Fairport, New York
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Fairport | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
 The Fairport lift bridge
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Monroe |
| Area | 1.6 sq mi (4.1 km²) |
| - land | 1.6 sq mi (4.1 km²) |
| - water | 0.05 sq mi (0.1 km²), 3.13% |
| Center | |
| - coordinates | Coordinates: |
| - elevation | 474 ft (144.5 m) |
| Population | 5,740 (2000) |
| Density | 3,587 /sq mi (1,384.9 /km²) |
| Incorporated | 1867 |
| Mayor | Frederick H. May (Fritz) (2007) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 14450 |
| Area code | 585 |
  Location of Fairport in New York
|
|
 Location of New York in the United States
|
|
| Website : http://www.village.fairport.ny.us/ | |
Fairport, New York is a village located in the Town of Perinton which is part of Monroe County, New York. Fairport is a suburb 9 miles east of Rochester and adjacent to East Rochester (W), Pittsford (SW), and Penfield (N). The village is often called the "Jewel of the Erie Canal". It is known as a close-knit, picturesque village with its quaint, small-town charm. In 2005 it was named as one of Money Magazines Top 100 Places to Live in America.
Contents |
[edit] Geography
Fairport is located at 43°5'58" North, 77°26'35" West (43.099433, -77.443015).[1]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.2 km²), of which, 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km²) of it is water. The total area is 3.09% water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 5,740 people, 2,369 households, and 1,594 families residing in the village. The population density was 3,645.0 people per square mile (1,411.6/km²). There were 2,431 housing units at an average density of 1,543.7/sq mi (597.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.99% White, 0.73% African American, 0.12% Native American, 1.03% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. 1.38% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,369 households out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the village the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $53,375 and the median income for a family was $65,980. Males had a median income of $50,094 v. $30,431 for females. The per capita income for the village was $29,390. 3.3% of the population and 1.7% of families were below the poverty line. 2.2% of those under the age of 18 and 5.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
[edit] History
The town of Perinton was first settled in the two flat areas of Perinton Center (Turk Hill and Ayrault Roads) and Egypt. The Village of Fairport was originally a swampy area within the town of Perinton until it was drained by the new Clinton's Ditch Erie Canal in the 1820s. The settlement started as a busy canal port and was incorporated as a village in 1867 and eventually became the center of activity for the town of Perinton.
In the 1800s industry moved into Fairport including Deland Chemical (baking soda), Cobb Preserving (the predecessor to American Can) and the Trescott Company (fruit grading and packing systems). Deland Chemical later became Fairport Vinegar Works - makers of Certo brand pectin used to jell foodstuffs.
In the early 1900's the Erie Canal was expanded and renamed the Barge Canal. (It reverted back to its original name in 1992) Barge transportation rapidly declined as automobiles and trucks became popular. The town began to expand away from the canal. Currently, the Erie Canal is used almost mainly for recreation.
Fairport acquired its name in the mid-nineteenth century from a traveler on the Erie Canal who was overheard at Mallett's Tavern referring to the village as a fair port. In an ironic twist, local legend has it that the same visitor vociferously complained the next morning that the Millstone Block Hotel had bed bugs and he stormed out of Fairport never to return. The name stuck...
In 2005, Money Magazine and CNN/Money ranked Fairport as #62 on their "Best Places to Live" list.
[edit] Government
The Village Board is the local legislative body, consisting of the Mayor and four Trustees. Board members are elected in the November general elections and serve a term of four years.
The Village Justice, also elected in the November general elections for a four year term, presides over the village court which settles criminal, civil, small claims, parking, vehicle and traffic cases that occur within the Village.
The Village Board selects a Village Administrator with responsibility for directing Village operations, including those of the Fairport Municipal Commission and for serving as budget director, zoning officer and public safety officer.
Serving under the Village Administrator and appointed by the mayor with Board of Trustees approval, are the clerk/treasurer, deputy clerk, deputy treasurer and building inspector/fire marshal.[3]
[edit] Sports
Notable athletes to come out of Fairport include Tim Soudan in lacrosse (UMass Rochester Knighthawks), Shawn Johnson in football (Duke University, Tennessee Titans), Ryan Szwejbka (University of South Carolina, Aberdeen Pheasants), Steve Soja in baseball (Coastal Carolina University Gateway Grizzlies), Dave Cerny in lacrosse (SUNY Albany Hall of Fame), Dan Predmore in track and field (Cornell University Hall of Fame), Caitlin Howe in basketball (Duke University), Chris Collins in hockey (Boston College Providence Bruins), professional tennis player Marcus Fugate.
[edit] Culture
Much of the activity of Fairport revolves around the Erie Canal waterfront. The Fairport Village Landing opened in 1977 and Packett's Landing, built in the early 1980s, are two of the main shopping, dining and gathering spots in the village. Both developments resulted from a then-controversial decision to raze much of the core of historic buildings in the center of the village in favor of the style of urban development then coming into vogue.
The Colonial Belle is a popular tour boat that offers canal cruises from Packett's Wharf - on the south bank of the Erie in downtown Fairport.
Fairport is the home of Fairport Canal Days (http://www.fairportcanaldays.com/attendees.php). This festival takes place the first full weekend of June each year and features many Rochester, Monroe County, New York area performers, including The Perinton Concert Band and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Artists and artisans from more than a dozen states and Canada flock to Fairport to show their goods at the three-day festival.
