley School, also a Nursery - 12 independent school in the neighboring town of Brighton. The Harley-Allendale Columbia teams are affiliated with the New York State Public High School Athletic Association, Section V and the Finger Lakes Athletic Association.

Pittsford is also home to St. Louis School, a Roman Catholic school offering a program from preschool to grade 6, operated by the St. Louis Parish in Pittsford.

Two colleges are located in Pittsford: St. John Fisher College and Nazareth College.

The Rochester Japanese School (RJS; ロチェスター日本語補習校 Rochesutā Nihongo Hoshūkō), a weekend Japanese program, is held at the Christ Clarion Presbyterian Church of Pittsford.[15]

Media

The Brighton-Pittsford Post was Pittsford's local weekly newspaper and was in print since 1942. As of 2021, it apparently has ceased publication.[16][17]

Industry and commerce

Pittsford's access to the Erie Canal was the main driver of commerce in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some of the old buildings and barns on the canal have been converted into restaurants, cafes and shops. Concerts, boat tours, and other events highlight this area in the warmer months.

Two large malls, Eastview Mall in Victor, and The Marketplace Mall in Henrietta, and Pittsford Plaza, a large shopping center located on NY 31 on the west side of the town are important commercial areas. Pittsford is the home of one of the largest Wegmans stores in the state. The Pittsford store is both the flagship store and a major test center for the company, as it is used to test out new ideas, such as mini-restaurants, and small pet stores attached to the main building.[citation needed]

Pittsford is home to five country clubs: Oak Hill Country Club, Irondequoit Country Club, Monroe Golf Club, Country Club of Rochester, and Locust Hill Country Club.

The Pittsford Chamber of Commerce works with businesses in the Town and Village of Pittsford.

Parks

Pittsford has 11 town parks within its borders. Great Embankment and Thornell Farm Park include several athletic fields, while Lock 32 and the Erie Canal trail offer a look at the historic double lock. The Isaac Gordon Nature Park offers hiking trails and cross-country skiing. Two Monroe County parks can also be found in Pittsford: Powder Mills Park and Mendon Ponds Park. Powder Mill has a ski lift and a creek that is popular with trout fishermen, while Mendon Ponds includes a vast trail system and unique geology.

Sports

Professional golf regularly comes to Pittsford. From 1977 through 2014, the LPGA Championship was held in the town, at Locust Hill Country Club for all but the last year, when the tournament was held at Monroe Golf Club. Oak Hill Country Club, located in Pittsford, hosted the 1995 Ryder Cup, the 1956, 1968 and 1989 United States Opens and the 1980, 2003, and 2013 PGA Championships. The Xerox Classic was a golf tournament on the Nationwide Tour from 2005 to 2008 played in August at Irondequoit Country Club.

The NFL Buffalo Bills hold their summer training camp each August at St. John Fisher College.

The University Athletic Association is based in Pittsford. Sports teams of both Pittsford high schools and the Harley-Allendale Columbia teams are regularly featured in the weekly Brighton-Pittsford Post.

Agriculture

Before the onset of rapid suburban development in the 1950s, Pittsford was a largely agricultural community with a distinct rural character, home to many family-owned farms. Remaining farms today include the Knickerbocker farm on Knickerbocker Road in the southeast part of town, where the family has been growing corn, wheat and other crops for more than 150 years. Other significant family farms still operating include the Hopkins Farm on Clover Street, the Powers Farm behind the Village, the Willard Farm and the Sweeney Farm. Pittsford's Greenprint plan, described above, in 1996 preserved for future generations to come two-thirds of the remaining farmland in the Town. The Town government remains committed to using planning techniques with a view toward conserving open space for the future.

Government

Pittsford town hall

The town is governed by an elected Town Supervisor and four other elected members of the Town Board. The Town Supervisor is William A. Smith, Jr., first elected in November 2013. A lawyer and land preservation advocate, Smith entered Pittsford's civic life in support of the Town's Greenprint Plan and was a member of the Town Board that adopted the Greenprint. Other current members of the Town Board are Stephanie Townsend, Kevin Beckford, Katherine Bohne Munzinger, and Cathy Koshykar. Stephanie Townsend and Kevin Beckford, elected in November 2017 to their seats, defeated incumbent Town Board members to become the first Democrats in roughly 80 years to serve on the community's Town Board. Cathy Koshykar was elected in November 2019, giving Democrats a majority on the Town Board. In 2021, Pittsford voters returned the Town Board to Republican majority control, electing attorney Kim Taylor to replace Democrat Kevin Beckford.

Officers appointed by the Supervisor and Town Board include the Town Clerk, Renee McQuillan and the Commissioner of Public Works, Paul Schenkel.

In November 2019, Supervisor Smith was re-elected to a fourth term with 58% of the vote, defeating Democratic challenger Kendra Evans, a low-income housing advocate and critic of Pittsford schools.[18][19][20] In the November 2021 election, Supervisor Smith increased his margin over Ms. Evans, defeating her by 61% to 39% and winning back Republican control of the Town Board.

Town Justices are John Bernacki (R), re-elected in 2021, and Michael Ansaldi (D), elected in 2020.

