Palmyra (village), New York
Encyclopedia
Palmyra is a village
in Wayne County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 3,490 at the 2000 census. The village, along with the town, is named after Palmyra
in present-day Syria
.
The Village of Palmyra is in the Town of Palmyra
. The village is located east of Rochester.
Palmyra claims to be the only city or village in the U.S. to have four churches at a four corner intersection facing each other. It is one of ten places in the world that has four churches on the four corners of two intersecting highways. It is at the intersection of New York State Route 21
and New York State Route 31
.
The was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2009. It includes the previously listed Market Street Historic District
, East Main Street Commercial Historic District
, and Zion Episcopal Church
.
at the printing press of local publisher E. B. Grandin. Many other events in the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement
took place in the village and town. The Book of Mormon Historic Publication Site
has been maintained by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1978 as a tourist destination and was restored and rededicated in 1998.
, the village has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), all of it land.
It is located at 43.063°N 77.233°W. It is part of metropolitan
Rochester, New York
.
Palmyra village is at the junction of New York State Route 31
and New York State Route 21
, which are partly conjoined in the village. Palmyra is located along the Erie Canal
and is south of Lake Ontario
.
of 2000, there were 3,490 people, 1,494 households, and 871 families residing in the village. The population density
was 2,623.4 people per square mile (1,013.2/km²). There were 1,588 housing units at an average density of 1,193.7 per square mile (461.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.25% White, 0.49% Black or African American
, 0.49% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.09% from other races
, and 1.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.63% of the population.
There were 1,494 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were married couples
living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $38,561, and the median income for a family was $49,450. Males had a median income of $35,351 versus $22,870 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $19,087. About 5.6% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.
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 Wayne County
Wayne County, New York
Wayne County is a county located in the US state of New York. It is part of the Rochester, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area and lies on the south shore of Lake Ontario, forming part of the northern border of the United States with Canada. The name honors General Anthony Wayne, an American...
, 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 3,490 at the 2000 census. The village, along with the town, is named after Palmyra
Palmyra
Palmyra was an ancient city in Syria. In the age of antiquity, it was an important city of central Syria, located in an oasis 215 km northeast of Damascus and 180 km southwest of the Euphrates at Deir ez-Zor. It had long been a vital caravan city for travellers crossing the Syrian desert...
in present-day Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
The Village of Palmyra is in the Town of Palmyra
Palmyra (town), New York
Palmyra is a town in Wayne County, New York, USA. The population was 7,672 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the ancient city Palmyra in Syria....
. The village is located east of Rochester.
History
The village was originally called "Swift's Landing" in 1790, but was incorporated as Palmyra in 1827. By 1900, the village had become a railroad and industrial center. Palmyra was a large part of the underground railroad during times of slavery, it is reported to have helped over 2,000 fugitive slaves escape into Canada.Palmyra claims to be the only city or village in the U.S. to have four churches at a four corner intersection facing each other. It is one of ten places in the world that has four churches on the four corners of two intersecting highways. It is at the intersection of New York State Route 21
New York State Route 21
New York State Route 21 is a state highway extending for through the western part of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at NY 417 in Andover. The northern terminus is at NY 104 in Williamson...
and New York State Route 31
New York State Route 31
New York State Route 31 is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its eastern terminus is at a traffic circle with NY 26 in Vernon...
.
The 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 2009. It includes the previously listed Market Street Historic District
Market Street Historic District (Palmyra, New York)
Market Street Historic District is a national historic district located at Palmyra in Wayne County, New York. The district consists of a set of commercial and residential structures built between the 1830s and 1880s. Some of the commercial buildings have cast iron storefronts.It was listed on the...
, East Main Street Commercial Historic District
East Main Street Commercial Historic District (Palmyra, New York)
East Main Street Commercial Historic District is a national historic district located at Palmyra in Wayne County, New York. The district encompasses Palmyra's downtown business area and contains two blocks of solid, brick 19th century commercial architecture...
, and Zion Episcopal Church
Zion Episcopal Church (Palmyra, New York)
Zion Episcopal Church is a historic Episcopal church in Palmyra, Wayne County, New York. It was designed in a Late Gothic Revival style by Emlyn T. Littel and was built in 1872. It is built of Medina sandstone with limestone trim. Its roof features polychrome slate shingles.It was listed on the...
.
Place in early Mormonism
In 1830 the village was the site of the first publication of the Book of MormonBook of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
at the printing press of local publisher E. B. Grandin. Many other events in the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement
Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...
took place in the village and town. The Book of Mormon Historic Publication Site
Book of Mormon Historic Publication Site
The Book of Mormon Historic Publication Site is a historic site located in the village of Palmyra, Wayne County, New York, United States. The historic site includes the E. B. Grandin Building and some neighboring structures. It was in the E. B. Grandin building that Egbert B. Grandin printed and...
has been maintained by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1978 as a tourist destination and was restored and rededicated in 1998.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²), all of it land.
It is located at 43.063°N 77.233°W. It is part of metropolitan
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
Rochester, 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...
.
Palmyra village is at the junction of New York State Route 31
New York State Route 31
New York State Route 31 is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 104 in the city of Niagara Falls. Its eastern terminus is at a traffic circle with NY 26 in Vernon...
and New York State Route 21
New York State Route 21
New York State Route 21 is a state highway extending for through the western part of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at NY 417 in Andover. The northern terminus is at NY 104 in Williamson...
, which are partly conjoined in the village. Palmyra is located along the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
and is south of Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
.
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 3,490 people, 1,494 households, and 871 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 2,623.4 people per square mile (1,013.2/km²). There were 1,588 housing units at an average density of 1,193.7 per square mile (461.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.25% White, 0.49% Black or African American
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...
, 0.49% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.09% 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 1.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.63% of the population.
There were 1,494 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% 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, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the village the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $38,561, and the median income for a family was $49,450. Males had a median income of $35,351 versus $22,870 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 $19,087. About 5.6% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.
Notable natives and residents
- E. B. Grandin, publisher of the first edition of the Book of MormonBook of MormonThe Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...