Dansville is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

in the

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

of North Dansville, with a small northern part in the town of

Sparta Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referr ...

in Livingston County, in western

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the village population was 4,433. The village is named after Daniel Faulkner, an early European-American settler.

Interstate 390 Interstate 390 (I-390) is a north–south auxiliary Interstate Highway located entirely within New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the Southern Tier Expressway ( I-86 and New York State Route 17 Y ...

passes the west side of the village.

History

Daniel Faulkner founded the village in 1795. This was land ceded by the

Iroquois The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian Peoples, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Indigenous confederations in North America, confederacy of First Nations in Canada, First Natio ...

tribes to the United States after the Revolutionary War, as four of the tribes had been allies of the defeated British forces. When Livingston County was created, the village was included in the town of

. Dansville became an incorporated village in 1845. Summer excursion routes and rates (1897) (14756370861)

A spa was opened in 1854, eventually attracted many prominent people to Dansville for the water cure. After a quick series of unsuccessful owners, it was purchased in September 1858 by new owners who recruited

James Caleb Jackson James Caleb Jackson (March 28, 1811 – July 11, 1895) was an American nutritionist and the inventor of the first dry, whole grain breakfast cereal which he called Granula. His views influenced the health reforms of Ellen G. White, a founder ...

as the physician-in-charge. He was assisted by his wife, known as "Mother Jackson", and their adopted daughter, Dr. Harriet Newell Austin. A Jackson family operation for many years, the family referred to it as the Jackson Sanatorium by 1890. The

Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (also known as the DL&W or Lackawanna Railroad) was a U.S. Class 1 railroad that connected Buffalo, New York, and Hoboken, New Jersey (and by ferry with New York City), a distance of . Incorporated in ...

opened its mainline between

Binghamton Binghamton () is a City (New York), city in the United States, U.S. state of New York (state), New York, and serves as the county seat of Broome County, New York, Broome County. Surrounded by rolling hills, it lies in the state's Southern Tier reg ...

and Buffalo on a route high above Dansville, on September 17, 1882. The famous "Dansville Hill" was a serious and costly impediment to heavy eastbound freight trains for 81 years, until the mainline was abandoned by the

Erie Lackawanna Railroad The Erie Lackawanna Railway , known as the Erie Lackawanna Railroad until 1968, was formed from the 1960 merger of the Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad. The official motto of the line was "The Friendly Service Route" ...

between Groveland and Wayland in late 1963. The EL wisely rerouted all mainline traffic over the former Erie mainline via Hornell, which had much easier grades. A portion of the right-of-way is now used as an access road to a cellphone tower, which has views looking westward down to Dansville and its surrounding area. The

Dansville Downtown Historic District Dansville Downtown Historic District is a national historic district located at Dansville in Livingston County, New York. The district consists of the highly intact three block commercial core of Dansville. It includes 50 contributing building ...

Dansville Library Dansville Library is a historic library located at Dansville in Livingston County, New York. It is a large two story Neoclassical style frame structure. It is dramatically enhanced by a pedimented, giant portico covering its full width. The por ...

Engleside Engleside is a historic estate located near Dansville in Livingston County, New York. The estate includes the large Greek Revival style main house, barn, single bay garage, and a combination laundry / drying house / privy building. The main ho ...

, English Evangelical Lutheran Church, Elias H. Geiger House, William Hartman Farmstead, Pioneer Farm, and

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional se ...

are all significant areas and structures listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

Notable people

* Harriet N. Austin, physician and dress reform advocate; grew up in Dansville *

Clara Barton Clarissa Harlowe Barton (December 25, 1821 – April 12, 1912) was an American nurse who founded the American Red Cross. She was a hospital nurse in the American Civil War, a teacher, and a patent clerk. Since nursing education was not then very ...

, resided in Dansville, where she established the first American Red Cross chapter in 1881. ''Note:'' This includes an
''Accompanying photographs''
/ref> * Edward T. Fairchild, Wisconsin jurist; raised in Dansville *

Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore (January 7, 1800March 8, 1874) was the 13th president of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853; he was the last to be a member of the Whig Party while in the White House. A former member of the U.S. House of Represen ...

, 13th president of the United States; resided in the village for several months * Job E. Hedges, Republican nominee for

governor of New York The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor h ...

in 1912 * Dennis Walter Hickey, Auxiliary Bishop of Rochester, New York *

, created Granula, the world's first breakfast cereal *

Andrew J. Lorish Andrew J. Lorish (November 8, 1832–August 11, 1897) was a Commissary Sergeant in the Union Army and a Medal of Honor recipient for his actions in the American Civil War. Lorish joined the 1st Regiment New York Dragoons, 1st New York Dragoon ...

