Clifton Springs is a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

located in Ontario County,

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

, United States. The population was 2,127 at the 2010 census. The village takes its name from local

mineral spring Mineral springs are naturally occurring springs that produce hard water, water that contains dissolved minerals. Salts, sulfur compounds, and gases are among the substances that can be dissolved in the spring water during its passage un ...

s. The Village of Clifton Springs is located primarily in the Town of Manchester, but the eastern part is in the Town of Phelps. The village is southeast of

Rochester, NY Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...

. :(The area and population reported and analyzed in this article are also reflected in the aggregate values reported for the town as a whole. ''See: Manchester (town), New York.'')

History

The location was first settled around 1801, and much of the early community endeavors exploited the sulfur springs as a health spa. The village was incorporated in 1859. The development of the area was slow until 1849, when Dr. Henry Foster came looking for a place to begin his water cure. Modern medicine was in its early stages, and it was thought that the

sulphur Sulfur (American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphur (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth spelling) is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundance of the chemical ...

waters together with a strong religious revival could restore many to active and useful lives. Sulphur Springs, as it was once called, was well known throughout the eastern part of the US because of this. Over the years, thousands of people came to enjoy the benefits of the water and rest and regain their health. Some famous people who visited the area were

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

, and

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress of film, television, and theater. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history, she was noted for her willingness to play unsympatheti ...

' daughter. The area around the former sanitarium was designated the Clifton Springs Sanitarium Historic District and listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1990. In March 1917, a local convalescent and architect George Edward Barton assembled a small group of authorities from around the country to discuss the benefits of the "work cure", or the value of activity in promoting recovery. During that meeting, the profession of

occupational therapy Occupational therapy (OT), also known as ergotherapy, is a healthcare profession. Ergotherapy is derived from the Greek wiktionary:ergon, ergon which is allied to work, to act and to be active. Occupational therapy is based on the assumption t ...

was born with the incorporation of what is now The American Occupational Therapy Association. In 1968, a plaque was placed on Barton's home, known as Consolation House, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the profession. Between 1915 and 1921, Barton maintained Consolation House as a convalescent home employing therapeutic activity. Today, there has been a revival of interest in bathing at mineral springs. The Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic has devoted an entire wing to this treatment. Modern-day Clifton Springs offers a modern hospital, YMCA, Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club and numerous other organizations, country club/golf course, national bank, library, senior citizen community, volunteer fire department, a park area, tennis courts, a skate park, shaded streets, a large manufacturing firm, and an active business section. In the summer months, the town participates in a business program dubbed "Super Sundays." The Phelps-Clifton Springs Central School District serves the students who live in Clifton Springs. The school district, also known as Midlakes, serves the students of the area. The Oliver Warner Farmstead was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Geography

Clifton Springs is located at (42.962310, -77.137362). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the village has a total area of , all land. Clifton Springs is immediately south of both the

New York State Thruway The New York State Thruway (officially the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway and colloquially "the Thruway") is a system of controlled-access toll roads spanning within the U.S. state of New York. It is operated by the New York State Thruway ...

(

Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...

) and New York State Route 96. County Road 13 passes through the village as Main Street.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 2,223 people, 869 households, and 530 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 921 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 97.57%

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

, 1.21%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.13% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.22% from other races, and 0.67% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino people of any race were 0.81% of the population. There were 869 households, out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were

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

living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 3.02. In the village, the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.9 males. The median income for a household in the village was $36,595, and the median income for a family was $49,485. Males had a median income of $33,929 versus $24,250 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the village was $17,238. About 8.0% of families and 13.1% 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 ...

, including 15.7% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.

In popular culture

Chef John Mitzewich, on his video blog ''Food Wishes'', dedicated a ginger and garlic glazed chicken wing to his town of birth, naming his recipe "Clifton Springs Chicken Wings". The episode has currently been viewed over 2.7 million times according to YouTube statistics. Steven Page, formerly of the

Barenaked Ladies Barenaked Ladies (BNL) is a Canadian Rock music, rock band which was formed in 1988 in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, Ontario. The band developed a following in Canada, with their Barenaked Ladies (EP), self-titled 1991 cassette becoming th ...

, has a song titled "Clifton Springs" on his solo album ''Page One'', released in 2010.

References

External links

Village of Clifton Springs official website

Clifton Springs Area Chamber of Commerce

Clifton Springs Historical Society & Museum
{{authority control Villages in New York (state) Rochester metropolitan area, New York Populated places established in 1801 Villages in Ontario County, New York 1801 establishments in New York (state)