Webster (village), New York
Encyclopedia
Webster is a village
in Monroe County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 5,216 at the 2000 census. The village and town are named after orator and statesman Daniel Webster
.
The Village of Webster lies near the center of the Town of Webster
. It was incorporated in 1905. The village is crossed by Routes 104
, 250
, and 404
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²).None of the area is covered with water.
The history of the village center reflects the changing economy of the community. The village core was originally an agricultural center and distribution point for the town. The junction of Ridge Road and Webster Nine-Mile Point Road, which connected shipping points on the Erie Canal and the New York Central Railroad with a small port on Lake Ontario, was referred to as “the Village” because of a concentration of population and businesses. The railroad at the north end of the village attracted dried or evaporated apple businesses and small wood-working industries. The Village continued to be the shipping center for the area’s dried apple industry until well after the First World War. The village also had the world’s largest basket factory and was the center for the canning industry in Monroe County.2
At the beginning of the 1900s, several events significantly influenced the development of the village and its downtown core. The first bank since the Civil War era was established in the core area and the Rochester-Sodus Bay Trolley connected Webster to Rochester leading to a major expansion of the village residential area. In 1905, the village was incorporated followed by municipal infrastructure improvements and services including fire protection, water service and sewage disposal.3
As the primary commercial hub of the area, the village of Webster also became the focus of the community’s social life. The presence of the post office, library, banks, and government offices all served to bring people into the area. Further, commercial buildings also had several functions providing retail space on the ground floor and offices or residential apartments on the upper floors. These tenants provided sufficient rental income for property owners to both make a profit and properly maintain their buildings.4
After the Second World War, there were striking changes that transformed Webster’s character. First, the agricultural nature of the area has been seen major encroachment by suburban growth moving outward from Rochester. The Town of Webster became one of the major suburban residential areas in Monroe County with its population more than doubling between 1950 and 1960. Substantial residential development has continued to the present. As a consequence, the agricultural industry that made the Village center a market point, administrative, social, and institutional center has diminished.
Secondly. decisions made in the 1950s and '60s by the former Haloid Company, now Xerox Corporation, to invest in major office, research and manufacturing facilities to be located in the village and the town of Webster brought about extensive changes in population growth trends in the area. The construction of Route 104 also contributed greatly to the area’s growth as access to the metropolitan area was vastly improved.
Along with population growth, there has been significant commercial expansion in the village. The downtown area is still attractive and vibrant. There is potential for new retail, residential, and office uses as evidenced by recent developments including the construction of an upscale steak house restaurant and a new multi-use office building as well as conversion of the former Key Bank into commercial and residential uses.
Footnotes:
1 Webster … Through The Years, Esther Dunn
2 Village of Webster Comprehensive Plan, 1998
3 Arthur Reed, Materials prepared for development study, 1965
4 National Trust for Historic Preservation, “What Happened to America’s Main Streets?”
of 2000, there were 5,216 people, 2,231 households, and 1,345 families residing in the village. The population density
was 2,376.2 people per square mile (915.4/km²). There were 2,304 housing units at an average density of 1,049.6 per square mile (404.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 89.07% White, 4.10% Black or African American
, 0.31% Native American, 3.66% Asian, 0.81% from other races
, and 2.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.09% of the population.
There were 2,231 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were married couples
living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the village the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $38,651, and the median income for a family was $49,471. Males had a median income of $39,613 versus $25,446 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $21,317. About 8.3% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.
The Town of Webster’s North Ponds Park is located just north of the Village boundary, and has facilities for hiking, picnicking, and fishing. A paved bike path, located adjacent to the expressway is easily accessible to Village residents. The Town of Webster Parks and Recreation center is located adjacent to the Village on Chiyoda Drive. This department offers recreational activities as well as hot meals during the week, for both Town and Village senior citizens. During summer and early fall months of the year, the Webster Farm Market is in full operation in the large parking area behind the Webster Baptist Church located in the center of the Village. Here, one can get an excellent sampling of the farm produce raised in the surrounding agricultural area as well as a warm conversation with neighbors and friends.
cable TV channel 12 and available online at http://webstermeetingsonline.com/.