Fairport's calendar is filled with numerous other family-oriented activities. Each Tuesday during the summer the village hosts Car Cruz Nites featuring dozens of antique cars, live entertainment and food. Thursday evenings see hundred gather at the canalside gazebo at Kennelly Park to enjoy live music of a variety of musical styles and genres. Center Stage at Center Park, a large outdoor amphitheater just minutes from the village, hosts live stage performances, festivals and concerts throughout the summer with a capacity of thousands. The village also hosts numerous seasonal festivals throughout the year as well, such as the wildly popular Fairport Music and Food Festival (http://www.fairportmusicfest.com) a charitable event that benefits The Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong and the Scarecrow Festival.
The Erie Canal towpath is a popular walking/biking path. The section from Rochester's Genesee Valley Park to the village of Fairport is the one of the most popular sections on the entire 340 miles of the Erie Canal. The towpath is a mix of pavement and crushed gravel in the Rochester area.
Perinton Park is popular family-oriented park located on the banks of Erie Canal at Rt 31F - the traditional east/west gateway into the village. The park is a short walk on the canal from the villiage. Nearby is the boathouse for the Fairport Crew Club, an independent rowing club for local residents. The FCC boathouse is used to store rowing shells, whose teams can be seen practicing on the canal most days during the traditional canal season. Each September Fairport hosts the "Lift Bridge Regatta", a popular crew event featuring some of the top crew clubs in the Northeast.
The Fairport Red Raiders represent Fairport High School in all varsity sports. For decades their traditional rivals in football were the East Rochester Bombers, whom they played annually for the Little Brown Jug. The tradition was ended in 1987 (is this the actual year?) when it was acknowledged that Fairport's student enrollment was much larger than that of East Rochester.
The Village of Fairport owns and operates a municipal power corporation called Fairport Electric. Incorporated in 1901, Fairport Electric provides electric power to its customers at lower rates than those charged by neighboring utilities. Fairport Electric has purchased power from the New York Power Authority since 1961.
Fairport is the home of Constellation Brands, the largest wine company in the world and Casa Larga Vineyards, the only winery in Monroe County.
Fairport native son Philip Seymour Hoffman won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the motion picture Capote.
Although officially the name of only the village, the simple moniker "Fairport" is often used when referring to the encompassing township of Perinton as well. The vast majority of the Town of Perinton falls within the Fairport Central School District and Fairport zip code (the physical limits of both correspond closely with the official town borders), thus much of what is technically Perinton is often identified as Fairport. Many Perinton residents will claim to live in Fairport although they may not actually live within the village limits. Although use of the term Perinton has increased in recent years, most Perintonians share the same pride and identity with Fairport as village residents do. (With the multiple levels of municipal government in the State of New York, this is common in many towns and villages throughout the state.)
[edit] Town of Perinton Parks
- Perinton Park: boathouse, basketball, tennis, playground
- Egypt Park: baseball, tennis, playground
- Fellows Road Park: tennis, basketball, baseball, playground
- White Brook Nature Area:
- Spring Lake Park: fishing, baseball
- Kreag Road Park: baseball, basketball, tennis, playground
- Potter Park: soccer, baseball, tennis
- Powder Mills Park: skiing, fishing, playground
- Garnsey Arboretum:
- Beechwoods Park:
- Horizon Hill:
- Indian Hill: hiking
- Perinton Recreation Center: soccer, bandshell, playground
[edit] Education
The Fairport Central School District serves the village of Fairport and the town of Perinton.
[edit] Elementary Schools (Grades: K-5)
- Brooks Hill Elementary School
- Dudley Elementary School
- Jefferson Avenue Elementary School
- Northside Elementary School
[edit] Middle Schools (Grades: 6-8)
- Johanna Perrin Middle School
- Martha Brown Middle School
[edit] High Schools
- Minerva DeLand School (Grade: 9)
- Fairport High School (Grades: 10-12)
[edit] Notable inhabitants
- Ralph Bown, radio pioneer
- Dale T. Davis, poet
- Don Davey, NFL football player, Green Bay Packers (1991-94), Jacksonville Jaguars (1995-97)
- Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine, Oscar-nominated documentary filmmakers. ("War/Dance", 2007.)
- Joseph Fornieri, Historian/Author Abraham Lincoln's Political Faith
- Robert T. French, entrepreneur and founder of R. T. French Co., (makers of the world-famous French's Mustard)
- Mary Germano, author ("Silent Witness")
- B. Thomas Golisano, Billionaire founder of Paychex Corporation
- Gordon Hoffman, screenwriter ("Love, Liza")
- Philip Seymour Hoffman, actor, 2006 Academy Award Winner (Best Actor)
- Shawn Johnson, NFL football player
- Dan Klass, Actor/Comedian/Author/Podcaster
- Louise Slaughter, U. S. House Representative, Chairperson, House Rules Committee
- Tim Soudan pro lacrosse player; MILL All-Pro; Boston Blazers, Rochester Knighthawks, Rochester Rattlers
- Ellen Stoll Walsh, Children's author
- Wesley Lowe, author
[edit] References
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ This section was copied from Fairport Village Government official website: Link
[edit] External links
- Village of Fairport, NY webpage
- Fairport Area Community Television (FACT)
- Fairport Canal Days webpage
- Fairport information and photos
- Perinton Community/Aquatic Center webpage
- Fairport Football Alumni webpage, The History of Fairport Football
- Fairport Music Fest webpage
|
||||||||||||||||||||
