Naples is a

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 ori ...

in Ontario County,

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. The population was 2,417 at the 2020 census. The Town of Naples contains a village, also called

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

. The town is located in the southwestern corner of Ontario County. The annual

Naples Grape Festival The Naples Grape Festival is an annual festival in Naples, New York, United States, dedicated to grapes. The town of Naples is in the center of Finger Lakes American Viticultural Area (AVA), a region known for grape-growing and wine making in th ...

is held in September, and the area is known for its wineries and grape pie.

History and other information

Naples was part of the

Phelps and Gorham Purchase The Phelps and Gorham Purchase was the purchase in 1788 of of land in what is now western New York State from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for $1,000,000 ( £300,000), to be paid in three annual installments, and the pre-emptive right to th ...

. The town was established in 1789 along with Ontario County, on the old Native American village Nundawao, and settlement began the following year. The town was also part of the Underground Railroad, with old houses still having hiding spots to this day. The town, known in 1789 as "Watkinstown" (after Captains Nathan and William Watkins, Revolutionary War veterans and early settlers) and in 1796, they called the town "Middletown". And then, finally, the town was given the name "Naples" in 1808. Naples was not quickly settled due to its rough terrain. Part of the new town was used to form the Town of Italy in 1815, and another part was used to form part of the Town of Springwater in 1816. Grapes, first planted in the 1860s, led to the modern

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years ago, ...

and

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

industry of the town and also led to the annual grape festival which began in 1961, one of which was broadcast on the World Food Network. The village is home to St. Januarius Catholic Church, a unique architectural design by

James Johnson James Johnson may refer to: Artists, actors, authors, and musicians *James Austin Johnson (born 1989), American comedian & actor, ''Saturday Night Live'' cast member *James B. Johnson (born 1944), author of science nonfiction novels *James P. John ...

. With the local grape industry as inspiration, much of the church was designed with grapes in mind. The Widmer's Winery produces

Manischewitz Manischewitz (; he, מנישביץ) is a brand of kosher products based in the United States, best known for its matzo and kosher wine. Founded in 1888, it became a public corporation in 1923 and remained under family control until January 199 ...

wine. Naples Academy was founded in 1860. The main building of the current Academy was built during the New Deal program during the Great Depression by one of the public works programs set out by FDR. The school district currently serves grades Pre-K through 12, with grades Pre-K through 6 being in the Elementary School and grades 7 through 12 in the Jr/Sr High School across the street.

Notable people

Myron Holley Clark Myron Holley Clark (October 23, 1806 – August 23, 1892) was an American politician from the U.S. state of New York. Early life Clark was born in Naples, Ontario County, New York on October 23, 1806. He was the eldest son of Maj. Joseph Cla ...

(1806-1892), New York governor and Prohibitionist. *

Meghan Musnicki Meghan Musnicki (born February 5, 1983 in Naples, New York) is an American representative rower. She is a five time world champion and twice Olympic champion. She has competed at three Olympics twice winning gold in the women's eight at the Londo ...

(b. 1983), Olympic Athlete

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 the ...

, the town has a total area of 39.5 square miles (102.3 km²), all land. The very hilly land, once thought to be nearly worthless, was sold to the original settlers for twelve cents an acre (which is $ in dollars). The western town line is the border of Livingston County, and the southern town line is the border of Steuben County. The east town line is the border of Yates County.

New York State Route 21 New York State Route 21 (NY 21) is a state highway extending for about through the western part of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 417 in the village of Andover, ...

and

New York State Route 245 New York State Route 245 (NY 245) is a state highway in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at NY 21 in Naples. The northern terminus is at NY 5, U.S. Route 20 a ...

intersect at Naples village.

New York State Route 53 New York State Route 53 (NY 53) is a north–south state highway located in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 415 near the hamlet of Kanona in northern Steuben ...

is a north-south highway in the south part of Naples. The town is southwest of

Canandaigua Lake Canandaigua Lake is the fourth largest of the Finger Lakes in the U.S. state of New York. The City of Canandaigua is located at the northern end of the lake and the village of Naples is several miles south of the southern end. It is the we ...

, one of the

Finger Lakes The Finger Lakes are a group of eleven long, narrow, roughly north–south lakes located south of Lake Ontario in an area called the ''Finger Lakes region'' in New York, in the United States. This region straddles the northern and transitional ...

. Naples Creek flows past the village to a lake known by locals as the Digger. Grimes Glen is a hiking trail near the Village of Naples. It features numerous waterfalls. Grimes Glen officially became a public park in 2008. Grimes Glen Park Facilities

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 2,441 people, 986 households, and 674 families residing in the town. 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 RosenberPopul ...

was 61.8 people per square mile (23.9/km²). There were 1,112 housing units at an average density of 28.2 per square mile (10.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.91%

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 on ...

, 0.25%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

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 ...

, 0.08% Native American, 0.49%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.25% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.02% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.66% of the population. There were 986 households, out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% 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 t ...

living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.95. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males. The median income for a household in the town was $36,813, and the median income for a family was $42,566. Males had a median income of $34,508 versus $23,333 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 town was $17,944. About 8.9% of families and 10.5% 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 t ...

, including 12.9% of those under age 18 and 14.2% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in the Town of Naples

*Garlinghouse – A

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

in the west part of the town. *High Tor

Wildlife Management Area A Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is a protected area set aside for the conservation of wildlife and for recreational activities involving wildlife. New Zealand There are 11 Wildlife Management Areas in New Zealand: * Horsham Downs Wildlife Ma ...

– A conservation area partly in the east of Naples. *Hunt Hollow – A hamlet in the northwest corner of the town on County Road 36. *

– The Village of Naples, on NY-21. *Semans Corners – A hamlet in the northeast corner of the town, west of Woodville. * Woodville – A hamlet at the northeast corner of the town at the foot of Canandaigua lake on NY-21.

References

External links

Official website

Naples NY Historical Society

{{authority control Rochester metropolitan area, New York Towns in Ontario County, New York 1789 establishments in New York (state)