90-713: Warren Hull House is a historic home located at Lancaster in Erie County, New York . It was built about 1810 by Warren Hull, one of Erie County's earliest pioneers. It is in the Federal style and includes the family burial plot in the rear of the property. It is the oldest stone house in western New York and is currently owned by the Hull Family home association. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. The Hull House has scheduled Open House days during
180-499: A county administrator, who acts on behalf of the legislature, the legislature must maintain ultimate control over the actions of the administrator. Many, but not all, charter counties have an elected executive who is independent of the legislature; the exact form of government is defined in the County Charter. In New York, each city is a highly autonomous incorporated area that, with the exceptions of New York City and Geneva ,
270-631: A land-use classification for private land under its Adirondack Park Land Use and Development Plan (APLUDP). The APLUDP extends the boundaries for its classification of hamlets "well beyond established settlements" to allow for growth. In New York, a village is an incorporated area. About 85% of villages fall within a single town. Villages in the State of New York are classified by the Census Bureau as incorporated places . Like all municipal corporations, villages have clearly defined legal boundaries. A village
360-417: A mayor and (usually) four trustees. The board is responsible for approving mayoral appointments, managing village finances and property, and approving a budget. The mayor, who is generally the chief executive of the village, may vote in all business before the board and must vote to break a tie. The mayor generally does not possess veto power, unless this is provided for by local law. Administrative duties of
450-584: A printer/publisher; they moved to Ohio where they demonstrated their commitment to the abolitionist movement. Miranda Hull married her sister Vilera's widower, William Conley, after Vilera's death in 1835; she raised her own son and Vilera's two children on property across the road from the Hull house. Vilera is buried in the family cemetery with her parents. Minerva Hull died at age 26, unmarried and childless, while Aurilla married twice and had seven children in all. Aurilla, with her second husband, Robert Wheelock, purchased
540-681: A restaurant festival and charity fundraiser. 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. According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 37.93 square miles (98.25 km ), of which 37.70 square miles (97.65 km )
630-475: A somewhat-rural character. The western town line is marked by NY 78 and, south of NY 130 , US 20 . The New York State Thruway ( Interstate 90 ) crosses the northern part of the town. NY 33 crosses the town immediately south of the Thruway, and US 20 crosses the central part of the town. The town of Clarence is to the north, and the town of Elma is to the south. The town of Alden
720-551: 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
810-597: A town; 35.9% were living in a town but outside a village. Whereas cities and villages can cross county boundaries, each town in New York is completely contained within a single county. New York towns are classified by statute as being a town of the first class or a town of the second class . Additionally, a town of the first class can further be classified as a suburban town upon meeting certain criteria. Originally, towns of different classes possessed different powers. Since 1964, all towns, regardless of classification, have had
900-473: A uniform statewide Village Law (twelve villages still operate under charters issued by the state legislature prior to a revision of the State Constitution in 1874 that forbade chartering villages). Also, villages are part of a town (or towns; some villages cross town borders), with residents who pay taxes to and receive services from the town. Cities are neither part of nor subordinate to towns except for
990-504: A village becomes a city, the Legislature requires clear evidence, usually in the form of a locally drafted charter, that the community in question seeks to incorporate as a city. The forms of government cities can have are council–manager, strong mayor–council, weak mayor–council or commission. Forty-six cities, the majority, use the mayor–council form. The City of New York is a special case. The state legislature reorganized government in
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#17328521731251080-482: A village or town but will perform some of the functions of the other form. Villages remain part of the towns in which they are located; village residents pay both town and village taxes, and vote in both town and village elections. Towns can contain several hamlets and communities. If the United States Postal Service (USPS) has a post office in a hamlet it often will use the name of that hamlet, as will
1170-423: Is Sherrill, New York , with just 3,071 inhabitants in 2010. The smallest city by area is Mechanicville, New York , which covers 0.91 sq mi (2.4 km ) (of which 0.08 sq mi (0.2 km ) is water). Some places containing the word "city" in their name are not cities. Examples include Johnson City , Garden City , and New City . Several cities, such as Albany, are divided into wards for
1260-508: 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,
1350-491: 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
1440-408: Is a municipality that provides services to the residents, services that may or may not include garbage collection, management of cemeteries, street and highway maintenance, street lighting, and building codes. Some villages provide their own police and other municipal services. Villages have less autonomy than cities. While cities are not subject to a town's jurisdiction, villages legally remain part of
