Fairport, New York

Fairport
Village
The Fairport lift bridge
Country United States
State New York
County Monroe
Elevation 474 ft (144.5 m)
Coordinates 43°05′58″N 77°26′35″W / 43.09944°N 77.44306°W / 43.09944; -77.44306Coordinates: 43°05′58″N 77°26′35″W / 43.09944°N 77.44306°W / 43.09944; -77.44306
Area 1.6 sq mi (4.1 km2)
 - land 1.6 sq mi (4 km2)
 - water 0.05 sq mi (0 km2), 3.13%
Population 5,338 (2013)
Incorporated 1867
Mayor Frederick H. May (Fritz) (2015)
Timezone EST (UTC-5)
 - summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 14450
Area code 585
FIPS code 36-25076
Location in Monroe County and the state of New York.
Location of New York in the United States
Website: http://www.village.fairport.ny.us/

Fairport is a village located in the town of Perinton which is part of Monroe County, New York. Fairport is a suburb 9 miles (14 km) east of Rochester. It is also known as the "Crown Jewel of the Erie Canal".[1] In 2005 it was named as one of Money Magazine's "Best Places to Live."[2] The pop. of the Village of Fairport is 5,353 as of the 2010 census.

History

The town of Perinton was first settled in the two flat areas of Perinton Center (Turk Hill and Ayrault Roads) and Egypt. The first settlers in Perinton were Glover Perrin, his wife Johanna and his brother Jesse. The village of Fairport was originally a swampy area within the town of Perinton until it was drained by the new Erie Canal in the 1820s. With the addition of the Canal, what was then known as Perrinsville quickly became a busy canal port with a reputation for being a "fair port."[1][3] A further boon to the area's reputation as an industry and transportation center came with the addition of railroads in 1853.[1] This now booming section of Perrinsville was incorporated as a village on April 30, 1867 and eventually became the center of activity for the town of Perinton.[4]

In the 19th century 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 20th century the Erie Canal was expanded and renamed the Barge Canal. (It reverted 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 mainly for recreation.

Fairport acquired its name in the mid-19th century from a traveler on the Erie Canal who was overheard at Mallett's Tavern referring to the village as a fair port.[1] In an ironic twist, local legend has it that the same visitor vociferously complained the next morning that the Millstone Block Hotel had bedbugs and he stormed out of Fairport never to return. The name, however, stuck.

In 2005, Money Magazine and CNN/Money ranked Fairport as #62 on their "Best Places to Live" list.

In 2008, Relocate America included Fairport in their "Top 100 Places To Live" list.

The First Baptist Church of Fairport, Wilbur House, and Henry DeLand House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[5]

Most residents of the town of Perinton reside within both the Fairport Central School District and the Fairport postal district; due to this it is common for Pertinton residents to describe their place of residence as "Fairport" even if they live outside of the village.

Geography

Fairport is located at 43°5'58" North, 77°26'35" West (43.099433, -77.443015).[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2), of which 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) is water. The total area is 3.09% water.

Although officially the name of only the village, "Fairport" is often used to refer to a large portion of the encompassing township of Perinton as well. Both the Fairport Central School District and Fairport zip codes overlap closely with the borders of the Town of Perinton.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
18801,920—
18902,55232.9%
19002,489−2.5%
19103,11225.0%
19204,62648.7%
19304,604−0.5%
19404,6440.9%
19505,26713.4%
19605,5074.6%
19706,47417.6%
19805,970−7.8%
19905,943−0.5%
20005,740−3.4%
20105,353−6.7%
Est. 20155,351[7]0.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]

As of the census[9] 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 per square mile (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, of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18, 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.

Sports

Notable athletes to come out of Fairport include Tim Soudan in lacrosse (UMass, Rochester Knighthawks), Shawn Johnson in football (Duke University, Tennessee Titans), Steve Soja (Coastal Carolina University, River City Rascals, Mid-Missouri Mavericks, Gateway Grizzlies and Yuma Scorpions)[10] and Ryan Szwejbka in baseball(University of South Carolina, Aberdeen Pheasants), Dave Cerny in lacrosse (SUNY Albany Hall of Fame), Dan Predmore in track and field (Cornell University Hall of Fame),[11] Chris Collins in hockey (Boston College, Providence Bruins), professional tennis player Marcus Fugate, Dhruv Tyagi in diving (Stanford University), Ryan Kavanaugh in Rowing (Columbia University)

Culture

The Colonial Belle, a canal tour boat.

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, The Rochester Scottish Pipe 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. During Canal Days, a large portion of Main Street is blocked off and reserved for vendors and stands. The parking lot of Fairport Village Landing is also blocked off and used strictly for stands.

Fairport's calendar is filled with numerous other family-oriented activities. Each Tuesday during the summer the village hosts live entertainment. Thursday evenings see hundreds 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. The village also hosts numerous seasonal festivals throughout the year as well, such as the Fairport Music and Food Festival.

Fairport also has its own Farmer's Market that takes place in the parking lot behind Bank of America at 58 S Main Street. It opens the first Saturday of May and closes the Saturday before Thanksgiving. It's open from 7 am to Noon, however it is not open the weekend of Canal Days.

The Erie Canal towpath is a popular walking/biking path. The section from Rochester's Genesee Valley Park to the village of Fairport is one of the most popular sections on the entire 340 miles (550 km) of the Erie Canal. The towpath is a mix of pavement and crushed gravel in the Rochester area.