The Village of Webster has a Planning Board and Zoning Board, which normally meet on the first and third Thursdays of the month, respectively. The Village Board has established numerous residents' committees including a Historic Preservation Committee, a Parks and Recreation Committee, a Senior and Disabled Committee, and a Water Committee. The Village maintains a comprehensive calendar on the Village of Webster Website. Two members of the Village Board, the Mayor and a Trustee, are members of the Business Improvement District (BID) Board of Directors (http://www.websterbid.com) and the Farmers Market Committee. The Mayor is a member of the Webster Community Coalition for Economic Development (WCCED) Board of Directors (http://www.wcced.net/) and regularly attends meetings of the Webster Chamber of Commerce (http://websterchamber.com/).
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 Monroe County
Monroe County, New York
Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 744,344. It is named after James Monroe, fifth President of the United States of America. Its county seat is the city of 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 5,216 at the 2000 census. The village and town are named after orator and statesman Daniel Webster
Daniel Webster
Daniel Webster was a leading American statesman and senator from Massachusetts during the period leading up to the Civil War. He first rose to regional prominence through his defense of New England shipping interests...
.
The Village of Webster lies near the center of the Town of Webster
Webster (town), New York
Webster is a town in the northeast corner of Monroe County, New York, United States. The town is named after orator and statesman Daniel Webster. The population was 42,641 at the 2010 census....
. It was incorporated in 1905. The village is crossed by Routes 104
New York State Route 104
New York State Route 104 is a long east–west state highway in Upstate New York, United States. It spans six counties and enters the vicinity of four cities—Niagara Falls, Lockport, Rochester, and Oswego—as it follows a routing largely parallel to that of the southern shoreline of Lake...
, 250
New York State Route 250
New York State Route 250 is a north–south state highway in the eastern portion of Monroe County, New York, in the United States. It extends for just over from an intersection with NY 96 in the town of Perinton to a junction with Lake Road near the Lake Ontario shoreline in the...
, and 404
New York State Route 404
New York State Route 404 is an east–west state highway located in eastern Monroe County, New York, in the United States. It extends for just over from an interchange with NY 590 in Irondequoit to an intersection with NY 104 on the Monroe–Wayne County line in the town of Webster...
.
Geography
Webster is located at 43°12′43"N 77°25′38"W (43.212113, -77.427292).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 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²).None of the area is covered with water.
History
The village of Webster has historically served as the core of the town of Webster. The commercial section of the village dates back to 1812, when the first two buildings were constructed near the present four corners. One of these buildings was a store and the other a tavern. From this modest beginning, the community and its center began to grow, becoming the commercial, social, and educational center of the town. 1The history of the village center reflects the changing economy of the community. The village core was originally an agricultural center and distribution point for the town. The junction of Ridge Road and Webster Nine-Mile Point Road, which connected shipping points on the Erie Canal and the New York Central Railroad with a small port on Lake Ontario, was referred to as “the Village” because of a concentration of population and businesses. The railroad at the north end of the village attracted dried or evaporated apple businesses and small wood-working industries. The Village continued to be the shipping center for the area’s dried apple industry until well after the First World War. The village also had the world’s largest basket factory and was the center for the canning industry in Monroe County.2
At the beginning of the 1900s, several events significantly influenced the development of the village and its downtown core. The first bank since the Civil War era was established in the core area and the Rochester-Sodus Bay Trolley connected Webster to Rochester leading to a major expansion of the village residential area. In 1905, the village was incorporated followed by municipal infrastructure improvements and services including fire protection, water service and sewage disposal.3
As the primary commercial hub of the area, the village of Webster also became the focus of the community’s social life. The presence of the post office, library, banks, and government offices all served to bring people into the area. Further, commercial buildings also had several functions providing retail space on the ground floor and offices or residential apartments on the upper floors. These tenants provided sufficient rental income for property owners to both make a profit and properly maintain their buildings.4
After the Second World War, there were striking changes that transformed Webster’s character. First, the agricultural nature of the area has been seen major encroachment by suburban growth moving outward from Rochester. The Town of Webster became one of the major suburban residential areas in Monroe County with its population more than doubling between 1950 and 1960. Substantial residential development has continued to the present. As a consequence, the agricultural industry that made the Village center a market point, administrative, social, and institutional center has diminished.
Secondly. decisions made in the 1950s and '60s by the former Haloid Company, now Xerox Corporation, to invest in major office, research and manufacturing facilities to be located in the village and the town of Webster brought about extensive changes in population growth trends in the area. The construction of Route 104 also contributed greatly to the area’s growth as access to the metropolitan area was vastly improved.
Along with population growth, there has been significant commercial expansion in the village. The downtown area is still attractive and vibrant. There is potential for new retail, residential, and office uses as evidenced by recent developments including the construction of an upscale steak house restaurant and a new multi-use office building as well as conversion of the former Key Bank into commercial and residential uses.