1530-484: 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
1620-486: Is an outer ring suburb of Buffalo. As of the 2020 Census , the town population was 45,106. 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 . 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
1710-402: Is commonplace to change boundaries and define new CDPs for each census. The Census Bureau formerly referred to CDPs as "unincorporated places" from 1950 through the 1970 decennial censuses. The term CDP was first used for the 1980 census , and minimum population criteria for CDPs were dropped with the 2000 census . Though the term "hamlet" is not defined under New York law, many people in
1800-456: Is contained within one county. Cities in New York are classified by the U.S. Census Bureau as incorporated places. They provide almost all services to their residents and have the highest degree of home rule and taxing jurisdiction over their residents. The main difference between a city and a village is that cities are organized and governed according to their charters , which can differ widely among cities, while most villages are subject to
1890-552: 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
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#17328521731251980-548: Is in three towns and two counties. Five towns are coterminous with their single village and have a coterminous town-village form of government. Despite their names, Greenwich Village , the East Village , and Queens Village are not villages, but neighborhoods of the City of New York . A borough is one of the five major administrative divisions of the consolidated City of New York . Boroughs do not currently exist elsewhere in
2070-407: Is land and 0.24 square miles (0.61 km ), or 0.62%, is water. The town is located on the northern and eastern side of Erie County . The center of Lancaster is 14 miles (23 km) 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
2160-525: 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. The Lancaster District School No. 6 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. In 1857, the town's southern half
2250-416: Is over 4,000 calls and increasing. Lancaster is home to Buffalo-Lancaster Regional Airport , which is located on Walden Avenue on the east side of the town. NEWSPAPERS RADIO STATIONS Administrative divisions of New York#Town See also: [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The administrative divisions of New York are the various units of government that provide local services in
2340-734: 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
2430-424: 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. The town of Lancaster
2520-402: Is the state. All of them have their own governments, sometimes with no paid employees, that provide local services. Centers of population that are not incorporated and have no government or local services are designated hamlets . Whether a municipality is defined as a borough, city, town, or village is determined not by population or land area, but rather on the form of government selected by
2610-425: Is then voted upon by the qualified voters living in the proposed village only. Some villages have fewer than 500 residents, having incorporated before the present population requirement or fallen below the old 500-resident threshold after incorporation. A village may also be dissolved, returning all government control to the town level. The process of dissolution can be initiated by the village board itself, or upon
2700-609: Is to the east, and the town of Cheektowaga is to the west. As of the census 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/km ). There were 15,627 housing units at an average density of 413.0 per square mile (159.5/km ). 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
2790-406: Is water. The town of Webb ( Herkimer County ) has the greatest land area, at 451 sq mi (1,170 km ). The smallest town, Green Island ( Albany County ), covers 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km ). The town of Hempstead ( Nassau County ) has about 760,000 people (2010 census), making it more populous than any city in the state except New York City . Red House ( Cattaraugus County ),
Warren Hull House - Misplaced Pages Continue
2880-593: The Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of New York . Articles VIII (titled "Local Finances") and IX (titled "Local Government", but commonly referred to as the "Home Rule" article) of the state constitution establish the rights and responsibilities of the municipal governments. The New York State Constitution provides for democratically elected legislative bodies for counties, cities, towns and villages. These legislative bodies are granted
2970-500: The John P. Sommers House . The twelve latter properties are located within the Village of Lancaster. 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
3060-439: The United States Census Bureau as "a statistical entity defined for each decennial census according to Census Bureau guidelines, comprising a densely settled concentration of population" that is not part of a city or a village "but is locally identified by a name." CDPs may cross town and county borders. CDPs are defined collaboratively by state and local officials and the Census Bureau. They are defined for each census, and it
3150-594: The American state of New York . The state is divided into boroughs , counties, cities, towns, and villages. (The only boroughs, the five boroughs of New York City, have the same boundaries as their respective counties.) They are municipal corporations , chartered (created) by the New York State Legislature , as under the New York State Constitution the only body that can create governmental units
