| Official Name: | Elmira |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Coordinates: | 42.0939°N -76.8097°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Name1: | New York |
| Subdivision Name2: | Chemung |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Daniel J. Mandell, Jr. (R)[1] |
| Leader Title1: | City Manager |
| Leader Name1: | P. Michael Collins |
| Leader Title2: | City Council |
| Established Title: | Incorporated |
| Area Footnotes: | [2] |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 7.58 |
| Area Total Km2: | 19.63 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 7.25 |
| Area Land Km2: | 18.78 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.33 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.85 |
| Elevation Ft: | 860 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 26523 |
| Population Metro: | 90,070 (Chemung County) |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 3657.34 |
| Population Density Km2: | 1412.09 |
| Timezone: | EST |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP Codes |
| Postal Code: | 14901, 14904, 14905 |
| Area Code: | 607 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 36-015-24229 |
| Website: | www.CityOfElmira.net |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
Elmira is a city in and the county seat of Chemung County, New York, United States. It is the principal city of the Elmira, New York, metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses Chemung County. The population was 26,523 at the 2020 census, down from 29,200 at the 2010 census, a decline of more than 7 percent.[3]
The City of Elmira is in the south-central part of the county, surrounded on three sides by the Town of Elmira. It is in the Southern Tier of New York, a short distance north of the Pennsylvania state line.
The city was the site of the Elmira Prison, a prisoner-of-war camp that held over 12,000 captured Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War. Elmira College is located within the city.
The region of Elmira was inhabited by the Cayuga nation (also known as the Kanawaholla) of the Haudenosaunee prior to European colonization. Cayuga residing in the region maintained relations with European settlers, primarily related to the fur trade, but were otherwise relatively isolated from encroaching colonial settlements.[4]
During the American Revolutionary War, the Sullivan Expedition of 1779 was mounted by the Continental Army against the four Haudenosaunee nations which had allied with the British. The expeditionary force fought a combined British-Haudenosaunee force at the Battle of Newtown, south of the current city, in which the Continental Army was victorious.[5] After the conclusion of the war, the Haudenosaunee and the United States signed a treaty at Elmira in 1791 to settle territorial disputes in the region.[6] Most of the Cayuga emigrated under pressure from encroaching American settlements with the other nations of the Haudenosaunee to Canada, where they resettled on land provided by the British Crown.
The first European-American settler in Elmira was Abraham Miller, who served as a captain in the Continental Army. Miller constructed a cabin after resigning just before the end of the Revolutionary War. Miller's Pond and Miller Street are named after him and are near the location of his house.[7]
The New York legislature established the Township of Chemung, now Chemung County, in 1788. The settlement of Newtown was soon established at the intersection of Newtown Creek and the Chemung River. In 1792, the settlement at Newtown joined with the Wisnerburg and DeWittsburg settlements to form the village of Newtown. In 1808, the village officially changed its name to the Town of Elmira, at a town meeting held at Teal's Tavern. It is said the town was named after tavern owner Nathan Teal's young daughter, but that story has never been confirmed.[8] According to Amos Bugbee Carpenter's "Carpenter Memorial" family history book printed in 1898, Elmira is named after Major General Matthew Carpenter's daughter. This naming occurred, according to this book, in 1821 at the constitutional convention to which Matthew was a delegate. In any case, the City of Elmira, nicknamed "The Queen City," was incorporated in 1864 from part of the town of Elmira and the village of Elmira. The remaining part of the town of Elmira exists still, surrounding the city on the west, north and east. The city and town share an intricately entwined history.
It appears that Amos Carpenter in his 1898 book was referencing an 1879 book.[9]
Elmira served as a transportation hub for New York's Southern Tier in the 1800s, connecting commercial centers in Rochester and Buffalo with Albany and New York City, via the canal system and railroads. The city was the southern terminus of the Chemung Canal completed in 1833; later, the Junction Canal was constructed to connect Elmira with Corning, facilitating transport of coal from the Pennsylvania mines via the Northern branch of the Susquehanna Canal system. In 1849, the New York and Erie Railroad was built through Elmira, giving the area a New York City to Buffalo route. In 1850, the Elmira and Jefferson Railroad gave the area a route north and, in 1854, the Elmira and Williamsport Railroad a route south. These railroads and their connections made the city a prime location for an Army training and muster point early in the Civil War.
