The Warren Hull House, at the intersection of Genesee Street and Pavement Road in Lancaster. It is Erie County's oldest surviving stone structure, built in 1810.
Lancaster is a town in Erie County, New York, United States, centered 14 miles east of downtown Buffalo. Lancaster is an outer ring suburb of Buffalo. As of the 2020 Census, the town population was 45,106.[2]
Located within the town is the village of Lancaster and the eastern half of the village of Depew. Depew's western half lies within the town of Cheektowaga.
History
In 1803, the Holland Land Company sold its first plot of land in the future town. The town of Lancaster was formed from the town of Clarence in 1833. The town was named after Lancaster, Massachusetts, but the reason for applying this name is not known. Originally called "Cayuga Creek", the town later incorporated and obtained the current name.
Lancaster has the oldest stone structure in Erie County, the Warren Hull House. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.[3] Also within the town is the Gipple Cabin, the oldest wooden structure in Erie County. The cabin is on private land just south of the northern town line. The cabin was dismantled in the fall of 2013 and relocated to the Hull House property for preservation. The Lancaster Bee News stated it was stored in a barn on the original property and not taken for restoration.[citation needed] The Lancaster District School No. 6 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.[3]
In 1857, the town's southern half was taken to form the town of Elma.
In the late 1960s, Buffalo developer Edward H. Cottrell proposed what would have been the world's second domed stadium in Lancaster. The Dome Stadium Incorporated was formed but the County refused to participate and resulted in a 20-year breach of contract litigation and eventually lead a dismissal in 1986.
Once known as a small town with a small town atmosphere, Lancaster has, in recent years, evolved into a suburban community, due to the white flight from Buffalo. In the early 1990s, the town entered a period of rapid growth, with much development in the southern and eastern parts of the town. The William Street Intermediate School opened in the southern part of town in the mid-1990s, and in 2003, the town and village police departments merged. Additions to the middle school and the William Street School to accommodate rising enrollment were finished in 2005.
Lancaster High School is Erie County's largest school in both student population and square footage. With over 2,000 students, the building was expanded twice. First in 1970 and in 2000, a field house was added. In 2003, the high school opened up a new wing to house natural sciences classrooms.
Some of the town's biggest events are held in the village of Lancaster. They are the Fourth of July Parade and the Taste of Lancaster, a restaurant festival and charity fundraiser.[4] The Lancaster/Depew high school football game is held in October. The game dates back to 1919.
Lancaster once had its own professional football team in the 1910s. The Lancaster Malleables played in the New York Pro Football League and won the league championship in 1913 and 1914.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 37.93 square miles (98.25km2), of which 37.70 square miles (97.65km2) is land and 0.24 square miles (0.61km2), or 0.62%, is water.[2]
The town is located on the northern and eastern side of Erie County. The center of Lancaster is 14 miles (23km) east of downtown Buffalo.
Much of Lancaster is highly suburbanized, but the eastern section of the town, notably the area east of County Route 242 (Bowen Road), is only starting to undergo development, retaining a somewhat-rural character.
The western town line is marked by NY78 and, south of NY130, US20. The New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) crosses the northern part of the town. NY33 crosses the town immediately south of the Thruway, and US20 crosses the central part of the town.
Adjacent towns and areas
The town of Clarence is to the north, and the town of Elma is to the south. The town of Alden is to the east, and the town of Cheektowaga is to the west.
As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 39,019 people, 15,053 households, and 10,506 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,031.1 inhabitants per square mile (398.1/km2). There were 15,627 housing units at an average density of 413.0 per square mile (159.5/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.00% White, 0.81% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.67% of the population.
There were 15,053 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $48,990, and the median income for a family was $59,712. Males had a median income of $41,501 versus $28,049 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,723. About 2.5% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
Locations
The town's most populated areas include the village of Lancaster, half the village of Depew, and the two largest hamlets, Town Line and Bowmansville. The town also contains other smaller communities and hamlets.
Bowmansville – A large hamlet in the northwestern corner of the town, located near Genesee Street (NY33) between Harris Hill Road and Transit Road (NY78). Ellicott Creek flows through the hamlet. The hamlet took its name from early settler Benjamin Bowman. The West Shore Railroad once passed through the hamlet and had a station on Maple Drive.
Town Line – A large hamlet at the intersection of Town Line Road and Broadway (US20) on Lancaster's eastern town line. Notably, the hamlet seceded from the United States of America to join the Confederate States of America during the Civil War, officially voting to rejoin the Union in 1945.
Town Line Station – A location on Town Line Road, Lancaster's eastern town line; north of the hamlet of Town Line. Located at the Norfolk Southern (formerly Erie Railroad) crossing at Town Line Road.
