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Greece, New York

Coordinates: 43°12′34″N 77°41′43″W / 43.20944°N 77.69528°W / 43.20944; -77.69528
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the census-designated place contained within the town, see Greece (CDP), New York.
Town of Greece
Town
Greece Town Hall
Greece Town Hall
Official seal of Town of Greece
Seal
Nickname: 
Town of Good People
Motto: 
Discover the Promise
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
Town of Greece is located in New York
Town of Greece
Town of Greece
Town of Greece is located in the United States
Town of Greece
Town of Greece
Coordinates: 43°12′34″N 77°41′43″W / 43.20944°N 77.69528°W / 43.20944; -77.69528
CountryUnited States
StateNew York
CountyMonroe
EstablishedMarch 22, 1822; 202 years ago (1822-03-22)[1]
Named forGreece
Government
 • TypeTown council
 • SupervisorWilliam D. Reilich (R)
 • Councilmembers
List
  • Ward 1: Michael Barry, Jr. (R)
  • Ward 2: William Murphy (R)
  • Ward 3: Michael Bloomer (R)
  • Ward 4: Diana Christodaro (R)
Area
[2]
 • Total51.39 sq mi (133.11 km2)
 • Land47.52 sq mi (123.08 km2)
 • Water3.87 sq mi (10.03 km2)
Elevation
424 ft (129 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total96,095
 • Estimate 
(2019)[3]
95,499 Decrease
 • Density2,023.80/sq mi (781.39/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
14612, 14615, 14616, 14626
Area code585
FIPS code36-055-30290
Websitehttp://www.greeceny.gov/

Greece is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. A suburb of Rochester, New York, it is the largest town by population in Monroe County, and the second-largest municipality by population in the county, behind only the City of Rochester. As of April, 2023, the town has a population of 94,591.

History

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Pre-History

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Indigenous tribes had settled the area surrounding the Finger Lakes and moved northward to Lake Ontario, the Genesee River, Irondequoit Bay and the ponds of Greece as early as 1,300 AD. These people were Iroquoian tribes, early cousins of the Seneca, who traded with the Algonquin and Huron tribes. By about 1,550 AD the Seneca, Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga and Onondaga combined to form the Iroquois Confederacy. (The Tuscarora would later migrate from the Carolinas and join the Confederacy.) They remained the dominant inhabitants of the region for the next 200 years.[4]

The first European to visit the area was the French explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier, who visited in 1669.[5] French and British soldiers passed through on multiple occasions during this time period as the two colonial powers struggled for control of the region. European settlers began to arrive in the area in the late 1790s, after the land was formally purchased from the Seneca.[6]

Early Settlement

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Following the conclusion of the American War for Independence in 1783, the new government was keen to enable its citizens to make use of the new vast regions west of established colonial settlements. In 1792, the first settlers in what would become the town of Greece arrived. William Hincher (a Revolutionary War veteran and a participant in Shays’ Rebellion), his wife, Mehitable, and their eight children built a cabin on the west bank of the Genesee River and purchased 627 acres of land in present day Charlotte in 1794. Following William's death in 1817, a deed was created between Mehitable and the United States government for the establishment of the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse on the property which was constructed in 1822.[7][8]

In 1797, Kings Landing - the first European settlement and port west of the Gensee River - was established by the King and Granger families (natives of Connecticut) on the bank of the Genesee River in what is present day Charlotte. They built roads, a wharf, a schooner and sailed to Fort Niagara to trade produce and wheat. The Kings Landing settlement survived until it was decimated by malaria - then known as Genesee Fever. In 1807 the settlement was revived by the seven Hanford brothers who constructed a mill, hotel and shipping center.[9]

In 1805, James and Sarah Latta (native of Big Flats) purchased large plots of land in Charlotte for their family. The following year, their son Samuel built a home and warehouse on the property and was appointed Customs Agent for the Port of Charlotte by the President. The home built by Samuel Latta still stands at the intersection of Lake Avenue and Latta Road.[4]

Establishment of the Town of Greece

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During the late 18th century counties were established to provide support to the western frontier of New York State. By 1789 Ontario and Genesee counties had been established, and in 1797 a region called Northampton had been designated in the western portion of Genesee county on land that had been acquired through the Phelps & Gorham land purchase. Northampton encompassed the area of present day Parma, Riga, Gates, Ogden, Chili and Greece.