Town Supervisors
Name Tenure Name Tenure Name Tenure
Silas Nye 1796–1797
1799		 William C. Rawley 1854 Paul M. Spiegel 1966–1987
Noah Norton 1798 Thomas Wilcox 1857 Margaret Freeman 1988–1993
Ezra Patterson 1800–1804
1806–1807
1811
1814		 Isaac Sutherland 1858 William A. Carpenter 1994–November 2012
Augustus Griswold 1805 Daniel Kingsley 1859–1860
1863		 Sandra J. Zutes Appointed to vacancy
12/2012-12/2013
William McKinstry 1808 Jarvis Lord 1861 William A. Smith, Jr. January 2014–present
Caleb Hopkins 1809 Nathan K. Welch 1864
Stephen Lusk 1810
1826–1828		 Patrick Malone 1865–1872
1879
Samuel Spafford 1812–1813 Francis A. Scherer 1873–1874
Nathan Nye 1815–1816 George A. Goss 1875–1877
1880
1888–1898
Samuel Fall 1817 Samuel H. Stone 1878
1884–1885
Simon Stone III 1818–1825 J.M. Wiltse 1881–1883
Nathan Calhoun 1829–1832
1838–1839		 Thomas Spiegel 1886–1887
John Armstrong 1833–1834 Burton N. Wiltse 1898–1899
Ephraim Goss 1835–1836
1847–1848
1855		 Charles G. Schoen 1899–1903
Solomon Stone 1837
1843–1845
1856		 Jared W. Hopkins 1904–1909
1925–1931
Marvin Hopkins 1840
1842
1846
1850
1862		 George A. Hicks 1910–1925
Ira Bellows 1841 Howard R. Bacon 1932–1933
Wales M. Huntington 1849 Charles H. Westerman 1934–1943
Elias Matthews 1851 Edward D. Seward 1944–1959
Horace Wheeler 1852–1853 F. Ross Zornow 1960–1965

Emergency response

Access to emergency services is obtained by dialing 9-1-1, which connects the caller to the City of Rochester's Emergency Communications Department (9-1-1 Center). The Monroe County Sheriff's Department provides primary law enforcement for the town.

The Pittsford Volunteer Fire Department, staffed by volunteers, provides fire protection, rescue, and non-transport emergency medical services for the town. There are two fire stations, one of which is located in the village.

The Pittsford Volunteer Ambulance provides Basic Life Support with trained Emergency Medical Technicians. Advanced Life Support services are provided by the Southeast Quadrant Mobile Critical Care Unit (SEQ MCCU).

Notable people

Communities and locations in the Town of Pittsford

  • Cartersville - a location on the Erie Canal on NY 96, home to the Cartersville Guard Gate.
  • East Rochester - most of the Town/Village of East Rochester is near the northeast town line on Routes 31F and 153.
  • Pittsford – The Village of Pittsford is centrally located in the town, on Routes 96 (Main Street) and 31 (State Street).

References

  1. ^ Hanford, Franklin (1911). On the origin of the names of places in Monroe County, New York (PDF). Scottsville, New York: Isaac Van Hooser. p. 10. OCLC 866011722. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  2. ^ "2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Jul 5, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "U.S. Census Bureau Quickfacts: Pittsford town, New York". www.census.gov. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  4. ^ McIntosh, W. H. (1877). History of Monroe County, New York: With Illustrations Descriptive of Its Scenery, Palatial Residences, Public Buildings, Fine Blocks and Important Manufactories, from Original Sketches by Artists of the Highest Ability. W. E. Morrison.
  5. ^ Johnson, Audrey Maxfield; Profitt, Vicki Masters (2013). Pittsford. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-9900-7.
  6. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  7. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  8. ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  9. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  10. ^ US Census Bureau, "Pittsford town, Monroe County, New York: Census 2000 Demographic Profile Highlights" Archived 2020-02-16 at archive.today, 2000
  11. ^ United States Census Bureau, "Pittsford town, Monroe County, New York: 2006-2008 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates"
  12. ^ a b Pittsford District Schools website
  13. ^ "NEW YORK: Essential Elements: Schools-to-Watch (EE: STW) Program", Schools to Watch website.
  14. ^ http://www.nysphsaa.org/records/BSoccer.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  15. ^ "Home page." Rochester Japanese School. Retrieved on April 1, 2015. "415 Thornell Rd. Pittsford, NewYork 14534 Christ Clarion Presbyterian Church of Pittsford"
  16. ^ "The Brighton-Pittsford Post (Pittsford, N.Y.) 1942-Current". Library of Congress.
  17. ^ "Brighton & Pittsford Local News".
  18. ^ "Meet Kendra Evans: Candidate for Pittsford Town Supervisor". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-05.
  19. ^ Jacob, Smriti (2019-07-11). "Which way forward?". Rochester Beacon. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
  20. ^ http://pittsforward.com/
  21. ^ Morrell, Alan (March 1, 2014). "Whatever Happened To ... Antonelli Tire Co.?". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  22. ^ Tobin, Tom (2009-11-04). "Monro Muffler founder Charles August dies". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2009-11-08. Retrieved 2009-11-07.
  23. ^ garner, jack. "Director returns to Pittsford roots". Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved Jan 12, 2007.
  24. ^ Biographical Sketches of the State Officers and Members of the Legislature of the State of New York by William D. Murphy (1861; pg. 56ff)
  25. ^ http://www.davidlanz.com/
  26. ^ Adam Podlesh Player Statistics
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pittsford,_New_York&oldid=1121780803"