Dellwood – A location at the eastern town line on Town Line Road, where the former Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad crossed the highway. The abandoned railroad bed contains the Lancaster Heritage Trail, a bike path ending at Town Line Road.
East Lancaster – A location east of Lancaster village and west of the hamlet of Town Line; located on Broadway (US20) between Bowen Road and Pavement Road.
Looneyville – A location at the intersection of Townline Road and Walden Avenue, north of Dellwood.
Wilhelm – A location at the intersection of Genesee Street (NY33) and Gunnville Road, east of Bowmansville.
Streams and waterways:
Cayuga Creek – A stream flowing westward through the town and village; flowing through Como Lake Park.
Ellicott Creek – A stream flowing westward through the northern part of the town, including the hamlet of Bowmansville.
Little Buffalo Creek – a small creek branching from Cayuga Creek immediately east of the Bowen Road bridge.
Scajaquada Creek – A small stream that rises in the northern part of the town and flows west into Cheektowaga.
Plumb Bottom Creek – A small stream flowing from the town of Lancaster into the village of Lancaster, finally ending up at Cayuga Creek.
Slate Bottom Creek – A small stream flowing through the southern part of the town.
Parks and recreation
The town and village of Lancaster contain the following parks:
Walden Pond Park, located on the corner of Walden Avenue and Ransom Road in the town. Contains baseball diamonds, volleyball courts, playgrounds, and a pond for fishing. The Lancaster-Depew Ponytails Softball League call this park their home.
Westwood Park, located between Pavement Road and Schwartz Road in the town. Contains playgrounds, baseball, softball, and soccer fields.
Como Lake Park, an Erie County park located in the town and village of Lancaster. Contains playgrounds, fields, trails, sledding hills, woods, bike paths, and shelters. Cayuga Creek flows through the park. Entrances in the town include the William Street entrance and the Bowen Road entrance. Entrances in the village include a walkway entrance off Pardee Avenue and one on Como Park Boulevard, adjacent from Quincey Avenue.
Veteran's Park, which features several military monuments and memorials, is located just outside of Como Lake Park between Lake Avenue, Old Lake Avenue, and Pardee Avenue.
Meadow Lea Park is located between Iroquois Avenue and Broezel Avenue in the town. The park includes a pool, a baseball field, and a playground.
The Bowmansville Fire Hall is home to a Town Parks and Recreation-maintained softball field. The picnic shelter is a host for the summer recreation program.
Keysa Park is a village park located on Vandenburg Avenue that includes a pool, a playground, tennis courts, a football field, and a baseball field.
Mechanic Street Park is a small village park on Mechanic Street. This park includes a playground, and tennis courts.
The Lancaster Heritage Trail is a bike trail located on the former D, L,& W railroad bed. The path runs for about 4 miles (6km) from the village line at Walter Winter Road to the town line at Townline Road. The bike path passes by the Lancaster Swamps and Willow Beach (now known as Lorall Lake).
Lorall Lake, or more widely known to Lancastrians as Willow Beach, is a former lake-beach known for its depth and clear water. The lake is located on Nichter Road in the town between Pavement Road and Cemetery Road.
Lancaster National Speedway & Dragway is a 1/8th mile drag racing strip and oval track for other race cars. They host all sorts of events from test and tune drag racing and car shows to full on circuit racing
The US Post Office-Depew, which is located on the town of Lancaster's side of the village of Depew, is technically in the town of Lancaster, so it is included on the list of historic sites.
A domed football stadium was planned to be built in Lancaster. A plan from January 30, 1970 called for the domed stadium on Pleasant View Drive that would allow for football and baseball games. It would have been modeled after the Houston Astrodome. The Erie County Legislature scrapped the plan a week after Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson, Jr. demanded a definitive stadium plan within 60 days. After scrapping the plan, legislators passed a resolution to seek an alternative project immediately. The domed stadium was first proposed in 1967 but its implementation was blocked over disputes about the location.[7]
In 2001, VFW Post 7275 was named in honor of Medal of Honor recipient Lt. Col. Matt Urban.
Education
The town is home to Lancaster High School and five operating elementary schools; Como Park, Court Street, Hillview, John A. Sciole (which is actually located on the Cheektowaga side of the village of Depew), and the former Central Avenue Elementary School. It also includes the William Street Intermediate School (4th, 5th and 6th grades), and the historic Lancaster Middle School (formerly named Aurora Middle School), which was the town's high school prior to the construction of the current one in 1953. They are all part of the Lancaster Central School District. There are also a number of private schools, including St. Mary's High School, Chesterton Academy of Buffalo, St. Mary's on the Hill Elementary, and the now closed Our Lady of Pompeii Elementary.
The Lancaster Central School District is the largest school district in population in Erie County with one high school. The district serves most of the town and village, including a large majority of the northern part of the village of Depew, on both the Lancaster and Cheektowaga sides. The Depew Union Free School District serves most of the southern part of the village of Depew and almost none of the town or village of Lancaster.