In 1808, Northampton was divided into four towns. The area that is present day Gates and Greece maintained the name Northampton until the town of Gates was formally established in 1813. In 1821, Monroe County was created from land of both Ontario and Genesee counties. On March 22, 1822 the state government passed legislation which, effective April 1, 1822, divided Gates into the modern towns of Gates and Greece. The town of Greece received a larger percentage of the land because it was believed that most of the northern portion of the town was unusable swamp land. The name Greece was selected in support of the contemporary Greek War of Independence from the Ottoman Empire.

History: 1822 - 1922

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The portion of the Erie Canal which passes through the town of Greece was completed by 1822. The hamlet of "South Greece" (present day Henpeck Park at the intersection of Ridgeway Ave and Elmgrove Road) was established to facilitate the needs of travelers and workers on the canal. Many of the homes built during this time are still standing, such as the Dr. Adiel Sherwood Buell House.[10]

Some stonemasons from Europe who came to assist with the construction of the canal remained in the area and are believed to be responsible for the construction of cobblestone homes unique to the Central and Western New York region. Four such structures remain in the Town of Greece, including The Covert-Brodie-Pollok House on North Greece Road.[4][11]

Throughout the 19th century Greece was primarily a farming community with a population that hovered around 5,000 people, and additional hamlets such as North Greece, West Greece, Greece Center, Barnard Crossing and Paddy Hill were formed. Much of the economic activity in the town centered on the port of Charlotte, which was incorporated as a village within the town of Greece in 1869, with up to 100 ships in the port and along the Genesee River in a day.

  • North Greece - also known as "Jenkins' Corners". Formed around the intersection of Latta Road and North Greece Road. It is bounded to the east by Manitou Road, to the south by English Road and to the west by Flynn Road.[12]
  • West Greece - also known as "Hoosick". Formed around the intersection of Manitou Road and Ridge Road on the Greece / Parma town border.[13]
  • Greece Center - Formed around the intersection of Latta Road and Long Pond Road.
  • Barnard Crossing - also known as the Dewey-Stone neighborhood. Following the annexation of Charlotte by the City of Rochester in 1916 this became, and remains, the oldest neighborhood within the Town of Greece. It is bounded to the south by the railroad tracks at Barnard Crossing, to the north by English Road, to the east by Stonewood Ave, and to the west by Mount Read Blvd.[14]
  • Paddy Hill - also known as "Read's Corners". Formed around the intersection of Latta Road and Mt Read Blvd. It was founded in the early 1800's by Irish immigrants who settled and farmed in the area.[15]

The town’s proximity to Lake Ontario made it a famous vacation destination in the latter portion of the 19th century. The Ontario Beach Amusement Park (operating from 1884-1919) located on the site of the present day Ontario Beach Park was known as the “Coney Island of the West”. Another amusement park at Manitou Beach (operating from the 1890's - 1920's) was connected to Charlotte via the Grand View Beach Railway, and grand resort hotels such as the Manitou Hotel, Crescent Beach Hotel and the Odenbach Hotel sprang up along the route to accommodate visitors. This era however, was short lived, and by the 1920's the amusement parks and railway had closed. The Dentzel Menagerie Carousel which still operates at Ontario Beach Park is the only surviving remnant of either amusement park.[16][17]

