Scotia 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 Schenectady County, New York, United States, incorporated in 1904. The population was 7,729 at the 2010 census. Scotia is part of the town of Glenville, and is connected with the city of

Schenectady Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...

by the Western Gateway Bridge over the

Mohawk River The Mohawk River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 3, 2011 river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk f ...

History

The land was purchased by Alexander Lindsay Glen, a native of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

, from the Mohawk people in the 17th century. Glen named his estate ''Scotia'' (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

for "Scotland") after his home country.Village of Scotia History
/ref> Scotia was the location of a military encampment during both the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

of 1754 and again during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

. During the 1800s, Scotia was known for its production of

broom A broom (also known in some forms as a broomstick) is a cleaning tool consisting of usually stiff fibers (often made of materials such as plastic, hair, or corn husks) attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. I ...

s, over 1 million annually for a time. In the 20th century, Scotia became a thriving bedroom community for employees of Schenectady employers such as

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable en ...

. During World War II the Scotia Naval Supply Depot (1942-1971) employed over 2000 workers. Historic buildings: * Glen Sanders Mansion, parts dating to 1713 * Abraham Glen House, 1730s * Flint House, early 19th century * First Baptist Church, 1872 * Holland House (W.T. Mynderse mansion), built 1914 * Scotia Reformed Church, founded 1818, present building 1952. * The

United States Post Office The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...

, built 1940, contains a tempera mural, ''The Glen Family Spared by French and Indians – 1690'', painted by muralist

Amy Jones (artist) Amy Jones (1899–1992) was an American artist and muralist in the early 20th century. She was one of the founding members of the Saranac Lake Art League. Though most known for her watercolors, like ''Sandy Acre'' which is in the permanent collect ...

in 1941. in tempera and 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 ...

Geography

Scotia is on the north bank of the

at (42.8313, -73.9654). 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 t ...

, the village has a total area of , of which is land and , or 5.82%, is water.

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 in ...

of 2010, there were 7,729 people, 3,362 households, and 2,006 families residing in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was 4,573.4 people per square mile (1,765.8/km). There were 3,519 housing units at an average density of 2,082.2 per square mile (804/km). The racial makeup of the village was 95.4%

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 o ...

, 1.2%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 1.1%

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 ...

, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.4% 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 1.8% 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 forme ...

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 2.8% of the population. Of 3,362 households, 30% included individuals under the age of 18, 42.1% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 40.3% were non-families, 33.7% were individuals living alone, and 13.1% were individuals age 65 or older living alone. The average household size was 2.3 and the average family size was 2.95. The village population was composed of 23.1% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 20, 31% from 21 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.2 years. The female population was 51.6% and the male population was 48.4%. In 2015, the estimated median income for a household in the village was $54,607, and the median

income Income is the consumption and saving opportunity gained by an entity within a specified timeframe, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. Income is difficult to define conceptually and the definition may be different across fields. Fo ...

for a family was $75,182. Males had a median income of $54,364 versus $45,603 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 $26,853. An estimated 4.0% of families and 6.1% 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 6.9% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 5.6% or over.

Community

:''Aerial photo:'
Collins Park and vicinity
Scotia is served by the Scotia-Glenville Central School District. Schools located in the village of Scotia include Lincoln and Sacandaga Elementary Schools, while Scotia-Glenville High School and Scotia-Glenville Middle School stand just outside the village limits. The private Mekeel Christian Academy occupies the former Scotia High School building in the village. Local residents may enjoy pastimes at all seasons in Collins Park and nearby Freedom Park. Winter events include sledding and ice skating, while summer activities include baseball, tennis, swimming, pond and river fishing, picnicking, concerts, and waterskiing on the Mohawk River.

Transportation

Scotia is served by the historic New York Route 5, and is the terminus for both

Route 50 The following highways are numbered 50: International * European route E50 Brazil * BR-050 Canada * Alberta Highway 50 * Manitoba Highway 50 * Newfoundland and Labrador Route 50 * Ontario Highway 50 (Also referred to as Peel Regional Road 50 ...

and Route 147 providing access to

Saratoga County Saratoga County is a county in the U.S. state of New York, and is the fastest-growing county in Upstate New York. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was enumerated at 235,509, representing a 7.2% increase from the 2010 popul ...

