Bath 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 Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 5,786 at the 2010 census. Bath is the

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 ...

of Steuben County. The community was named either for the English city of

Bath, Somerset Bath () is a city in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary area in the county of Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman-built baths. At the 2021 Census, the population was 101,557. Bath is in the valley of the River Avon, ...

, or for Lady

Laura Pulteney, 1st Countess of Bath (Henrietta) Laura Pulteney, 1st Countess of Bath (26 December 1766 – 14 July 1808) was a British peeress and heiress. Early life Born Henrietta Laura Johnstone in Westminster, she was the only child of the wealthy William Johnstone, late ...

and daughter of

Sir William Pulteney Sir William Pulteney, 5th Baronet (October 1729 – 30 May 1805), known as William Johnstone until 1767, was a Scottish advocate, landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1768 and 1805. He was reputedly the wealthiest ...

, one of the original landowners. The Village of Bath is in the Town of Bath and is northwest of Elmira and is west of Tyrone. Bath is the location of the Bath VA Medical Center (former

old soldiers' home An old soldiers' home is a military veterans' retirement home, nursing home, or hospital, or sometimes an institution for the care of the widows and orphans of a nation's soldiers, sailors, and marines, etc. United Kingdom In the United Ki ...

Bath National Cemetery Bath National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in the town of Bath, in Steuben County, New York. It encompasses , and as of the end of 2005, had 13,048 interments. History The area was originally part of the New York Stat ...

, and the Steuben County Fair, the oldest continuous fair in the United States.

History

The village was founded in 1793. The village was originally incorporated in 1816, but was not organized until 1836. In addition to the Bath VA Medical Center, the James H. Bolton House,

Campbell-Rumsey House Campbell-Rumsey House is a historic home located at Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bath ...

, Cobblestone House, Davenport Library,

Erie Freighthouse Historic District Erie Freighthouse Historic District is a national historic district located at Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a pu ...

The First Baptist Society of Bath The First Baptist Society of Bath, also known as Bath Baptist Church, is a historic Baptist church located at Bath, Steuben County, New York. The church was built in 1887–1888, and is a cruciform plan, Romanesque Revival style brick and stone ...

Gansevoort/East Steuben Streets Historic District Gansevoort/East Steuben Streets Historic District is a national historic district located at Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public ...

, George W. Hallock House,

Haverling Farm House Haverling Farm House is a historic home located at Bath in Steuben County, New York. It is a -story, five-bay frame residence built about 1838. It is a center-hall, Greek Revival-style farmhouse with a gable roof. It was listed on the National ...

, Liberty Street Historic District, McMaster House, Henry C. Myrtle House, Potter-Van Camp House, Martin A. Quick House, Reuben Robie House, Sedgwick House, William Shepherd House,

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 ...

, and M. J. Ward Feed Mill Complex are 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 ...

Carl Carmer Carl Lamson Carmer (October 16, 1893 – September 11, 1976) was an American writer of nonfiction books, memoirs, and novels, many of which focused on American myths, folklore, and tales. His most famous book, ''Stars Fell on Alabama,'' was an ...

's novel "Genesee Fever," treating of the first white settlements in the region, is set largely in Bath. Bath was the site of the land office disposing of 1.2 million acres.Carmer, Carl. Genesee Fever, Farrer & Rinehart, 1941.

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 2.9 square miles (7.5 km²), all land. Liberty-Street-Bath-New-York-USA

The village is adjacent to Interstate 86, a few miles east of the split with Interstate 390. New York State Route 54 intersects

New York State Route 415 New York State Route 415 (NY 415) is a state highway located entirely within Steuben County, New York, in the United States. It is a north–south trunk road that parallels in part, the Cohocton River, Interstate 86 (I-86) and I- ...

in the village. County Roads 10 and 13 also lead into Bath. Bath is served by the Bath & Hammondsport Railroad which operates over former Delaware, Lackawanna & Western (DL&W) mainline trackage between a connection with Norfolk Southern in Painted Post, and the company's terminus in Cohocton. (Trackage to Wayland remains in place but is no longer used. Service on the original B&H between Bath and Hammondsport has also been discontinued.) The Erie Railroad's Rochester Division once passed through Bath. The 1960 merger of the Erie and DL&W led to the creation of Erie-Lackawanna which was followed by the elimination of redundant trackage. The Erie line through Bath was abandoned, as was much of the DL&W west of Wayland. The result was a drastic reduction of railroad activity in Bath since traffic could be routed over the parallel ex-Erie mainline through the Canisteo River Valley. Erie-Lackawanna was absorbed into the Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) in 1976. In 1999, Conrail lines in the region were acquired by Norfolk Southern. Since then, the Bath & Hammondsport has become a subsidiary of the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville which currently operates the line, though not over any of its original route. Trains operate through Bath five days per week. The

Conhocton River The Cohocton River, sometimes referred to as the Conhocton River, is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 8, 2011 tributary of the Chemung River in western New York ...

flows through Bath, and Lake Salubria is a small artificial lake southeast of the village.

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 inc ...

of 2000, there were 5,641 people, 2,612 households, and 1,400 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 1,959.9 people per square mile (756.3/km²). There were 2,826 housing units at an average density of 981.9 per square mile (378.9/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.19%

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 ...

, 1.38%

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 ha ...

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 ...

, 0.32% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.02%

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 ...

, 0.12% from other races, and 1.08% 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 0.90% of the population. Bath New York dairy parade

There were 2,612 households, out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.2% 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, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.4% were non-families. 40.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.85. In the village, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males. The median income for a household in the village was $28,897, and the median income for a family was $39,114. Males had a median income of $31,685 versus $25,087 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 $18,337. About 10.8% of families and 15.5% 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 ...

, including 16.6% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Frank Bowes, former professional baseball player * Ira Davenport, former US Congressman * George Grueb (1835-1893), Medal of Honor recipient in the American Civil War, was buried in Bath. * Edward Howell, former US Congressman *

Frank Fernando Jones Frank Fernando Jones (August 26, 1855 – January 29, 1941) was an American politician and businessman. Born near Bath, New York, Jones moved with his parents to Princeton, Illinois. He graduated from high school. In 1882, Jones moved to Vi ...

, former Iowa legislator and businessman * John Magee, former US Congressman *

Reuben Robie Reuben Robie (July 15, 1799 – January 21, 1872) was an American businessman and politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from New York from 1851 to 1853. Biography Born in Corinth, Vermont, Robie attended the common scho ...

, former US Congressman *

David Rumsey David Rumsey (born 1944) is an American map collector and the founder of the David Rumsey Map Collection. He is also the president of Cartography Associates. Rumsey has a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Fine Arts from Yale University and wa ...

, former US Congressman *

Edwin S. Underhill Edwin Stewart Underhill (October 7, 1861 – February 7, 1929) was a U.S. Representative from New York. Born in Bath, New York, Underhill attended the common schools of his native city and Haverling High School at Bath. He graduated from Yal ...

, former US Congressman * James A. Wetmore, US acting Supervising Architect * William Woods, former US Congressman

References

External links