3240-513: The Holland Land Company in 1804, they already had ten children. It is difficult to imagine how this family survived in this virtual wilderness in 1804. Warren and Polly appear to have been intelligent and well-educated, and they were obviously able to take advantage of whatever resources were available to them. They worked their farm and were able to take grain and wood to nearby mills. It is safe to assume that Polly taught her children until
3330-588: The Hull house from her sister, Polly, in 1849. Several Wheelock family members are buried in the Hull Family Cemetery. Most of the Hull children lived and died in the Lancaster area. However, their offspring were part of the westward movement, and many of them settled in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Lancaster (town), New York Lancaster is a town in Erie County , New York , United States, centered 14 miles east of downtown Buffalo . Lancaster
3420-643: 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
3510-542: The U.S. Census Bureau as minor civil divisions . Like New Jersey and southern New England , all of New York is incorporated; all residents who do not live in a city or on an Indian reservation live in a town. Towns provide or arrange for the primary functions of local government. While some provide most municipal services for all town residents and selected services for residents of villages, some provide little more than road maintenance. There were 933 towns in New York. As of 2000 , 45.8% of state residents were living in
3600-472: The Village of Lancaster's Multiple Property Submission properties, including the Bruce-Briggs Brick Block , Clark-Lester House , DePew Lodge No. 823, Free and Accepted Masons , US Post Office-Lancaster , Lancaster Municipal Building , Liebler-Rohl Gasoline Station , Miller-Mackey House , Dr. John J. Nowak House , Herman B. VanPeyma House , John Richardson House , Zuidema-Idsardi House and
3690-451: The area in the 1890s in an effort to consolidate. Other cities, villages, and towns were annexed to become the " City of Greater New York ", (an unofficial term, the new city retained the name of New York), a process basically completed in 1898. At the time of consolidation, Queens County was split. Its western towns joined the city, leaving three towns that were never part of the consolidation plan as part of Queens County but not part of
Warren Hull House - Misplaced Pages Continue
3780-495: The area of the proposed village must have at least 1,500 inhabitants and not be part of an existing city or village. Additionally, the proposed village can be no more than 5 square miles (13 km ) in area unless its boundaries are to be coterminous with a school, fire, improvement or other district, or the entire town. The process of incorporation begins with a petition by either 20% of residents or owners of 50% of assessed real property. If deemed legally sufficient, incorporation
3870-403: 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
3960-427: The cities of New York and Albany city charters, which were recognized by the first State Constitution in 1777. All other cities have been established by act of the state legislature and have been granted a charter. Cities have been granted the power to revise their charters or adopt new ones. There are no minimum population or area requirements in order to become a city. While there is no defined process for how and when
4050-529: The city of Sherrill , which for some purposes is treated as if it were a village of the town of Vernon . Some cities are completely surrounded by a town, typically of the same name. There are sixty-two cities in the state. As of 2000 , 54.1% of state residents were living in a city; 42.2% were living in New York City; 11.9% were living in one of the other 61 cities. In 1686, the English colonial governor granted
4140-601: The consolidated city. Each borough individually elects a borough president and used to elect two at-large city council members, in addition to those elected based on each borough's population. The borough presidents once wielded considerable power as members of the New York City Board of Estimate , but the position is now largely ceremonial and advisory. Boroughs function as counties for certain purposes, but have no county government. The five New York City district attorneys , however, are still elected by county (for example,
4230-614: The county also publish maps that conflict both in the number of hamlets and their boundaries. Nevertheless, all land not within a village is administered by the town. Most of the rest of New York's hamlets, however, have less well-defined boundaries, and most towns have areas that are not considered to be a part of any hamlet. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) puts hamlet names on rectangular green signs with white lettering at roadside locations of its choosing. The NYSDOT and local governments also provide community identification signs on some scenic byways to be placed at
4320-587: The county boundaries—each have a Borough Board made up of the Borough President, the borough's district council members, and the chairpersons of the borough's community boards. A mayor serves as the city's chief executive officer. The most populous and largest city in the state is New York City , with a population of over 8.5 million inhabitants and comprising just over 300 sq mi (777.00 km ) of land (468.87 sq mi (1,214.368 km ) total area, which includes water). The least populous city
4410-477: 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