. The Route 5 link to Schenectady is over the Western Gateway Bridge, originally built in 1923-25, and replaced in 1971. Scotia was formerly served by railways, including the New York Central (which operated a switch yard in the village), the

Delaware and Hudson The Delaware and Hudson Railway (D&H) is a railroad that operates in the Northeastern United States. In 1991, after more than 150 years as an independent railroad, the D&H was purchased by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP). CP operates D&H ...

, and the

Boston and Maine The Boston and Maine Railroad was a U.S. Class I railroad in northern New England. Originally chartered in 1835, it became part of what was the Pan Am Railways network in 1983 (most of which was purchased by CSX in 2022). At the end of 1970, ...

, as well as the electric Fonda, Johnstown and Gloversville interurban line. Two nearby airports, located in the town of Glenville, serve the village: Mohawk Valley Airport is a privately owned airport for public use located three nautical miles (6 km) along State Route 5, northwest of the village of Scotia.

Schenectady County Airport Schenectady County Airport is a county-owned, public-use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) north of the central business district of Schenectady, a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States. It is included in the Na ...

is a joint civil-military public airport located two nautical miles (3 km) north-northeast of the village of Scotia.

Notable people

* Helmut Karl Buechner (1918–1975), ecologist, field biologist, Director of the Office of Ecology for the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

, born in Scotia * Joe Cremo (born 1996), pro basketball player, born in Scotia *

Philip Dalton Lt. Philip Dalton (April 1, 1903 – July 25, 1941) was a United States military scientist, pilot and engineer. Dalton is best known for his invention of several slide-rule analog flight computers, the most famous being the E6B. Early life and e ...

(1903–1941), military scientist and pilot, born in Scotia *

Laura Diaz Laura Diaz (born April 27, 1975) is an American professional golfer. Diaz was born Laura Philo in Scotia, New York. She won the 1995 North and South Women's Amateur at Pinehurst. In 1996 she won the Eastern Women's Amateur Championship and mad ...

(born 1975), professional golfer on

LPGA Tour The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female golfers. The organization is headquartered at the LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of week ...

, born in Scotia * Robert Doherty (1885–1950), electrical engineer, president of Carnegie Mellon University, died in Scotia * Saul Dushman (1883–1954), Russian-born physical chemist, resided, died in Scotia *

Conyers Herring William Conyers Herring (November 15, 1914 – July 23, 2009) was an American physicist. He was a Professor of Applied Physics at Stanford University and the Wolf Prize in Physics recipient in 1984/5. Academic career Conyers Herring completed ...

(1914–2009), solid state physicist, born in Scotia * Steve Kuczek (1924–2010), major league baseball player, died in Scotia * Kathleen Paige (born 1948), rear admiral, U.S. Navy, program director,

Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense The Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System (Aegis BMD or ABMD), also known as ''Sea-Based Midcourse'', is a United States Department of Defense Missile Defense Agency program developed to provide missile defense against short to intermediate- ...

James Parry James Parry (born July 13, 1967), commonly known by his nickname and username Kibo , is a Usenetter known for his sense of humor, various surrealist net pranks, an absurdly long signature, and a machine-assisted knack for " kibozing": joining an ...

(born 1967),

Usenet Usenet () is a worldwide distributed discussion system available on computers. It was developed from the general-purpose Unix-to-Unix Copy (UUCP) dial-up network architecture. Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived the idea in 1979, and it wa ...

personality known as "Kibo", born in Scotia *

David Pietrusza David Pietrusza (born November 22, 1949 in Amsterdam, New York) is an American author and historian. Career David Pietrusza has produced a number of critically acclaimed works concerning 20th-century American history, including five volumes ( ...

(born 1949) author, lived in Scotia *

George Runner George C. Runner, Jr. (born March 25, 1952) is an American politician from California who served on the California State Board of Equalization, the only publicly elected tax commission in the United States. A Republican, he represented the Boar ...

(born 1952), California state senator, born in Scotia

References

External links

Village of Scotia official website

Visitscotia.comNY Air National Guard - 109th Airlift Wing - Scotia/Schenectady Hometown
{{authority control Villages in New York (state) Villages in Schenectady County, New York Populated places on the Mohawk River