Elmira Heights, New York
Encyclopedia
Elmira Heights is a village
in Chemung County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 4,170 at the 2000 census.
The Village of Elmira Heights is primarily within the Town of Elmira
, but part of the village is in the Town of Horseheads
. The village is a northern suburb of the City of Elmira
. It is part of the 'Elmira, New York
Metropolitan Statistical Area'.
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1982.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), all of it land.
Newtown Creek
, a tributary
of the Chemung River
, flows along the east side of the village. Halderman Creek also flows through the eastern part of the village from north to south. Woodlawn National Cemetery is south of the village.
The Southern Tier Expressway (New York State Route 17
) passes along the east side of the village. New York State Route 14
(College Avenue) and County Road 66 (Grand Central Avenue) are north-south streets through the village.
of 2000, there were 4,170 people, 1,874 households, and 1,053 families residing in the village. The population density
was 3,664.5 people per square mile (1,412.3/km²). There were 2,010 housing units at an average density of 1,766.3 per square mile (680.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.03% White, 1.03% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races
, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.79% of the population.
There were 1,874 households out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples
living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.8% were non-families. 37.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $29,015, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $32,135 versus $21,788 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $16,334. About 7.1% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.
The Elmira Heights Volunteer Fire Department was founded in 1896. When it began it was composed of two companies, the Chemical and Hose Company and the Independent Hook and Ladder Company. These later combined into one department. The first fire chief was William Monroe and the first fire bell was purchased from Grace Church in Elmira. The original fire station was across the street from its present location on the northeast corner of Scottwood and Fourteenth Street. It was merely a shed in which to store equipment. Throughout the Heights three hose carts were placed. In case of a fire, this was the procedure used: Someone ran to ring the fire bell while everyone else near the fire ran to the hose cart to fasten the hose to the nearest hydrant. When the fire bell rang, firemen from every part of the village raced to the fire station. The hook and ladder truck was hand-drawn. The hose carts and chemical engine were horse-drawn.
Anyone with a team of horses made a bee-line for the station. The first team that appeared to pull the apparatus received three dollars for his services and the second team received two dollars for the use of his team. The race to see what man would get his team to the fire station first was almost as exciting as the fire itself. At the fire, the hose was connected to the hose already connect to the hydrant and the real fire fighting began.
The fire department had its social side as well. The two companies were as separate as it was possible to be. You either belonged to one or the other, but never both. You might walk to the door of the building with your friend of the other company, but once inside the door friendship ceased until you came back out. Benefit dances, card parties, and social gatherings were held and things went fine until it was time to divide the money. This rivalry and animosity continued until one night a new fire chief, tired of the bickering, ordered the door to be opened between the parlors of the two companies.
TODAY
Today the Elmira Heights Fire Department is located next door to the Elmira Heights Village Hall
. It still maintains an all volunteer roster and offers Fire and EMS services to the Village of Elmira Heights, and the Towns of Elmira and Horseheads.
APPARATUS MANUFACTURING
Elmira Heights was once the location of the Ward LaFrance Truck Corporation
's manufacturing facility.
The Elmira Heights Police Department is a small agency consisting of a force of ten men which offers 24/7 police protection to the Village of Elmira Heights. The Police Department shares their operations facility with the Elmira Heights Fire Department.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Chemung County
Chemung County, New York
Chemung County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Chemung County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 88,830. Its name is derived from the name of a Delaware Indian village . Its...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 4,170 at the 2000 census.
The Village of Elmira Heights is primarily within the Town of Elmira
Elmira (town), New York
Elmira is a town in Chemung County, New York, United States. The population was 7,199 at the 2000 census.The Town of Elmira is in the south-central part of the county, surrounding the City of Elmira on three sides. The town is in the Southern Tier of New York...
, but part of the village is in the Town of Horseheads
Horseheads (town), New York
Horseheads is a town in Chemung County, New York, United States. The population was 19,561 at the 2000 census. The name of the town is derived from the number of bleached horses' skulls found there....
. The village is a northern suburb of the City of Elmira
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
. It is part of the 'Elmira, New York
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
Metropolitan Statistical Area'.