4500-556: The east at what was then known as the Batavia Road. The land for their home and farm was purchased from the Holland Land Company and was then in the Town of Clarence, and what is now in the Town of Lancaster, which was established in 1831. The Home was built around 1810 and was one of a few stone homes in the area as a majority were made of wood. One example in the Gipple Cabin which is one of
4590-690: The executive branch. All town justices were originally part of a town's board. Today, justices belong to a separate judicial branch known as Town Court or Justice Court, part of New York's Justice Court system. A town may contain one or more villages. Many towns have no villages. Five towns are coterminous with their single village and share the same name: Green Island in Albany County ; East Rochester in Monroe County ; and Scarsdale , Harrison , and Mount Kisco in Westchester County . A sixth,
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#17328521731254680-535: The general provisions of the County Law. Although all counties have a certain latitude to govern themselves, "charter counties" are afforded greater home rule powers. The charter counties are Albany , Broome , Chautauqua , Chemung , Dutchess , Erie , Herkimer , Monroe , Nassau , Oneida , Onondaga , Orange , Putnam , Rensselaer , Rockland , Schenectady , Suffolk , Tompkins , Ulster , and Westchester . Sixteen counties are governed through an assembly with
4770-762: The home began to return and now can be visited as a historical site. In the future, the foundation plans on rebuilding the property into an early 19th-century farmstead with outhouses, etc. Warren Hull (1762–1838) married Polly Gillett (1765–1834) in 1783 in Killingworth, Connecticut. Prior to his marriage, Warren served in the Revolutionary War with his father, Peter. Before settling in Western New York, Warren and Polly lived in Otsego County, Madison County, Ontario County, and Livingston County. Their family grew as they moved westward; when they purchased their property from
4860-458: The least populous, has 38 permanent residents (2010 census). The use of "town" in a community's name is irrespective of municipal status. Elizabethtown , Germantown and Stephentown are towns. Cooperstown , home of the Baseball Hall of Fame , is a village, Jamestown and Middletown are cities, and Levittown is an unincorporated hamlet. A census-designated place (CDP) is defined by
4950-572: The limits. Based on the ZIP Code, the United States Postal Service (USPS) identifies the correct location for mail delivery. The New York State Gazetteer , published by the New York State Department of Health in 1995, includes a list of hamlets in the state. The criteria used for inclusion in the Gazetteer are not stated. The Adirondack Park Agency also uses the term "hamlet", though as
5040-513: The local fire department or elementary school. Businesses may also use the name of a hamlet as part of their name. The United States Census Bureau will, with consideration from the town, designate a census-designated place (CDP) that may use the name of one or more hamlets, though boundaries may differ from what is used by the ZIP code, local fire department, etc. Towns in New York may be further subdivided into wards, although as of 2017 , only fifteen of
5130-473: The mayor include enforcing laws and supervising employees. A village may also have a full-time village manager who performs these administrative duties instead of the mayor. In 2007, sixty-seven villages had such a manager. Some villages have their own village justice, while others utilize the justice of the town or towns in which they are located. While most villages are subject to a uniform statewide Village Law, twelve villages operate under charters issued by
5220-611: The mid-19th century; the New York City Council is currently elected from special districts, which are allowed to cross borough lines. New York City has a unique system of divisions, some of which possess governmental power, see Divisions unique to New York City . In New York, a town is a municipal corporation, and is the major division of each county (excluding the five boroughs that comprise New York City ), very similar to townships in other states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. Towns in New York are classified by
5310-471: The nearest schoolhouse was built on the corner of Gunnville Road. After the death of Warren and Polly, their daughter Polly Hull Lewis lived in the family home; she had six children and had been widowed in 1830. Rebecca married a man named William Tyler, who bought land adjoining the Hull property. James married Betsy Crosby, and they settled in Fredonia/Chautauqua area with their five children where he
5400-401: The new Borough of Queens. (A small portion of the Town of Hempstead was itself annexed, also.) The next year (1899), the three eastern towns of Queens County separated to become Nassau County . The city today consists of the entire area of five counties (named New York, Kings, Queens, Bronx, and Richmond). While these counties have no county government, boroughs—with boundaries coterminous with
5490-563: The oldest wooden cabins in the area and is currently on the property after being moved in 2013. The property went through many owners and was only owned by the Hull family until the mid to late 1800s. It went through many owners most notably the Wolfs and the Petersons. During the 1950s while owned by Frank Wolf, much of the property was lost due to the construction of the New York Thruway which cut
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#17328521731255580-598: 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
5670-409: 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
