Seneca Falls | |
|---|---|
 Seneca Falls Canal Harbor | |
  Seneca Falls Location within the state of New York | |
| Coordinates:42°54′31″N76°47′53″W / 42.90861°N 76.79806°W /42.90861; -76.79806 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Seneca |
| Settled | 1790; 235 years ago (1790) |
| Established | March 26, 1829; 196 years ago (1829-03-26)[1] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Town Council |
| • Supervisor | Michael Ferrara |
| • Clerk | Nicaletta Greer |
| • Court | Justice Charles Lafler Justice Steven Kelley |
| Area | |
• Total | 27.46 sq mi (71.12 km2) |
| • Land | 24.22 sq mi (62.72 km2) |
| • Water | 3.24 sq mi (8.40 km2) |
| Elevation | 449 ft (137 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 9,027 |
• Estimate (2022)[4] | 8,940 |
| • Density | 372.74/sq mi (143.92/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 13148 |
| Area codes | 315 and680 |
| FIPS code | 36-66333 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0964826 |
| Website | http://www.senecafalls.com/ |
Seneca Falls is atown inSeneca County,New York, United States. The population was 9,027 at the2020 census.[3]
TheTown of Seneca Falls contains the former village also calledSeneca Falls. The town is east ofGeneva,New York, in the northern part of theFinger Lakes District.
Seneca Falls is a historic location along a branch of theErie Canal and is often referred to as the 'birthplace of women's rights',[citation needed] where the1848 women's rights convention was held. Many also believe it to have been the inspiration for the fictional town of "Bedford Falls", portrayed in filmmakerFrank Capra's classic 1946 filmIt's a Wonderful Life.[5]
The region is the former realm of theCayuga tribe, who were visited byJesuit missionaries during the 17th century. Cayuga villages were attacked and destroyed by theSullivan Expedition of 1779 in retaliation forplundering and killing new colonists.
The region became part of theCentral New York Military Tract, reserved for veterans, after the conclusion of theAmerican Revolution.
Acanal was completed in 1818 allowing transit betweenSeneca Lake and Cayuga Lake. This canal was connected to theErie Canal in 1828.
The town was established in 1829 from part of theTown of Junius. The community of Seneca Falls in the town set itself apart by incorporating as a village in 1831.
TheSeneca Falls Convention held July 19–20, 1848, was the first women's rights convention organized by women explicitly for the purpose of discussing women's rights as such.[6]
On March 16, 2010, the people of theVillage of Seneca Falls voted to dissolve the village into the Town of Seneca Falls, effective in 2012.[7]
Goulds Pumps, a leading manufacturer of pumps, is headquartered in Seneca Falls.[8]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 27.4 square miles (71 km2), of which 24.2 square miles (63 km2) is land and 3.2 square miles (8.3 km2), comprising 11.81%, is water.
The east town line is partly defined byCayuga Lake. TheSeneca River/Cayuga-Seneca Canal passes across the town. More recently, efforts are underway to complete a scenic trail along the historic canal. The eastern section of the town is part of Montezuma Marsh, an extensive wetland at the north end of Cayuga Lake.
ConjoinedUS Route 20 andNY-5 form an east–west highway across the town.New York State Route 89 is a north–south highway by the shore of Cayuga Lake.New York State Route 414 is also a north–south highway, but has an east–west orientation while conjoined with US-20 and NY-5.New York State Route 318 intersects US-20/NY-5 in the northeast corner of the town.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1830 | 2,602 | — | |
| 1840 | 4,281 | 64.5% | |
| 1850 | 4,296 | 0.4% | |
| 1860 | 5,960 | 38.7% | |
| 1870 | 6,860 | 15.1% | |
| 1880 | 6,853 | −0.1% | |
| 1890 | 6,901 | 0.7% | |
| 1900 | 7,305 | 5.9% | |
| 1910 | 7,407 | 1.4% | |
| 1920 | 7,179 | −3.1% | |
| 1930 | 7,166 | −0.2% | |
| 1940 | 7,352 | 2.6% | |
| 1950 | 7,845 | 6.7% | |
| 1960 | 9,264 | 18.1% | |
| 1970 | 9,900 | 6.9% | |
| 1980 | 9,886 | −0.1% | |
| 1990 | 9,384 | −5.1% | |
| 2000 | 9,347 | −0.4% | |
| 2010 | 9,040 | −3.3% | |
| 2020 | 9,027 | −0.1% | |
| 2022 (est.) | 8,940 | [4] | −1.0% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] | |||
As of 2010 Seneca Falls had a population of 9,040. The ethnic and racial makeup of the population was 93.6% non-Hispanic white, 1.3% African-American, 0.4% Native American, 0.3% Indian, 1.3% other Asian, 0.2% non-Hispanic from some other race, 1.4% from two or more races, 1.0% Puerto Rican and 0.7% other Hispanics.[10]
As of thecensus[11] of 2000, there were 9,347 people, 3,796 households, and 2,440 families residing in the town. The population density was 385.6 inhabitants per square mile (148.9/km2). There were 4,167 housing units at an average density of 171.9 per square mile (66.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 95.86%White, 0.87%Black orAfrican American, 0.22%Native American, 1.52%Asian, 0.30% fromother races, and 1.23% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.33% of the population.
There were 3,796 households, out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.91.
The town's population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $37,245, and the median income for a family was $48,565. Males had a median income of $36,631 versus $25,094 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $18,462. About 9.7% of families and 13.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
The public school system for Seneca Falls and its nearby villages is provided by theSeneca Falls Central School District. This district has four schools.[12] The current superintendent is Michelle Reed.
New York State Route 5 andU.S. Route 20 run east–west through the town.
TheNew York Central Railroad operated daily passenger train service on itsAuburn Road division between Syracuse and Rochester until 1958, making a station stop at Seneca Falls.[19][20]
Municipalities and communities ofSeneca County, New York,United States | ||
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| Indian reservations | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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