Solvay, New York
Encyclopedia
Solvay is a village located in Onondaga County
, New York, and a suburb
of the city of Syracuse
. According to the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 6,845. The village is named after the Solvay brothers
, Belgian
inventors of the chemical process employed by the Solvay Process Company
, formerly the major industry of the village.
, but Solvay was in a location reserved for members of the Onondaga tribe.
The village was initially founded in 1794 by James Geddes
and was initially called "Geddesburgh." The first residents were mostly Irish
, subsequently joined by Tyroleans
and Poles
. Eventually the community became known for its population largely Italian
in extraction. It still retains a large segment (about 35% in 2005) of population of Italian descent. More recently many families of Ukrainian
descent have settled in the village.
The Village of Solvay was renamed, after 1884, when the Solvay Process Company built a Solvay process
plant to produce soda ash. The Village of Solvay was incorporated in 1895. Other major businesses of Solvay included Frazier & Jones, a foundry; Crucible Steel, producer of specialty steels; Iroquois Pottery (Solvay China); and Pass & Seymour, producing electrical wiring devices.
The Solvay Process plant, by then owned by Allied Chemical and Dye Corporation, closed in 1985. The community has remained stable despite this loss.
Reflecting paternalistic programs of the Solvay Process Company and the Hazard family, the first village and school library was in Guild Hall. Then Solvay received a Carnegie library
in 1902. James A. Randall of Syracuse was the architect (1902-5). The building was constructed with Hazard support.
Since the Hazards' time, the village has provided superior services, as envisioned by the family. Solvay has its own municipal electric company which provides service to the village at one of the least expensive rates in the nation. A typical three bedroom home in the village which is completely electric (meaning no natural gas service) sees an average bill of around $225 dollars per month in the winter and $160 dollars in the summer (2009).
, immediately west of the City of Syracuse
south of the New York State Fairgrounds
(far westside). Its eastern boundary is shared with Syracuse. The village is south of the east end of Onondaga Lake
and is also south of Interstate 690
. The Erie Canal
passes through the village.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), all of it land.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 6,844 people, 3,030 households, and 1,766 families residing in the village. The population density
was 4,164.6 people per square mile (1,611.5/km²). There were 3,291 housing units at an average density of 2,002.3 per square mile (774.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.81% White, 0.67% African American, 1.02% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races
, and 1.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.37% of the population.
There were 3,030 households out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.4% were married couples
living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the village the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $34,084, and the median income for a family was $40,057. Males had a median income of $34,045 versus $23,822 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $19,441. About 10.6% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.2% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.
Onondaga County, New York
Onondaga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 467,026. The county seat is Syracuse.Onondaga County is part of the Syracuse, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, New York, and a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of the city of Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. According to the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 6,845. The village is named after the Solvay brothers
Ernest Solvay
Ernest Gaston Joseph Solvay was a Belgian chemist, industrialist and philanthropist.Born at Rebecq, he was prevented by acute pleurisy from going to university...
, Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
inventors of the chemical process employed by the Solvay Process Company
Solvay Process Company
The Solvay Process Company was a pioneer chemical industry of the United States in the manufacture of soda ash and a major employer in Central New York...
, formerly the major industry of the village.
History
The area was within the former Central New York Military TractCentral New York Military Tract
The Military Tract of Central New York, also called the New Military Tract, consisted of nearly two million acres of bounty land set aside to compensate New York’s soldiers after their participation in the Revolutionary War....
, but Solvay was in a location reserved for members of the Onondaga tribe.
The village was initially founded in 1794 by James Geddes
James Geddes (engineer)
James Geddes was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and was a prominent engineer, surveyor, New York State legislator and U.S. Congressman who was instrumental in the planning of the Erie Canal and other canals in the United States...
and was initially called "Geddesburgh." The first residents were mostly Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, subsequently joined by Tyroleans
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
and Poles
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. Eventually the community became known for its population largely Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in extraction. It still retains a large segment (about 35% in 2005) of population of Italian descent. More recently many families of Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
descent have settled in the village.
The Village of Solvay was renamed, after 1884, when the Solvay Process Company built a Solvay process
Solvay process
The Solvay process, also referred to as the ammonia-soda process, is the major industrial process for the production of soda ash . The ammonia-soda process was developed into its modern form by Ernest Solvay during the 1860s...
plant to produce soda ash. The Village of Solvay was incorporated in 1895. Other major businesses of Solvay included Frazier & Jones, a foundry; Crucible Steel, producer of specialty steels; Iroquois Pottery (Solvay China); and Pass & Seymour, producing electrical wiring devices.
The Solvay Process plant, by then owned by Allied Chemical and Dye Corporation, closed in 1985. The community has remained stable despite this loss.
Carnegie library
A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...
in 1902. James A. Randall of Syracuse was the architect (1902-5). The building was constructed with Hazard support.
Since the Hazards' time, the village has provided superior services, as envisioned by the family. Solvay has its own municipal electric company which provides service to the village at one of the least expensive rates in the nation. A typical three bedroom home in the village which is completely electric (meaning no natural gas service) sees an average bill of around $225 dollars per month in the winter and $160 dollars in the summer (2009).
Geography
The Village of Solvay is located at 43°3′26"N 76°12′53"W (43.057316, -76.214649), in the Town of GeddesGeddes, New York
Geddes is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 17,740 at the 2000 census.The Town of Geddes is west of the neighborhood of Far Westside of Syracuse. The town is a western suburb of Syracuse.- History :...
, immediately west of the City of Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
south of the New York State Fairgrounds
Empire Expo Center
The Empire Expo Center is an exhibition ground located in Geddes, New York, outside of Syracuse, New York. It features eight exhibition halls and 375 acres of ground space, which are used year-round for exhibitions and trade fairs...
(far westside). Its eastern boundary is shared with Syracuse. The village is south of the east end of Onondaga Lake
Onondaga Lake
Onondaga Lake is a lake in Central New York located northwest of Syracuse, New York. The southeastern end of the lake and the southwestern shore abut industrial areas and expressways; the northeastern shore and northwestern end border a series of parks and museums. Although it is near the Finger...
and is also south of Interstate 690
Interstate 690
Interstate 690 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that extends for through the vicinity of Syracuse, New York, in the United States. It is a spur of I-90 that travels southeast from Thruway exit 39 in Van Buren to I-481 in DeWitt...
. 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...
passes through the village.
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 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
Census
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 6,844 people, 3,030 households, and 1,766 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 4,164.6 people per square mile (1,611.5/km²). There were 3,291 housing units at an average density of 2,002.3 per square mile (774.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.81% White, 0.67% African American, 1.02% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.29% 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 1.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.37% of the population.
There were 3,030 households out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.4% 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, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the village the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.5 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $34,084, and the median income for a family was $40,057. Males had a median income of $34,045 versus $23,822 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 $19,441. About 10.6% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.2% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.