It was around this same time that the economy of the Town of Greece began to shift from agriculture to industry. In 1891, George Eastman opened the first Kodak plant in the southeast area of town (at the intersection of Mt Read Blvd and West Ridge Road) that would eventually become known as Kodak Park. Kodak would eventually become the largest employer in the greater Rochester region and its success is directly responsible for the town's growth. As the City of Rochester expanded, it annexed large portions of the town. Charlotte was annexed in 1916 (creating the city's 23rd Ward), and the industrial district of Kodak Park was annexed in 1918.[18][19]

History: 1922 - Present

[edit]

This economic shift continued steadily throughout the Interwar period. It was during this time that weather extremes, such as a severe freeze in 1934 which destroyed many of the towns orchards, resulted in a devastating loss of crops that many farmers were not able to recover from. As a result, much of the farm land was sold for real estate development. Due to its proximity to Kodak Park, the town transformed as residential construction to support soldiers returning from World War II attracted large numbers of factory workers and their families to Greece. The population grew rapidly during this time from roughly 15,000 people in 1940, to almost 50,000 by 1960, and by 1967 the population was approaching 75,000.

According to the Morgan Quitno Awards, Greece was rated the ninth-overall-safest city in America and the sixth-safest city with a population of 75,000 to 99,999.[20]

The William Payne House, Greece Memorial Hall, William Covert Cobblestone Farmhouse, and Our Mother of Sorrows Roman Catholic Church Complex are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[21][22]

Town supervisors[23]
Name Term Name Term Name Term
John Williams 1822
1830		 Peter Larkin 1861–1862
1872
1876		 Frank Vance 1902–Feb 14, 1903
Frederick Bushnell 1823–1825 Harry A. Olmsted 1863 Willis N. Britton Feb 25, 1903
Silas Walker 1826–1829 Nelson Lewis 1864–1869 Frank Truesdale 1904–1909
Elijah Hughitt 1831 Simon Butts 1870–1871 Frank Dobson 1910–1915
Giles H. Holden 1832–1833 David Todd 1874–1875 Herbert J. Paine 1916–1921
Asa Rowe 1834–1835
1842		 Alanson P. Britton 1877–1878
1884–1885
1887
1893
April 29, 1901–December 31, 1901		 Frank J. Mitchell 1922–1927
Samuel Bradley 1836–1838 John Lowden 1879–1880 William F. Schmitt 1928–1933
Lyman Langworthy 1839–1841
1850		 John Kintz 1881 Gordon A. Howe 1934–1960
Abdial Carpenter 1843
1848		 Erastus Benedict 1882–1883 Vincent L. Tofany 1960–1964
George C. Salter 1844 Lucien A. Rowe 1886 George W. Badgerow 1965–1969
George C. Latta 1845
1849		 John M. Lowdon 1888–1889 Fred J. Eckert 1970–1972
James S. Stone 1846–1847
1853		 Thomas Eddy 1890 Donald J. Riley 1973–1989
Levi H. Parrish 1851–1852 Joseph R. Beaty 1891–1892 Roger W. Boily 1989–1997
Elias Avery 1854–1855 James B. Castle 1894–1897 John T. Auberger 1998–2013
Erastus Walker 1856–1857
1873		 Edward Frisbee 1898–February 27, 1901 William D. Reilich 2013–present
Joshua Eaton 1858 William T. Whelehan March 1, 1901 – March 27, 1901
Alamander Wilder 1859 Charles H. Banker March 27, 1901 – April 24, 1901

Geography

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Greece is located at 43o 14' N latitude, 077o 42' W longitude.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 51.4 square miles (133 km2), of which 47.4 square miles (123 km2) is land and 3.9 square miles (10 km2) (7.65%) is water.

The town is in the northern part of Monroe County and borders the City of Rochester on the east, the Town of Gates on the south, the towns of Parma and Ogden on the west, and Lake Ontario on the north. The town is a contiguous suburb of Rochester.

Major highways in the town include NY 390 and the Lake Ontario State Parkway.