Footnotes:
1 Webster … Through The Years, Esther Dunn
2 Village of Webster Comprehensive Plan, 1998
3 Arthur Reed, Materials prepared for development study, 1965
4 National Trust for Historic Preservation, “What Happened to America’s Main Streets?”
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 5,216 people, 2,231 households, and 1,345 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 2,376.2 people per square mile (915.4/km²). There were 2,304 housing units at an average density of 1,049.6 per square mile (404.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 89.07% White, 4.10% 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...
, 0.31% Native American, 3.66% Asian, 0.81% 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 2.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.09% of the population.
There were 2,231 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% 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, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the village the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $38,651, and the median income for a family was $49,471. Males had a median income of $39,613 versus $25,446 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 $21,317. About 8.3% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.
Parks
There are five parks within the Village of Webster comprising over 24 acres (97,124.6 m²) of parkland which provide a variety of facilities, the including tennis courts, baseball diamonds, playground equipment, and picnic areas. These include the Schantz Village Manor Park, the Milton R Case Memorial Park, the Wilmorite Playground, the Veterans Memorial Park located on North Avenue and Harmony Park located on the corner of Foster Drive and Phillips Road. The Veterans Memorial Park contains a Large Gazebo which is the scene of the 9/11 Commemoration, the Veteran’s Day Service, the Summer Friday night concert series and summer Movies in the Park. The Village Days Festival takes place each year in August along Main Street and in the Veterans Memorial Park. The Village of Webster also maintains the Village Band shell at Harmony Park on Foster Drive off Phillips Road. The band plays concerts in the band-shell on most Thursday evenings throughout the summer.The Town of Webster’s North Ponds Park is located just north of the Village boundary, and has facilities for hiking, picnicking, and fishing. A paved bike path, located adjacent to the expressway is easily accessible to Village residents. The Town of Webster Parks and Recreation center is located adjacent to the Village on Chiyoda Drive. This department offers recreational activities as well as hot meals during the week, for both Town and Village senior citizens. During summer and early fall months of the year, the Webster Farm Market is in full operation in the large parking area behind the Webster Baptist Church located in the center of the Village. Here, one can get an excellent sampling of the farm produce raised in the surrounding agricultural area as well as a warm conversation with neighbors and friends.
Government
The village is governed by Mayor Peter Elder and four trustees. The Village Board meets the second and forth Thursdays of each month at 7:30pm. Government-access television (GATV) village Board meetings are televised on Public-access televisionPublic-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
cable TV channel 12 and available online at http://webstermeetingsonline.com/.
The Village of Webster has a Planning Board and Zoning Board, which normally meet on the first and third Thursdays of the month, respectively. The Village Board has established numerous residents' committees including a Historic Preservation Committee, a Parks and Recreation Committee, a Senior and Disabled Committee, and a Water Committee. The Village maintains a comprehensive calendar on the Village of Webster Website. Two members of the Village Board, the Mayor and a Trustee, are members of the Business Improvement District (BID) Board of Directors (http://www.websterbid.com) and the Farmers Market Committee. The Mayor is a member of the Webster Community Coalition for Economic Development (WCCED) Board of Directors (http://www.wcced.net/) and regularly attends meetings of the Webster Chamber of Commerce (http://websterchamber.com/).
| Name | Title | Term |
|---|---|---|
| George A. Hallauer | President | 1905 |
| George E. Fillingham | President | 1906 |
| Alvah P. Maine | President | 1907 |
| Harvey C. Bergh | President | 1908–1909 |
| William C. Jayne | President | 1910 |
| Harvey C. Bergh | President | 1911 |
| George Wall | President | 1912 |
| George G. Mason | President | 1913–1918 |
| Wallace W. Rayfield | 1919 | |
| William F. Kittelberger | 1920–1922 | |
| Earl E. Smith | 1923–1924 | |
| Harvey C. Bergh | 1925 | |
| Dillaplain H. Wright | 1926–1928 | |
| William F. Kittelberger | 1929–1930 | |
| W. Roy Hawley | 1931–1965 | |
| Milton R. Case | 1965–1969 | |
| Robert E. Harloff | 1969 – | |
| Jack Judge | Mayor | – October 2007 |
| Jake Swingly | Mayor | October 2007 – January 2010 |
| Peter Elder | Mayor | February 2010 – |