Geneseo (village), New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Geneseo, New York
Village
The Bear Fountain sits in the center of Geneseo's Main Street. In this picture, it is decorated with flags for Memorial Day.
Seal
Geneseo, New York Location in New York Show map of New York Geneseo, New York Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Livingston
Town	Geneseo
Village incorporated	1832
Government
• Type	Village Board
Area
• Total	2.85 sq mi (7.38 km2)
• Land	2.85 sq mi (7.38 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	909 ft (277 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	7,574
• Density	2,658.48/sq mi (1,026.33/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	14454
Area code(s)	585
FIPS code	36-28618
GNIS feature ID	0978991

Geneseo is a small village in Livingston County, New York. It is the main town of the county. You can find it in the Finger Lakes region, south of Rochester. The name "Geneseo" comes from an Iroquois word, Gen-nis-he-yo, which means "beautiful valley."

The village of Geneseo is located in the western part of the town of Geneseo. It sits where State Routes 39 and 63 meet U.S. Route 20A. In 2010, about 8,031 people lived in the village. A special part of the village, the Geneseo Historic District, was named a National Historic Landmark in 1991. This means it's a very important historical place.

History of Geneseo

The town of Geneseo was created in 1789. People started settling there soon after 1790. That's when brothers James and William Wadsworth arrived. They came from Connecticut to manage and sell land for their uncle.

The Wadsworth brothers were involved in a big meeting in 1797. This meeting was called the Treaty of Big Tree. It was an agreement between Robert Morris and the Seneca Native Americans. It happened right where Geneseo is today.

The village of Geneseo became the main town, or county seat, for Livingston County in 1821. It officially became an incorporated village in 1832. This means it got its own local government.

Growth and Development

By 1835, Geneseo had 83 families and several streets like Main, Second, and Temple Hill. The village kept growing. In 1871, the State Normal School opened. This school is now known as SUNY Geneseo. Its opening brought a lot of new development to the area.

During the Civil War, Union soldiers trained at Camp Union in Geneseo. Later, during World War II, a prisoner-of-war camp was built here. It mainly held Italian soldiers.

Geneseo Today

The Doty building, once Geneseo's high school, is now used by SUNY Geneseo.

The Livingston County Courthouse is at the end of Main Street.

Geneseo is known for being a very well-preserved village in New York. Many of its old buildings show beautiful "picturesque" architecture. This style was popular in the 1800s. The village's buildings show how wealthy the area was in the early 1800s. It was a busy marketplace for local farms.

The Genesee River valley is very wide and has rich farmland. However, it used to flood often. To stop this, the Army Corps of Engineers built the Mount Morris Dam in the 1950s. Farming is still important to Geneseo's economy. Many people also live here and travel to jobs in the Rochester area.

The village of Geneseo is run by a mayor and four trustees. There's also a group called the Association for the Preservation of Geneseo (APOG). This group works to protect and improve the historic places in Geneseo. They also teach people about the village's history and architecture.

In 2007, Money magazine said that Geneseo was one of the top places for single people. About 65% of its 7,500 residents were single at the time.

A famous landmark in the village is a fountain in the middle of Main Street. It was built in the 1880s. In 2016, a truck crashed into it, causing some damage.

Education in Geneseo

The Geneseo Central School District serves students from Geneseo and Groveland. The main school is Geneseo Central School. About 75 students graduate from this school each year.

The school's mascot is the Blue Devils. Their team colors are blue and white, with gray. The school has moved locations a few times over the years. It was on Temple Hill from about 1830 to 1871. Then it moved to Center Street. In 1974, it moved to its current building on Avon Road.

SUNY Geneseo is a public college in the village. It's a four-year liberal arts college with about 5,000 students. It is considered one of the best schools in the SUNY system.

Geography of Geneseo

Geneseo covers about 7.4 square kilometers (2.85 square miles) of land. There is no water within the village limits.

The Genesee River forms the western border of the village. Major roads like U.S. Route 20A, New York State Route 39, and New York State Route 63 pass through Geneseo. Interstate 390 is south and east of the village. Geneseo is about 30 miles southwest of Rochester. It's also about 25 miles southeast of Batavia.

Climate in Geneseo

Geneseo has a mild climate. In summer, temperatures are usually between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (15-27 degrees Celsius). In winter, temperatures average between 15 and 35 degrees Fahrenheit (-9 to 2 degrees Celsius).

Population and People

Sturges Hall is a well-known building at SUNY Geneseo.

In 2000, there were 7,579 people living in Geneseo. The village had 1,718 households. About 19.7% of households had children under 18. Many people in Geneseo are students, especially those aged 18 to 24. This is because of SUNY Geneseo.

Notable People from Geneseo

• Philo C. Fuller, a US congressman
• Gregg "Opie" Hughes, a radio talk show host
• William H. Kelsey, a US congressman
• James S. Wadsworth, a Union general during the American Civil War
• James Wolcott Wadsworth Jr., a US congressman
• Orange Jacobs, an American judge