Although less popular, the section heading east from Fairport is high quality and an excellent trail. Hikers, bikers, dog-walkers, and runners are common on this section. It takes about 30 minutes to cycle from Rt. 250 to Canandagua Rd. on the towpath. A growing concern within Fairport is safety along the canal towpath. There have been numerous arrests of teenagers for drug possession and sales, along with solicitation of prostitution. The recent murder of a homeless man near Bushnell's Basin brought these concerns to a head. Community groups have formed to advocate for improved lighting along the towpath, along with heightened presence of uniformed and undercover police officers.

Perinton Park is popular family-oriented park located on the banks of Erie Canal at Fairport Road (Rte. 31F) - the traditional east/west gateway into the village. The park is a short walk on the canal from the village. Nearby is the rowing 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 October 30, 1987 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.

Village of Fairport Parks

Government

Fairport village hall

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.[12]

Village presidents and mayors
Name Title Term Name Title Term Name Title Term
C. H. Dickingson President 1866 Edward L. Dudley President 1894 Lewis W. Hollander Mayor 1933–1935
A. C. Hill President 1867–1869 Joseph Duncan President 1895–1896 Irving R. Neiss Mayor 1935–1944
George R. Sanford President 1870 Nathan A. Rightmire President 1897 Harry F. VanHorn Mayor 1945–1954
Thomas B. V. Durand President 1871 James E. Russell President 1898 Charles J. Stauber Mayor 1955–1962
William P. Close President 1872 Charles H. Howe President 1899 Albert H. Knapp Mayor 1963–1966
Joseph Y. Parce President 1873 John Zollman President 1900–1902 Gordon T. Murphy Mayor 1967–1970
W. K. Goodrich President 1874 Theron R. Pritchard President 1903 Peter J. McDonough Mayor 1971–1982
George R. Sanford President 1875 George E. Cobb President 1904 Vincent T. Kennelly Mayor 1982–1989
W. K. Goodrich President 1876 Irving B. Eldridge President 1905 Clark T. King Mayor 1989–2006
Levi J. DeLand President 1877 S. J. Robbins President 1906–1907 Frederick H. "Fritz" May Mayor 2006 – present
Ezekiel Davidson President 1878–1879 George C. Taylor President 1908
Levi J. DeLand President 1880 Frank M. Kurtz President 1909
F. A. Defendorf President 1881–1882 Richard L. Saunders President 1910
Nelson Lewis President 1883 Charles W. Butler President 1911
F. W. Howard President 1884 Gordon H. Kellogg President 1912
G. L. G. Seeley President 1885 J. H. Cotter President 1913–1914
F. A. Defendorf President 1886 E. L. Dudley President 1915–1916
A. Worth Palmer President 1887 J. D. McGartney President 1917–1919
F. W. Howard President 1887 James W. Welch President 1920
Egbert L. Hodskin President 1888 T. J. Bridges President 1921
W. M. DeLand President 1889 Harry T. Tinney President 1922–1923
Patrick McAuliffe President 1890 Stewart S. Pierce President 1924
J. Wesley "Wes" Osborn President 1891 Henry Steiger President
Mayor 		1925–1927
1928
Ephrium J. Fisk President 1892 Herman L. Steffen Mayor 1929–1930
Ezra B. Pratt President 1893 Glezen G. Wilcox Mayor 1931–1932

Education

While the Fairport Central School District serves the village of Fairport (as well as the town of Perinton), only Brooks Hill Elementary School, Johanna Perrin Middle School and Minerva Deland are actually situated in the village. The town of Perinton contains Martha Brown Middle School, Jefferson Avenue Elementary and Dudley/Northside Elementary School.

The Fairport Central School District has 8 schools in total. Dudley Elementary School schools students grades K - 2, while its attached school Northside Elementary School schools students 3 - 5. Jefferson Avenue Elementary and Brooks Hill Elementary Schools school students grades K - 5 as well. Martha Brown Middle School and Johanna Perrin Middle School school students grades 6 - 8. All of the students come together for grade 9 at Minerva Deland School. Then they all move on to Fairport High School to continue grades 10 - 12. The "Fairport Family" prides itself for being very close and integrating programs for all of the schools to participate in together. The beloved program, "Brotherhood Sisterhood Week," takes place in March every year for one week. It focuses on Civility, Awareness, Respect, and Embrace (CARE) in each of the schools. At the end of the week, High School Students, who have been pen pals with Elementary School Students for about a month, visit their buddies to teach about CARE and do fun activities.

Fairport High School ranked 548 out of the 2,000 schools in Newsweek's list of America’s Best High Schools for 2013.

Notable people

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Village of Fairport:About Fairport". Retrieved 2009-05-31.
  2. ↑ "MONEY Magazine: Best places to live 2005: Fairport, NY snapshot". Cabel News Network. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
  3. ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 123.
  4. ↑ Merriman, Marjorie Snow (1944-06-08). "EARLY DAYS IN FAIRPORT". Fairport Herald-Mail. Perinton Historical Society. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
  5. ↑ National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  6. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  7. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  9. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  10. ↑ Kinmartin, Patrick (2007-06-21). "GBL's (First) Players of the Week - Outlawed Baseball". Norcalblogs.com. Retrieved 2012-12-21.
  11. ↑ "Cornell University Athletics - Hall of Fame". Cornellbigred.com. Retrieved 2012-12-21.
  12. ↑ This section was copied from Fairport Village Government official website: Link
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