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18302,574—
18403,66942.5%
18504,21915.0%
18604,147−1.7%
18704,3144.0%
18804,84812.4%
18905,1456.1%
19005,5798.4%
19107,77739.4%
19203,350−56.9%
193012,113261.6%
194014,92523.2%
195025,50870.9%
196048,67090.8%
197075,13654.4%
198081,3678.3%
199090,10610.7%
200094,1414.5%
201096,0952.1%
2023 (est.)94,591[24]
U.S. Decennial Census[25]

As of the census[26] of 2000, there were 94,141 people, 36,995 households, and 25,748 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,985.0 inhabitants per square mile (766.4/km2). There were 38,315 housing units at an average density of 807.9 per square mile (311.9/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 93.37% White, 2.88% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 1.49% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.87% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.55% of the population.

J & F Fetzner Carriage and Blacksmith shop on West Ridge Road, by Raymond Getzner, 1877

There were 36,995 households, out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. Of all households, 25.6% were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $48,355, and the median income for a family was $57,102. Males had a median income of $41,563 versus $29,864 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,614. About 3.6% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Government

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The town is governed by a town board consisting of a supervisor and four council members. The supervisor is elected by all registered voters in the town, while council members are elected by and represent one of four wards. Supervisors are elected for four-year terms, and by town law may not serve for more than twelve years consecutively, after which the individual is ineligible to serve for four years. Councilpersons are elected for two-year terms, and may serve for a maximum of ten consecutive years in that position.[27]

The town board's practice of opening each meeting with a prayer, which started in 1999, was legally challenged in 2008,[28] on the grounds that all prayers offered to open the meetings had, until that point, been Christian ones.[29]

The United States District Court, Western District of New York, ruled in favor of the town in 2010,[30] and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision in 2012,[31] setting the stage for a 2014 decision by the Supreme Court of the United States which ruled in favor of the town (see Town of Greece v. Galloway).[32]

The town is also represented in congress by three different representatives, the State Assembly Representative, State Senatorial Representative and the Congressional Representative.

The town's New York State Assembly Representative is Josh Jensen who was elected to serve the constituents of the 134th Assembly district in 2020. The districts in which he represents include the towns of Greece, Ogden and Parma in western Monroe County.

The town's New York State Senatorial Representative is Jeremy Cooney who was elected to represent the 56th senatorial district on November 3, 2020. The 56th senatorial district encompasses the Towns of Brighton, Clarkson, Gates, Greece, Hamlin, Parma, as well as parts of the City of Rochester, including Charlotte, Historic Maplewood and the University of Rochester.

Greece's United States Congressional Representative is Joseph Morelle who was elected to represent the 25th congressional district of New York on November 6, 2018. Replacing the late Representative Louise Slaughter, who served as the United States representative for the 25th congressional district of New York from 1987 until her death in early 2018. The 25th congressional district of New York comprises all of Monroe County except for the towns of Mendon, Rush, Hamlin, Wheatland, and one election district in the town of Clarkson.

Six of the 29 districts of the Monroe County Legislature include portions of Greece.

Education

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There are three school districts serving the Town of Greece: the Greece Central School District, the Hilton Central School District and the Spencerport Central School District.

There are twelve elementary schools, four middle schools, and four high schools in the Greece Central School District, educating approximately 13,000 students. The post-elementary schools have Classical Greek names: Arcadia, Athena (Middle/High),[33] Odyssey Academy, and Olympia. The school district's motto is "One Vision, One Team, One Greece." Among the elementary schools, Brookside, Longridge, Paddy Hill, Pine Brook and West Ridge span K-5.