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

soldier and

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

recipient; born in Dansville in 1832 * Nathaniel Rochester, founder of

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...

. * John Sullivan, Major League Baseball catcher and coach

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the village has a total area of , all land. The village sits in a glacially formed valley, common throughout western New York.

Canaseraga Creek Canaseraga Creek is a stream that flows through Livingston, Steuben, and Allegany Counties in western and central New York. It is a tributary of the Genesee River, and its watershed is the largest sub-watershed of that river. The creek's nam ...

flows northward just west of the village limits; it is a tributary of the

Genesee River The Genesee River is a tributary of Lake Ontario flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York in the United States. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides h ...

New York State Route 36 New York State Route 36 (NY 36) is a north–south state highway in the western part of New York in the United States. The highway extends for from the Pennsylvania state line at Troupsburg, Steuben County northward to Ogden, Monro ...

New York State Route 63 New York State Route 63 (NY 63) is a state highway in the western part of New York in the United States. It extends for in a generally southeast–northwest direction from an intersection with NY 15 and NY 21 in the village ...

New York State Route 256 New York State Route 256 (NY 256) is a north–south state highway located within Livingston County, New York, in the United States. It extends for across mostly rural terrain from an intersection with NY 63 in the village of Dan ...

, and

New York State Route 436 New York State Route 436 (NY 436) is an east–west state highway located in the western portion of New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 39 in the Pike hamlet of Lamont to a junction wit ...

pass through the village. It is bordered to the northwest by the unincorporated community of Cumminsville. Geneseo, the Livingston

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

, is to the northwest,

Hornell Hornell is a city in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 8,259 at the 2020 census. The city is named after the Hornell family, early settlers. The City of Hornell is surrounded by Town of Hornellsville. Hornell is about ...

is to the south, Corning is to the southeast, and Rochester is to the north, depending on which highway one takes.

Stony Brook State Park Stony Brook State Park is a state park located in Steuben County, New York. It is located south of Dansville, Livingston County, New York Dansville, Steuben County, New York on New York State Route 36. History Stony Brook became a summer tou ...

, with waterfalls, hiking, and swimming, is south of the village.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,832 people, 1,976 households, and 1,246 families residing in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 2,042.4 people per square mile (787.2/km²). There were 2,090 housing units at an average density of 883.4 per square mile (340.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.78%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 1.26%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.23% Native American, 0.66% Asian, 1.30% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population. There were 1,912 households, out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.03. In the village, the population was spread out, with 26.7% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males. The median income for a household in the village was $32,903, and the median income for a family was $41,519. Males had a median income of $31,699 versus $25,256 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the village was $15,994. About 12.3% of families and 17.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 17.3% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

Infrastructure

Dansville Municipal Airport (DSV) is a general aviation

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...

located north of the village. The airport was opened in 1927, primarily by the efforts of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

Lynn Pickard. The New York State Festival of Balloons is held at the airport in early September. A branch of

Genesee Community College Genesee Community College (GCC) is a public community college with its main campus in Batavia, New York. It has campus centers in Albion, Medina, Warsaw, Dansville, Arcade, Lima (previously Lakeville), New York. Thus, the college covers areas ...

is located in Dansville. Nicholas H. Noyes Memorial Hospital, a 72-bed acute care hospital, is located on the southern edge of the village on Route 36 adjacent to Exit 4 on Interstate 390. It provides health services to residents of Livingston, Allegany, Steuben and surrounding counties.

Culture

Castle on the Hill is a former water cure facility that resembles a castle overlooking Dansville from the hillside. Founded in 1858 by Dr. James Caleb Jackson as the "Our Home on the Hillside",Cayleff, Susan E. (1991), p.114 the original building burned in 1882. The present building opened in 1883. It has changed hands several times, becoming a physical fitness hotel (the Physical Culture Hotel) where the rich and famous came from New York City and other areas to "get away from it all". The building now stands vacant. A grant from New York State for $2.5 million was approved in January 2008 to renovate the former "Jackson Health Resort".

References

External links

Village of Dansville official website

Dansville Public Library

New York State Festival of Balloons

history, present-day photos, and video of the Jackson Sanatorium

{{authority control Villages in New York (state) Rochester metropolitan area, New York Populated places established in 1795 Villages in Livingston County, New York 1795 establishments in New York (state)