Fredonia, New York

Fredonia is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the village had a population of 9,871 people. It is located in the town of Pomfret and sits south of Lake Erie.

The village is home to the State University of New York at Fredonia, which is found in the northwest part of the village. Fredonia is special because it is one of only twelve villages in New York that is still incorporated under a charter. The other villages have changed to use the Village Law instead.

History

The village that is now Fredonia was first home to early Mound Builders, then the Erie people from the 13th to 17th centuries, and later the Seneca people of the Iroquois.

The area was originally called Canadaway, meaning "among the hemlocks". In 1791, Robert Morris bought the land from Massachusetts and sold it to the Holland Land Company. Pioneers began settling there around 1803 or 1804. In 1821, William Hart dug the first well for natural gas in the United States in Fredonia. This gas powered lights in local shops and a mill.

Fredonia became an official village in 1829. Its name, created by Samuel Latham Mitchill, combines "freedom" with a Latin ending. The Fredonia Academy, founded in 1824, was the first higher school in Chautauqua County. It later became part of the State University of New York system.

In the late 1880s, many people from Sicily moved to Fredonia, influencing the town’s culture and traditions. The village also played a role in sports history, hosting training camps for the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Braves.

Geography

Fredonia is found at 42°26′27″N 79°20′02″W / 42.440845°N 79.333813°W / 42.440845; -79.333813 in the northern part of the town of Pomfret. It is bordered to the north by the town and city of Dunkirk.

The village covers an area of 5.2 square miles (13.4 km²), and it is all land except for a small stream called Canadaway Creek that flows northward to Lake Erie. U.S. Route 20 runs through the village, and Exit 59 on the New York State Thruway helps connect Fredonia and Dunkirk using New York State Route 60.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Fredonia had a population of 9,585. The median age was 27.7 years. About 15% of residents were under the age of 18, and 16% were 65 years or older. For every 100 females, there were 87 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85 males age 18 and over.

Almost all residents, 99.8%, lived in urban areas, while only 0.2% lived in rural areas.

There were 3,549 households in Fredonia, with 23% having children under 18 living in them. About 35% were married-couple households, 24% had a male householder without a spouse, and 33% had a female householder without a spouse. Around 38% of households were made up of individuals, and 15% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.

There were 4,151 housing units, with 14.5% vacant. The rate for vacant homes owned by people was 2.4%, and the rate for vacant rental homes was 11.2%.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 11,230 people, which was an increase of 524 people from before. There were 3,811 households. The population density was 2,159.6 inhabitants per square mile (833.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was mostly white at 93.82%, with small percentages of African-American, Asian, Native American/Alaskan, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, other races, and people of two or more races. About 3.91% of people were Hispanic/Latino.

The age groups in the village were spread out, with about 13% under 18, 16% ages 18 and 19, 27% ages 20–24, 8% ages 25–34, 12% ages 35–49, 13% ages 50–64, and 12% over 65. Males made up about 47% of the population, and females made up about 53%.

2000 census

Previously, in 2000 there were 10,706 people, 3,641 households, and 1,951 families living in the village. The median household income was $34,712, and the median family income was $49,549.

Notable people

Fredonia, New York, has been home to many interesting people throughout history. Some of these include George Borrello, a New York state senator, and Pete Correale, a well-known stand-up comedian and broadcaster. Others include William Barker Cushing, a U.S. naval officer during the Civil War, and Jennifer Stuczynski, an Olympic medalist in athletics. The village has also been home to authors, judges, and leaders who have made their mark in various fields.

Other mentions

In a book called Houses from Books, a writer named Daniel D. Reiff studied the homes in Fredonia. He used Fredonia as an example to show how books and journals influenced house styles across the United States. Reiff picked Fredonia because he lived there and looked at the styles of all 2,239 houses in 1984. During that time, only a few houses were lost.