In 1872 construction began on the Utica, Ithaca and Elmira Railroad, eventually creating a route to Cortland and Syracuse via Horseheads, Breesport and Van Etten. The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, completed in 1884, competed with the Erie's New York City to Buffalo line.
See main article: Elmira Prison. A great deal of the 30acres Union installation, known as Camp Rathbun, fell into disuse as the Civil War progressed, and the camp's "Barracks #3" were converted into a Civil War prisoner of war camp in the summer of 1864. The camp, in use from June 6, 1864, until autumn 1865, was dubbed "Hellmira" by its inmates. Towner's history of 1892 [10] and maps from the period indicate the camp occupied a somewhat irregular parallelogram, running about 1000feet west and approximately the same distance south of a location several hundred feet west of Hoffman Street (Foster Avenue) and Winsor Avenue, bordered on the south by Foster's Pond, on the north bank of the Chemung River.
In the months the site was used as a camp, 12,123 Confederate soldiers were incarcerated; of these, 2,963 died during their stay from a combination of malnutrition, prolonged exposure to brutal winter weather and disease directly attributable to the dismal sanitary conditions on Foster's Pond and lack of medical care. The camp's dead were prepared for burial and laid to rest by the sexton at Woodlawn National Cemetery, ex-slave John W. Jones. At the end of the war, each prisoner was given a loyalty oath and given a train ticket back home; the last prisoner left the camp on September 27, 1865. The camp was closed, demolished and converted to farmland. Woodlawn Cemetery, about 2miles north of the original prison camp site (bounded by West Hill, Bancroft, Davis and Mary Streets), was designated a "National Cemetery" in 1877. The prison camp site is today a residential area.
See main article: Elmira Correctional Facility. The state legislature authorized the building of a state prison for first offenders in 1866. It opened in 1876 as the Elmira Reformatory, under the direction of Zebulon Brockway, serving offenders aged sixteen to thirty. It was the first institution of its kind, and a model for others to follow.[11] In 1970 the complex was renamed the Elmira Correctional and Reception Center.
In 1950, the Elmira's population peaked at about 50,000, which represented 57 percent of Chemung County's total population at the time. Today, the city has approximately 25,000 residents, which represents 34 percent of Chemung County's population. This population decline is due to the national decline in railroads and manufacturing as well as a population shift to the outer suburbs around Elmira. The Elmira Metro area has nearly 100,000 people.
The population decline began during the recession of the early 1970s during which several large employers (Ann Page, American Bridge, General Electric, American LaFrance, Westinghouse and Remington Rand) either closed their factories or moved to other states. The decline was exacerbated by the flood of 1972, during which many of the downtown businesses and single-family homes were destroyed or replaced by subsequent Urban Renewal projects in the Chemung River flood plain.
Anchor Glass Container Corporation,[12] headquartered in Tampa, Florida, is in the old Thatcher Glass facility in Elmira Heights. Anchor Glass produces a diverse line of flint, amber, green and other colored glass containers of various types and designs for the beer, food, beverage and liquor markets in North America. Anchor Glass is now wholly owned by the Ardagh Group S.A.[13]
CAF-USA Inc[14] has its main U.S. plant in Elmira Heights on the site of the former American Bridge Company. CAF USA is a subsidiary company of Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, a Spanish manufacturer of passenger rail products (including trains, high-speed trains, locomotives, light rail vehicles and other rail equipment). CAF-USA Inc trains are typically designed for North America's market, based on Spanish design and technologies.
Elmira Heat Treating,[15] established in 1962 in Elmira, offers a wide variety of heat treatment technologies to both domestic and international customers such as Hilliard Corp., Ford Motors, General Signal and others.
Hardinge, Inc. (formerly Hardinge Brothers),[16] established in 1890 and now headquartered in Elmira, manufactures precise turning machines for the domestic and international market. Starting in 1995, Hardinge began expanding their product line and over the years has acquired L. Kellenberger & Co. AG,[17] Hauser-Tripet-Tschudin AG,[18] Jones & Shipman,[19] and Usach Technologies, Inc.[20] In 2004 they also acquired Bridgeport,[21] world-famous for its milling machines and machining centers.