Notable people

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See also: Category:People from Greece, New York

See also

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References

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  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. 8. OCLC 866011722. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  2. ^ "2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  3. ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c Museum, Greece (May 29, 2016). "A Brief History of the Town of Greece, New York". Greece Historical Society and Museum. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  5. ^ "Town History". All About Greece. The Town of Greece. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
  6. ^ Sullivan, Joan (July–October 1983). "Entrepreneurship in the Genesee Country: George C. Latta" (PDF). Rochester History. XLV (3&4). Rochester Public Library. ISSN 0035-7413. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  7. ^ Worboys, Pat (May 10, 2022). "Bicentennial Snapshot # 08 – Charlotte – Genesee Lighthouse". Greece Historical Society and Museum. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  8. ^ Worboys, Pat (April 5, 2022). "Bicentennial Snapshot # 03: The Hinchers". Greece Historical Society and Museum. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  9. ^ Worboys, Pat; Whalen, Maureen; Vitello, Joe; Strauss, Lee (April 12, 2022). "Bicentennial Snapshot # 04: King's Landing". Greece Historical Society and Museum. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  10. ^ Worboys, Pat (July 12, 2022). "Bicentennial Snapshot # 17 – Henpeck / South Greece Hamlet". Greece Historical Society and Museum. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  11. ^ Gilbert, John (August 24, 2017). "The Covert-Brodie-Pollok House". Greece Historical Society and Museum. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  12. ^ Worboys, Pat (August 16, 2022). "Bicentennial Snapshot # 22 – North Greece / Jenkin's Corners". Greece Historical Society and Museum. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  13. ^ Worboys, Pat (August 2, 2022). "Bicentennial Snapshot # 20 – "Hoosick" / West Greece". Greece Historical Society and Museum. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  14. ^ Worboys, Pat; Whalen, Maureen (February 21, 2023). "Bicentennial Snapshot No. 49: Dewey-Stone / Barnard". Greece Historical Society and Museum. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  15. ^ Worboys, Pat; Whalen, Maureen (December 13, 2022). "Bicentennial Snapshot # 39 - Paddy Hill, Read's Corners, Latta at Mount Read". Greece Historical Society and Museum. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  16. ^ "Ontario Beach Park - Coasterpedia - The Roller Coaster and Flat Ride Wiki". coasterpedia.net. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  17. ^ Kleman, Lisa (July 1, 2020). "amusement park at Manitou Beach". Greece Historical Society and Museum. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  18. ^ Barnes, Joseph W. (January 1975). "The Annexation of Charlotte" (PDF). Rochester History. XXXVII (1). Rochester Public Library. ISSN 0035-7413. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  19. ^ McKelvey, Blake (July 1957). "Rochester's Metropolitan Prospects in Historical Perspective" (PDF). Rochester History. XIX (3). Rochester Public Library: 16.
  20. ^ 13th Annual America's Safest (and Most Dangerous) Cities Archived 2007-01-05 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  22. ^ "National Register of Historic Places Listings". Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 6/18/12 through 6/22/12. National Park Service. June 29, 2012.
  23. ^ Tomkiewicz, Virginia; Husted, Shirley Cox (1982). Eight miles along the shore-- : an illustrated history of Greece, New York, 10,000 B.C. to 1980 A.D. The Historical Society of Greece, N.Y. p. 185. LCCN 82-81240.
  24. ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  25. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  26. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  27. ^ "Code of the Town of Greece, chapter 45". Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  28. ^ Mehta, Hemant (August 16, 2013). "Everything You Need to Know About Town of Greece v. Galloway, the Supreme Court Case About Government Prayer". Friendly Atheist. Patheos. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  29. ^ Lund, Christopher C. (August 15, 2013). "Legislative Prayer Goes Back to the Supreme Court". Slate.com. The Slate Group. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  30. ^ "Galloway v Greece". Google Scholar. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  31. ^ "Decision of Court ofAppeals". Google Scholar. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  32. ^ Liptak, Adam (May 5, 2014). "Town Meetings Can Have Prayer, Justices Decide". The New York Times. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  33. ^ "Greece CSD". Campus CMG. 2020. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2020. Athena Middle/High School
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