5760-432: The power and fiscal capacity to provide an array of local government services. Such services generally include law enforcement and public safety, social and health services (such as Medicaid ), and education (special needs and community colleges). Every county outside of New York City has a county seat , which is the location of county government. Nineteen counties operate under county charters, while 38 operate under
5850-480: The power of a board of supervisors , composed of the supervisors of its constituent towns and cities. In most of these counties, each supervisor's vote is weighted in accordance with the town's population in order to abide by the U.S. Supreme Court mandate of " one person, one vote ". Other counties have legislative districts of equal population, which may cross municipal borders; these counties may also have an elected County Executive. Most counties in New York do not use
5940-493: The power to enact local laws as needed in order to provide services to their citizens and fulfill their various obligations. The county is the primary administrative division of New York. There are sixty-two counties in the state. Five of the counties are boroughs of the City of New York and do not have functioning county governments. While originally created as subdivisions of the state meant to carry out state functions, counties are now considered municipal corporations with
6030-499: The property in half. However, much of the property had been sold off in the past as well. Beginning in the late 1900s, the property began its major deterioration due to frequent yard sales and use of the property as a sort of junk yard by Mr. Peterson. When the Hull Family Home Foundation began its work in 1992, the property was full of junk and much of the house and barn was deteriorating. However, due to their hard work,
6120-522: The purposes of municipal representation. Each ward elects one member to the city's legislative body, and the wards are redistricted roughly every ten years. These divisions can go by other names by city; in Buffalo they are known as districts . These divisions can either be numbered or named. New York City was divided into wards at various times in its history between 1683 and 1938, although they were gradually replaced by Assembly and Senate districts starting in
6210-695: The residents and approved by the New York State Legislature. Each type of local government is granted specific home rule powers by the New York State Constitution. There are still occasional changes as a village becomes a city, or a village dissolves (stops existing), each of which requires legislative action. New York also has various corporate entities that provide local services and have their own administrative structures (governments), such as school and fire districts. These are not found in all counties. Almost every piece of land in
6300-728: The roadside boundaries of hamlets, as decided by the sign provider. Many towns have special zoning or planning districts and planning strategies for their hamlets, and many places welcome signs at the gateways to the hamlets. Some hamlets are former villages that have dissolved their incorporation ( Old Forge in Herkimer County ; Rosendale , in Ulster County ; and Andes in Delaware County , for example). Notwithstanding hamlets are not cities or towns, many of them are called out in formal addresses for those residents residing within
6390-450: The same legal powers as were once available only to suburban towns. Even so, towns of different classifications continue to have organizational differences and certain conditions that must be met before a town's classification changes. The town board serves as the legislative branch. The board is composed of one elected town supervisor (or chief executive officer in suburban towns) and a specific number of elected council persons; towns of
6480-575: The second class generally have two but may have four council persons, whereas towns of the first class generally have four but can have two or six. The supervisor presides over the board, voting on all matters but not possessing veto or tie-breaking power. Certain towns operate under a town manager form of government, creating an executive branch in the town government, as permitted by legislation enacted in 1976. As such, some supervisors have additional authority or executive powers, whereas some towns have town managers or chief executive officers who serve as
6570-486: The spring, summer, and fall. An appointment can be made at the website, hullfamilyhome.org, for a group tour. Over 200 years ago, Warren and Polly Hull traveled west from Killingworth, Connecticut through New York State. They settled, temporarily, in four different counties in New York State until eventually deciding to settle and build their permanent home on what is now known as Genesee Street. That road terminated in
6660-456: The state has more than 3,400 active local governments and more than 4,200 taxing jurisdictions. Counties and incorporated municipal governments (also known as "general purpose units of local government"; i.e., cities, towns and villages) in the State of New York have been granted broad home rule powers enabling them to provide services to their residents and to regulate the quality of life within their jurisdictions. They do so while adhering to
6750-404: The state is part of a city or town, which is part of one county. The exceptions are the city of Geneva ; New York City ; and ten Indian reservations . As of 2009 , New York has 62 counties (including New York City's five boroughs ), which are subdivided into 933 towns and 61 cities (including Geneva in both Ontario and Seneca counties, but excluding New York City and Sherrill ). In total,