History
The Elmira Heights Village HallElmira Heights Village Hall
The Elmira Heights Village Hall was built in 1896. It was designed by local architects J. H. Pierce and H. H. Bickford. It is significant architecturally as an example of the Chateauesque or Northern Renaissance Revival style of the period. It is significant historically for its role in local...
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1982.
Geography
Elmira Heights is located at 42°7′38"N 76°49′27"W (42.127298, -76.824214).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²), all of it land.
Newtown Creek
Newtown Creek
Newtown Creek is a estuary that forms part of the border between the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, in New York City, New York, United States. It derives its name from New Town , which was the name for the Dutch and British settlement in what is now Elmhurst, Queens...
, a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Chemung River
Chemung River
The Chemung River is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, approximately long, in south central New York and northern Pennsylvania in the United States. It drains a mountainous region of the northern Allegheny Plateau in the Southern Tier of New York...
, flows along the east side of the village. Halderman Creek also flows through the eastern part of the village from north to south. Woodlawn National Cemetery is south of the village.
The Southern Tier Expressway (New York State Route 17
New York State Route 17
New York State Route 17 is a state highway that extends for through the Southern Tier and Downstate regions of New York in the United States...
) passes along the east side of the village. New York State Route 14
New York State Route 14
New York State Route 14 is a state highway located in western New York in the United States. Along with NY 19, it is one of two routes to transect the state in a north–south fashion between the Pennsylvania border and Lake Ontario...
(College Avenue) and County Road 66 (Grand Central Avenue) are north-south streets through the village.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 4,170 people, 1,874 households, and 1,053 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,664.5 people per square mile (1,412.3/km²). There were 2,010 housing units at an average density of 1,766.3 per square mile (680.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.03% White, 1.03% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.79% of the population.
There were 1,874 households out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.8% were non-families. 37.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $29,015, and the median income for a family was $36,250. Males had a median income of $32,135 versus $21,788 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $16,334. About 7.1% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.
Fire Protection
HISTORYThe Elmira Heights Volunteer Fire Department was founded in 1896. When it began it was composed of two companies, the Chemical and Hose Company and the Independent Hook and Ladder Company. These later combined into one department. The first fire chief was William Monroe and the first fire bell was purchased from Grace Church in Elmira. The original fire station was across the street from its present location on the northeast corner of Scottwood and Fourteenth Street. It was merely a shed in which to store equipment. Throughout the Heights three hose carts were placed. In case of a fire, this was the procedure used: Someone ran to ring the fire bell while everyone else near the fire ran to the hose cart to fasten the hose to the nearest hydrant. When the fire bell rang, firemen from every part of the village raced to the fire station. The hook and ladder truck was hand-drawn. The hose carts and chemical engine were horse-drawn.
Anyone with a team of horses made a bee-line for the station. The first team that appeared to pull the apparatus received three dollars for his services and the second team received two dollars for the use of his team. The race to see what man would get his team to the fire station first was almost as exciting as the fire itself. At the fire, the hose was connected to the hose already connect to the hydrant and the real fire fighting began.
The fire department had its social side as well. The two companies were as separate as it was possible to be. You either belonged to one or the other, but never both. You might walk to the door of the building with your friend of the other company, but once inside the door friendship ceased until you came back out. Benefit dances, card parties, and social gatherings were held and things went fine until it was time to divide the money. This rivalry and animosity continued until one night a new fire chief, tired of the bickering, ordered the door to be opened between the parlors of the two companies.
TODAY
Today the Elmira Heights Fire Department is located next door to the Elmira Heights Village Hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
. It still maintains an all volunteer roster and offers Fire and EMS services to the Village of Elmira Heights, and the Towns of Elmira and Horseheads.
APPARATUS MANUFACTURING
Elmira Heights was once the location of the Ward LaFrance Truck Corporation
Ward LaFrance Truck Corporation
The Ward LaFrance Truck Corporation was an American manufacturer of trucks and fire apparatus founded by Addison Ward LaFrance in 1916 in Elmira Heights, NY. The company ceased operations in 1979...
's manufacturing facility.
Police Services
TODAYThe Elmira Heights Police Department is a small agency consisting of a force of ten men which offers 24/7 police protection to the Village of Elmira Heights. The Police Department shares their operations facility with the Elmira Heights Fire Department.