Hilliard Corporation,[22] established in 1905, has two locations in Elmira and serves the international market in filters, brakes, clutches and starters for a variety of industrial and commercial uses as well as consumer equipment from Polaris and MTD.[23]
Kennedy Valve,[24] located in Elmira since 1905, is one of the world's largest manufacturers of products for waterworks distribution, potable and wastewater treatment, and fire protection system projects. They are most famous for their fire hydrants which can be found around the world. Kennedy Valve was acquired by McWane in 1988.[25]
Trayer Products,[26] established in 1929, manufactures parts mostly for the heavy truck industry; primarily truck chassis parts such as king pins and shackles.
During the summer of 1972, Hurricane Agnes struck the eastern seaboard of the United States, causing significant damage stretching from Florida into New England. Elmira was particularly hit hard by the flood, with over an estimated $291 million in damage.[27] Over 15,000 people had to flee the city, and approximately 5,000 homes were damaged or destroyed.[28] Coordinated efforts between local churches and regional businesses helped with the cleanup. Operating in secrecy, Rochester, NY-based Eastman Kodak sent crews as part of Operation Rebuild. Their efforts rebuilt 78 homes and assisted in the repairs of countless others.[29]
Elmira city leaders approached the New York State Urban Development Corporation (UDC) to lead the redevelopment of the city post-flood. With a select group of businessmen and city officials attempting to minimize public input, the UDC implemented the "New Elmira Plan". This entailed the removal of buildings along the river to create Riverside Park, and razing other buildings in the business district for two parking garages. Altogether, forty percent of Elmira's commercial space was eliminated as part of the plan. Local citizens lamented the loss of character and vibrancy of downtown Elmira.[30]
In March 1993, the city of Elmira was hit hard by a snow blizzard, nicknamed "Storm of the Century", that added 17 inches of snow to Elmira in a single day.[31]
On July 26, 2012, an EF1 tornado touched down near Cottage Drive off of Route 352 and traveled through Golden Glow and the rest of the city. Moderate damage was seen after the storm passed and hundreds of trees and power lines were blown down. No one was injured. The tornado was wide and took the city by surprise as this area has not been prone to tornadic activity.[32]
Elmira is at (42.089874, −76.809559).[33]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 19.6km2, of which 19km2 is land and 0.7km2 (3.56%) is water.
The Chemung River flows eastward through the city. Elmira is built almost entirely in the flood plain of the Chemung River and has suffered many floods, the worst from Hurricane Agnes in 1972. Newtown Creek, flowing from the north, joins the Chemung River at the city's southeast corner.
Interstate 86/New York State Route 17, The Southern Tier Expressway, connects with the city at Exit 56. New York State Route 14 passes through Elmira between Watkins Glen and Pennsylvania. New York State Route 13 begins near Lake Ontario and travels through Cortland and Ithaca before ending in Elmira. New York State Route 352 begins in Elmira at Exit 56 of the Southern Tier Expressway and continues West into Corning.
As of the census[34] of 2000, there were 30,940 people, 11,475 households, and 6,701 families residing in the city. The population density was 4229.5sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 12,895 housing units at an average density of 1762.7sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the city was 82.03% White, 13.05% Black or African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.37% from other races, and 2.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.14% of the population.
There were 11,475 households, out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.3% were married couples living together, 18.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 13.0% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,292, and the median income for a family was $33,592. Males had a median income of $31,775 versus $22,350 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,495. About 17.9% of families and 23.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.6% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.
The Elmira, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area (or Elmira MSA) is frequently used for statistical information such as labor rates and includes all of Chemung County with a population in 2000 of 90,070.