6840-635: The state legislature prior to 1874. Before a revision to the State Constitution in that year, villages were formed by the state legislature through granting of charters. Many villages reincorporated, dumping their charters in favor of the Village Law. The villages that retain their charters are Alexander , Carthage , Catskill , Cooperstown , Deposit , Fredonia , Ilion , Mohawk , Ossining , Owego , Port Chester , and Waterford . These villages must still comply with those aspects of Village Law that are not inconsistent with their charters. To be incorporated,
6930-580: The state use the term hamlet to refer to a community within a town that is not incorporated as a village but is identified by a name, i.e. an unincorporated community . A hamlet often has a name corresponding to the name of a local school district , post office , or fire district. Because a hamlet has no government of its own, it depends upon the town or towns that contain it for municipal services and government. Because they do not have governments, hamlets have no clear boundaries . Suffolk County publishes maps that give hamlet boundaries, but towns within
7020-423: The state's 932 towns used this system. In towns operating under the ward system, citizens vote for councilmen who represent a specific area (ward) of the town, as opposed to the at-large councilmen elected in the majority of the state's towns. Towns vary in size and population. The largest town by area is Brookhaven ( Suffolk County ), which covers 531.5 sq mi (1,377 km ), but more than half of that
7110-478: The state. Each of the five boroughs of the city is coextensive with a county of the state of New York. Under New York State's General Municipal Law , a borough results when the towns, villages and cities in a county merge with the county itself. This occurred in 1898 when New York City merged with surrounding counties, cities and towns to form its present configuration. The five boroughs are: The boroughs were originally intended to retain some local governance in
7200-508: The submission of a proper petition to the board. The village board must produce a "dissolution plan" that settles specific matters, such as the village's debts, its employees and property, and the financial impact dissolution would have on village and non-village town residents. This plan is voted upon by village voters only. About 15% of villages cross other municipal boundaries. More than 70 villages are located in two or more towns. Seven villages are in two counties. The village of Saranac Lake
7290-405: The term "Board of Supervisors." 34 counties have a County Legislature, six counties have a Board of Legislators, and one county has a Board of Representatives. The five counties, or boroughs, of New York City are governed by a 51-member City Council. In non-charter counties, the legislative body exercises executive power as well. Although the legislature can delegate certain functions and duties to
7380-496: The town of Palm Tree in Orange County was incorporated in 2019 and is coterminous with the village of Kiryas Joel , having acquired land from the town of Monroe . When such an entity is formed, officials from either unit of government may serve in both village and town governments simultaneously. A referendum is held to decide whether residents prefer a village-style or town-style government, which will then function primarily as
7470-419: The town or towns in which they are located. Village residents pay both town and village taxes, and vote in town and village elections. Those services not provided by the village are provided by the town or towns containing the village. As of the 2000 census, 9.9% of the state's population was living in one of the 556 villages in New York. The legislature of a village is the board of trustees, composed of
7560-578: The village of Depew , and the two largest hamlets, Town Line and Bowmansville . The town also contains other smaller communities and hamlets. Streams and waterways: The town and village of Lancaster contain the following parks: The town of Lancaster contains several historic buildings, listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The buildings include the Warren Hull House , the Lancaster District School No. 6 , and many of
7650-402: 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. The town's most populated areas include the village of Lancaster , half
7740-459: Was a newspaper publisher. Anna Hull Tyler had one child and was widowed; and Maria Hull married Ezra Sheldon, whose family owned land east of the Hull property. Edmund Hull married Eliza Garrett, had six children, and was a lawyer who represented Erie County as a legislator in Albany. Justus Hull, a brick maker, married Harriet Bivens, had seven children and lived in Buffalo. Sophia married Eber Howe,
7830-526: Was first proposed in 1967 but its implementation was blocked over disputes about the location. In 2001, VFW Post 7275 was named in honor of Medal of Honor recipient Lt. Col. Matt Urban . The Lancaster Central School District includes the majority of the town. Other parts of the town are in Alden Central School District , Clarence Central School District , Depew Union Free School District , and Iroquois Central School District The town
7920-492: 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. Also within the town is the Gipple Cabin, the oldest wooden structure in Erie County. The cabin
8010-501: 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
8100-796: 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 (with the Catholic schools being affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo ), 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. Our Lady of Pompeii closed in 2014. In January 2014 it had 14 employees and 70 students. The Lancaster District
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