Alfred (village), New York

Alfred is a village located in the Town of Alfred in Allegany County, New York, USA. The population was 3,954 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Alfred the Great.

The Village of Alfred lies in the north-central part of the Town of Alfred on the eastern edge of Allegany County.

History

The village was first settled around 1807 and was incorporated in 1881. The village was previously called "Alfred Centre."

Geography

Alfred is approximately located at the 42.3° North latitude, 77.8° West longitude.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all of it land. but there is a small stream known as Canacadea Creek, that flows throughout the year. This stream flows to the Canisteo River which is a tributary to the Susquehanna River watershed. The topography is steep hill country as it is part of the Allegheny Plateau, being the northern part of the Appalachian Mountain chain.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,954 people, 530 households, and 169 families residing in the village. The population density was 3,352.5 people per square mile (1,293.8/km²). There were 576 housing units at an average density of 488.4/sq mi (188.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 90.21% White, 4.40% Black or African American, 0.33% Native American, 2.71% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.21% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.73% of the population.

There were 530 households out of which 12.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.0% were married couples living together, 4.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 68.1% were non-families. 38.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.73.

In the village the population was spread out with 3.0% under the age of 18, 83.1% from 18 to 24, 5.9% from 25 to 44, 4.6% from 45 to 64, and 3.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 20 years. For every 100 females there were 144.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 147.2 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $21,313, and the median income for a family was $70,694. Males had a median income of $15,750 versus $39,375 for females. The per capita income for the village was $8,224. About 2.0% of families and 37.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.

Additional information about Alfred

Alfred is a small village nested in the beautiful hills of Western New York along the Southern Tier. The layout of the valley is such that the lowest part contains the village, and upon the hills to the East and West are Alfred University and Alfred State College (respectively). The valley was originally called "Kanakadea" (or "Canakadea," or other spellings) by Native Americans. Local college legends state that Kanakadea means "valley of the insane," as it was cursed either due to its being a burial ground, or purposely by the Indians as they were forced out by European settlers.

Alfred is located in the 607 (telephone) area code, 14802 zip (postal) code, and is in the second poorest county in the state (Allegany), neighboring one of the wealthiest, in terms of per capita income (Steuben). The closest cities are Hornell and Olean.

The elevation of Alfred is about 1700 feet, but due to the hilliness of the region, this varies greatly within the town. In Western New York (as in New England) there is a truism that "If you don't like the weather, wait ten minutes, it'll change." The hills greatly affect the weather, which results in quick changes as well as different conditions in neighboring valleys. The town is worth visiting on Hot Dog Day (early April).

The village of Alfred is home to the largest optical telescope in New York State, at the Stull Observatory at Alfred University.

References

External links

• Village/Town of Alfred webpage