The Elmira MSA was ranked as the 59th safest place to live out of 344 Metro Areas in 2005 by Morgan Quitno Press.[35]
The three largest ethnic groups in Elmira are Irish, German and Italian.[36]
| Mayors of Elmira | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayor | Party | Term | |
| Daniel J. Mandell | R | 2016–present | |
| Susan J. Skidmore | D | 2012–2015 | |
| John S. Tonello | D | 2006–2011 | |
| J. William O'Brien | D | 3/2005-2006 | |
| Stephen M. Hughes | D | 1998-2/2005 | |
| Howard F. Townsend | R | 1994–1997 | |
| James E. Hare | D | 1988–1993 | |
| Stephen J. Fesh Jr. | R | 1984–1987 | |
| Mary P. Ciccariello | D | 1982–1983 | |
| Robert G. Densberger | R | 1980–1981 | |
| John M. Kennedy | D | 1976–1979 | |
| Richard C. Loll | R | 1972–1975 | |
| Edward T. Lagonegro | D | 1968–1971 | |
| Howard H. Kimball | R | 1966–1967 | |
| Edward T. Lagonegro | D | 1962–1965 | |
| Edward A. Mooers | R | 1956–1961 | |
| Emory Strachen | R | 1940–1955 | |
| J. Maxwell Beers | R | 1936–1939 | |
| Henry W. Honan | D | 1934–1935 | |
| W. Glenn Sweet | R | 1932–1933 | |
| Frank P. Robinson | D | 1930–1931 | |
| David N. Heller | D | 1926–1929 | |
| J. Norton Wood | R | 1922–1925 | |
| George W. Peck | D | 1920–1921 | |
| Harry N. Hoffman | align="center" | - | 1914–1919 |
| Daniel Sheehan | D | 1908–1913 | |
| Z. Reed Brockway | align="center" | - | 1906–1907 |
| William T. Coleman | R | 1904–1905 | |
| Daniel Sheehan | align="center" | - | 1902–1903 |
| Frank H. Flood | align="center" | - | 1900–1901 |
| Edgar Denton | De | 1898–1899 | |
| Frederick Collin | align="center" | - | 1894–1897 |
| David C. Robinson | D | 1892–1894 | |
| Charles S. Davison | D | 1888–1892 | |
| D | 1886–1888 | ||
| Henry Flood | align="center" | - | 1884–1886 |
| Stephen T. Arnot | D | 1883–1884 | |
| D | 1882–1883 | ||
| R | 1880–1882 | ||
| Granville D. Parsons | align="center" | - | 1878–1880 |
| Robert T. Turner | align="center" | - | 1876–1878 |
| Howard M. Smith | align="center" | - | 1875–1876 |
| align="center" | - | 1873–1874 | |
| Patrick H. Flood | align="center" | - | 1872–1873 |
| D | 1870–1871 | ||
| Stephen McDonald | align="center" | - | 1868–1870 |
| align="center" | - | 1867–1868 | |
| R | 1865–1867 | ||
| D | 1864–1865 | ||
|
The city has 125miles of road, 210miles of water lines, and 175miles of sewer lines. There are four ZIP codes in the City of Elmira: 14901 (northside), 14902 (downtown), 14904 (southside), and 14905 (West Elmira).
The Chemung County Transit System operates regularly scheduled fixed route service within the City of Elmira and Village of Horseheads. Another route links Elmira with Corning Community College, also linking passengers with the Steuben County Transit System (SCT) and Corning Erwin Area Transit System (CEATS).
Elmira is served by several intercity bus operators. New York Trailways serves Elmira on one of its routes between Binghamton and Rochester. Short Line serves Elmira on its route between Binghamton and Olean.[39] OurBus provides service to Elmira on a route between New York City and Niagara Falls. Fullington Trailways discontinued service between Elmira and Williamsport, Pennsylvania in April 2022.[40]
The Elmira Corning Regional Airport (IATA code ELM, ICAO code KELM) is a medium-size regional airport, and the only area airport that offers scheduled airline service. Located 7miles northwest of downtown, the airport has non-stop flights to Detroit in addition to seasonal flights to Atlanta served by Delta Air Lines, and two routes to Florida served by Allegiant Air with the airline serving seasonal flights to Punta Gorda and Myrtle Beach.
The City Slogan is "Honoring the Past, Building the Future". It is featured on an Entrance sign erected in 2003 into the city from Exit 56 of the Southern Tier Expressway along with honored Elmirans including (L to R) Brian Williams, Hal Roach, Ernie Davis, Mark Twain, Eileen Collins, John Jones, and Tommy Hilfiger. The slogan was designated by Mayor Stephen Hughes following the conclusion of a slogan contest in which Marlin Stewart, Alan and Barbara Hutchinson, and James Lloyd were recognized for their contributions to the winning slogan. In 2021, the sign was defaced as Brian Williams was replaced with Judge Jeanine Pirro.[41]
On at least two hilltops near the city (mostly on Harris Hill to the northwest) pioneer pilots established the sport of gliding in America. Harris Hill is the site of the National Soaring Museum and was also used for glider trainings during World War 2.[42] These sites are now recognized as National Landmarks of Soaring.
The SS Elmira Victory, a World War 2 era Victory Ship, was named after the city.
The following are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:[47] [48] [49]