Avon, New York

Avon
Town
Nickname(s): Corn Village
Avon Location of Avon in New York
Coordinates: 42°54′43″N 77°44′46″W / 42.91194°N 77.74611°W / 42.91194; -77.74611Coordinates: 42°54′43″N 77°44′46″W / 42.91194°N 77.74611°W / 42.91194; -77.74611
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Livingston
Settled	1789
Established	1789
Renamed	1808
Government
• Type	Town Council
• Town Supervisor	David LeFeber (R)
• Town Council	Members' List • Kelly Cole (R) • Donald Cook, Jr. (R) • Thomas Mairs (R) • James Blye (R)
Area
• Total	41.2 sq mi (107 km2)
Population (Census 2010)[1]
• Total	7,146
• Density	170/sq mi (67/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Website	www.Avon-NY.org

Avon is a town in Livingston County, New York, United States. The town is bordered on the north by the town of Rush, New York in Monroe County. Avon is south of Rochester. The population was 7,146 at the 2010 census.^[1] The town is named after the river Avon. The town has a village within it also called Avon.

History

After the Iroquois title to the land was extinguished in 1788 with the Phelps and Gorham Purchase, white settlement of the area around what would be Avon began. In 1789, Dr. Timothy Hosmer, Maj. Isaiah Thompson, William Wadsworth, and others from Hartford, Connecticut purchased a tract east of the Genesee River and named it Hartford after their homeland. The town's name was changed to Avon in 1808 to avoid confusion with another Hartford in Washington County. In 1818, part of the town was removed to form the new town of Rush. County lines shifted as well, Avon and Rush both being part of Ontario County until the formation of Livingston County and Monroe County) in 1821.

The first permanent settler of Avon was Gilbert Berry in 1789, who operated a tavern and a rope ferry on the east bank of the Genesee River until his death in 1797. His widow Maria Berry continued hospitably serving travelers in the inn until about 1812. Other firsts of Avon include the first gristmill built by Capt. John Ganson in northwest Avon in 1789 and the first sawmill in 1797 on the Conesus Outlet built by Dr. Hosmer.^[2]

Mineral springs were an important resource of the early town. Beginning in the 1820s, people became interested in water as a therapy for all sorts of maladies, and mineral waters in particular for their reputed health benefits and even as cures. Avon, redolent in natural springs, soon became extremely popular with the afflicted. The wealthy, too, seeking relaxation and leisure, flocked to the town from far and wide. Numerous hotels and spas sprang up to take advantage of this fad, and bottling companies packaged the mineral water for sale. By the late 1890s to early 1900s, most of the hotels that had not closed due to the decline of the spa era had succumbed to fire or were soon razed.

Some popular points of historic interest in Avon include:

• The Avon Five Arch Bridge is a remnant of a railroad bridge over the Conesus Outlet at Littleville. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.^[3]
• The Avon Inn, added to the National Register in 1991.^[4]
• The Barber-Mulligan Farm, which was added to the National Register in 1980.^[4]
• The Genesee Valley Greenway is a rail trail that passes through Avon.
• Tom Wahl's, a fast food restaurant which has its origin in Avon as a tiny ice cream shop called the Twin Kiss.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 41.2 square miles (106.8 km²), of which, 41.2 square miles (106.6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.15%) is water.

The north town line is the border of Monroe County. The Genesee River defines the west town line, flowing past Avon village. Conesus Creek flowing from Conesus Lake flows into the Genesee west of Avon village.

US Route 20 and New York State Route 5 are east-west highways across the town, and intersect New York State Route 39 in Avon village. New York State Route 15 is another north-south highway in the eastern part of the town. Interstate 390 connects the town to areas north and south.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 6,443 people, 2,525 households, and 1,732 families residing in the town. The population density was 156.5 people per square mile (60.4/km²). There were 2,671 housing units at an average density of 64.9 per square mile (25.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.87% White, 1.54% Black or African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 1.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.38% of the population.

There were 2,525 households out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the town the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $43,971, and the median income for a family was $54,315. Males had a median income of $40,654 versus $25,559 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,379. About 6.2% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in the Town of Avon

Historic First Presbyterian Church of Avon

• Ashantee – A hamlet immediately south of Avon village on NY-39.
• Avon – A village in the northwest part of the town.
• East Avon – A hamlet (and census-designated place) in the eastern part of the town at the intersections of NY-5, NY-15, and US-20. The First Presbyterian Church of Avon was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.^[4]
• Littleville – A hamlet south of Avon village and adjacent to Ashantee.
• North Avon – A hamlet in the northeast corner of the town.
• South Avon – A hamlet south of Avon village on NY-39.
• Sugarberry – An historic hamlet in southwestern corner of the town.

Notable people

• John Hubbard Forsyth - (1797-1836) a captain in the Battle of the Alamo
• William Howe Cuyler Hosmer - (1814–1877), born in Avon, noted poet.^[7]
• Jimmie Keenan - former professional baseball player
• Wilbur Murdoch - former Major League Baseball player
• Jocko Halligan, former MLB player

Avon commerce

• Barilla
• Genesee Valley Penny Saver
• Kraft Foods—home of Cool Whip
• Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad
• Tom Wahl's

References

External links

• Town of Avon government
• Avon Chamber of Commerce
• Brief history of Avon

Municipalities and communities of Livingston County, New York, United States
County seat: Geneseo
Towns	Avon Caledonia Conesus Geneseo Groveland Leicester Lima Livonia Mount Morris North Dansville Nunda Ossian Portage Sparta Springwater West Sparta York
Villages	Avon Caledonia Dansville Geneseo Leicester Lima Livonia Mount Morris Nunda
CDPs	Byersville Conesus Hamlet Conesus Lake Cumminsville Cuylerville Dalton East Avon Fowlerville Greigsville Groveland Station Hemlock Hunt Kysorville Lakeville Linwood Livonia Center Piffard Retsof Scottsburg South Lima Springwater Hamlet Tuscarora Wadsworth Websters Crossing Woodsville York Hamlet
Other hamlet	Coopersville