Fire, police and emergency medical services
The town of Lancaster is served by four volunteer fire companies. The fire companies are the Bowmansville Volunteer Fire Association, Town Line Fire Department, Twin District Fire Company, and Millgrove Volunteer Fire Department. Bowmansville and Town Line each have two fire stations, while Twin District and Millgrove each operate out of one. Two of the fire companies are located within their respective hamlets, Bowmansville and Town Line. All four town companies respond to all alarms of fire along with requests for EMS.
The Millgrove Fire Company is actually not located in the town of Lancaster. Millgrove is a hamlet in the town of Alden, but because the small hamlet of Millgrove is so close to the northeastern portion of Lancaster, the fire company serves a very small portion of the town.
The Lancaster Village Fire Department serves the village of Lancaster with two stations. The main station is located in the Lancaster Municipal Building, and the Northside Station Two is on West Drullard Avenue. The LFD does not respond to EMS calls, except when requested for calls such as MVAs or lift assists.
The Lancaster Police Department serves the town and village of Lancaster. Prior to the 21st century, the town and village had separate police departments. It was the first major consolidation of law enforcement in Western New York. The LPD operates with roughly 51 officers, which includes road patrol, bike team, 3 school resource officers, detective bureau, and the police tactical team, the ERT (Emergency Response Team). The Lancaster Police Department operates out of the Lancaster Town Center, located at 525 Pavement Road. It was the site of a former United States Army Nike base, where the police still operate out of the former administration building. A new police and courts center was built on the Pavement Road site and officially opened February 5, 2014. The current Chief of Police is William J. Karn, Jr.
The Lancaster Volunteer Ambulance Corps responds to all requests for EMS in Lancaster village and town, along with the village of Depew. It is located at 40 Embry Place within the village limits. Lancaster Ambulance operates with a fleet of seven ambulances and one fly car. It is a combination staffed EMS agency, which has career EMTs, AEMTs, and paramedics on duty 24/7/365. The average yearly call volume is over 4,000 calls and increasing.
Interstate 90 (New York State Thruway) runs east-west through the town, traveling from the Cheektowaga town line in the west to the Clarence town line in the north. There is an exit to Transit Road (New York State Route 78) in Cheektowaga that also serves Lancaster.
U.S. Route 20 (Transit Road, Broadway), north-south roadway that runs concurrently with NY 78 along Lancaster's west border with Cheektowaga, south of Depew. Route 20 then turns east onto Broadway. Route 20 is known as Broadway in the town and village of Lancaster.
New York State Route 952Q (Walden Avenue), east-west highway through the village and town of Lancaster. Walden Avenue is the longest non-parkway New York State Reference Route. Walden's reference route number is not signed, but still has reference markers, and is maintained by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) as other signed routes are. Walden Avenue parallels the New York Central Railroad as it goes throughout the town and village.
Erie County is a county along the shore of Lake Erie in western New York State. As of the 2020 census, the population was 954,236. The county seat is Buffalo, which makes up about 28% of the county's population. Both the county and Lake Erie were named for the regional Iroquoian language-speaking Erie tribe of Native Americans, who lived in the area before 1654. They were later pushed out by the more powerful Iroquoian nations tribes.
Amherst is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. It is a suburb of Buffalo. As of 2020, the town had a total population of 129,595. This represents an increase from 122,366 as reported in the 2010 census.
Depew is a village in Erie County, New York. The population was 15,303 at the time of the 2010 census. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The village is named for Chauncey Depew, a politician and one of the original investors who bought the land for the village, which was incorporated in 1894.
Elma is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 11,721 at the 2020 census. The town is named after the American elm tree.
Alden is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 10,865 at the 2010 census. The town is derived from a family name known to early settlers.
Cheektowaga is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town has grown to a population of 89,877. The town is in the north-central part of the county, and is an inner ring suburb of Buffalo. The town is the second-largest suburb of Buffalo, after the Town of Amherst.
Lancaster is a village in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 10,352. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area.
West Seneca is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 44,711 at the 2010 census. West Seneca is a centrally located interior town of the county, and a suburb of Buffalo. West Seneca, Orchard Park and Hamburg form the inner "Southtowns", a cluster of middle-class suburban towns.
Cayuga Creek is a small stream in western New York, United States, with stretches in both Erie County and Wyoming County. The creek enters Buffalo Creek in the northwest corner of the Town of West Seneca in Erie County, just upstream from the New York State Thruway crossing. At that point, Buffalo Creek becomes the Buffalo River and flows into Lake Erie near Buffalo, New York.
