Groveland is a town in Livingston County, New York, United States. The population was 3,249 at the 2010 census.[3] The town is centrally located in the county, south of Geneseo.
In 1792, the first planned European American settlement in Livingston County was located in Groveland and was called "Willamsburgh" after Sir William Pulteney, a land speculator. The town was formed in 1789 as part of Ontario County, later becoming part of Livingston County when it was formed in 1821. Part of Groveland was used to form part of the town of Conesus (1819).
The Groveland Shaker Village settlement was established in 1836 on a 1,700-acre (690 ha) farm at the hamlet of Sonyea. Their peak in population was 148 members that year, when they moved from their former location at Sodus. The Shakers sold the Sonyea property in 1892 due to declining membership, and moved to Watervliet.[4] Their former buildings and land became the Craig Colony for Epileptics[5] in 1896 and are now part of the Groveland Correctional Facility.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 39.8 square miles (103.2 km2), of which 39.2 square miles (101.4 km2) are land and 0.73 square miles (1.9 km2), or 1.82%, are water.[9]Conesus Lake, one of the Finger Lakes, forms part of the eastern boundary. Canaseraga Creek, a north-flowing tributary of the Genesee River, crosses the southwest part of the town through a broad valley.
As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 3,853 people, 555 households, and 396 families residing in the town. The population density was 98.4 inhabitants per square mile (38.0/km2). There were 649 housing units at an average density of 16.6 per square mile (6.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 60.06% White, 32.44% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 6.46% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.23% of the population.
There were 555 households, out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.8% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder, and 28.6% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 9.9% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 54.2% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 5.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 411.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 529.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $46,797, and the median income for a family was $48,828. Males had a median income of $24,353 versus $26,477 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,433. About 7.7% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.8% of those under age 18 and 1.2% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in the Town of Groveland
Cottonwood Point – A hamlet on the shore of Conesus Lake and on NY-256.
East Groveland – A hamlet in the northeast part of the town.
Hampton Corners – A location in the northwest part of the town on NY-63. The Black and White Farm Barn was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[6]
Hunts Corners – A former community in the northeast part of the town.
Maple Beach – A location on Conesus Lake, south of Cottonwood Point on NY-256.
Ross Corners – A location by the south town line.
Sonyea – A hamlet in the southwest part of the town on NY-36. The name could translate to “burning sun” or “hot valley," or comes from “Son-He," a Seneca name meaning Thou Art Living There) or from Seneca Captain Snow (Soyeawa).[12] A persistent rumor began that the name was an acronym for the State Of New York Epileptic Asylum, but the name Sonyea was used in the early 1800s, long before Craig Colony for Epileptics opened in 1896.