New York State Route 78 (NY 78) is a 73.49-mile-long (118.27 km) state highway in western New York in the United States. While it is signed north–south, the southern portion runs in an east–west direction across Wyoming and Erie counties, from its beginning at a junction with NY 19 north of the village of Gainesville to the village of East Aurora. The part of the route north of East Aurora follows a generally north–south alignment to an intersection with NY 18 in the Niagara County town of Newfane, just south of the Lake Ontario shoreline. The route is most closely identified in the region with Transit Road, a major north–south trunk road through the center of Erie and Niagara counties; however, NY 78 does not follow Transit Road for its entire length, nor does Transit Road comprise more than half its length. The highway joins Transit Road north of East Aurora and stays with the road until nearly its end in the city of Lockport.
New York State Route 277 (NY 277) is a state highway in New York in the United States. This highway is also called Union Road, along with other names. NY 277 is a major north–south road east of Buffalo, New York, through the middle of Erie County. The section of NY 277 north of Orchard Park used to be New York State Route 18B until the portion of NY 18 south of Niagara Falls was deleted on January 1, 1962.
New York State Route 130 (NY 130) is a state highway entirely within Erie County, New York, in the United States. It runs east–west from U.S. Route 62 in Buffalo to the village of Depew, where it terminates at US 20 and NY 78. Throughout this course, NY 130 is named Broadway, a roadway name that continues eastward beyond Depew even after NY 130 ends.
New York State Route 240 (NY 240) is a 51.64-mile (83.11 km) state highway in western New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 242 in the Ellicottville community of Ashford Junction in northern Cattaraugus County. Its northern terminus is at a junction with NY 324 and Interstate 290 (I-290) in Amherst in northern Erie County. The route passes through the villages of Springville and Orchard Park, where it meets NY 39 and U.S. Route 20A (US 20A), respectively. Much of NY 240 between Concord and Aurora follows the west branch of Cazenovia Creek. The northern part of NY 240 in Erie County, named Harlem Road, is a major north–south route through the suburbs east of the city of Buffalo.
U.S. Route 20 (US 20) is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from Newport, Oregon, to Boston, Massachusetts. In the U.S. state of New York, US 20 extends 372.32 miles (599.19 km) from the Pennsylvania state line at Ripley to the Massachusetts state line in the Berkshires. US 20 is the longest surface road in New York. It runs near the Lake Erie shore from Ripley to Buffalo and passes through the southern suburbs of Buffalo, the Finger Lakes, the glacial moraines of Central New York, and the city of Albany before crossing into Massachusetts. US 20 connects to all three major north–south Interstate Highways in Upstate New York: Interstate 390 (I-390) near Avon, I-81 south of Syracuse, and I-87 in Albany by way of Fuller Road Alternate.
Since the Buffalo Metro Rail light rail was proposed in the 1970s, there have been multiple proposals for expanding the system, which is currently a single 6.4-mile (10.3 km) long line. Public officials, agencies and advocacy groups have created plans, with the most recent and extensive being an extension to the town of Amherst. Groups have formed on both sides of the issue.
New York State Route 952Q (NY 952Q) is an unsigned reference route designation for the portion of Walden Avenue outside of the Buffalo city limits in Erie County, New York, in the United States. The western terminus of the 14-mile (23 km) route is at the Buffalo city line in Cheektowaga, where Walden Avenue continues west toward downtown Buffalo. Its eastern terminus is at Genesee Street in Alden, where NY 33 and Genesee Street continue on the linear northeasterly path followed by Walden Avenue for most of its routing.
U.S. Route 62 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that travels from the United States–Mexico border at El Paso, Texas, to Niagara Falls, New York. In the U.S. state of New York, US 62 extends 102.77 miles (165.39 km) from the New York–Pennsylvania border south of Jamestown to an intersection with New York State Route 104 in downtown Niagara Falls, bypassing the city of Jamestown and serves the cities of Buffalo and Niagara Falls, along with several villages. It is the only north–south mainline U.S. highway in Western New York. US 62 was extended into New York c. 1932 and originally was concurrent with the state highways that had previously been designated along its routing—namely NY 18, NY 60, NY 83 and NY 241. These concurrencies were eliminated individually during the 1940s and 1960s. The last of the four concurrencies, with NY 18 from Dayton to Niagara Falls, was removed c. 1962. US 62 has one special route, US 62 Business, located in Niagara Falls. US 62 Business is a former routing of US 62 within the city and was once NY 62A.
Bowmansville is a hamlet located in the town of Lancaster in Erie County, New York, United States. It is named after Benjamin Bowman, the owner of sawmills on Ellicott Creek in the center of the hamlet.
South Cheektowaga is a neighborhood on the West Seneca border near French Road, in the town of Cheektowaga, in Erie County, New York, United States.
Transportation in Buffalo, New York is dominated by automobile use, but other modes of transportation exist in the city.
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