Bill Text: NY K02320 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Commemorating the 175th Anniversary of the Village of Lancaster, New York

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2024-05-29 - adopted [K02320 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-K02320-Introduced.html

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Assembly Resolution No. 2320

BY: M. of A. Wallace

        COMMEMORATING the 175th Anniversary of the Village
        of Lancaster, New York

  WHEREAS,  It  is  the  intent  of this Legislative Body to honor and
commemorate  the  distinguished  histories  of  the  communities   which
comprise the noble body of this great Empire State; and

  WHEREAS,  Attendant  to  such  concern,  and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this  Legislative  Body  is  justly  proud  to
commemorate the 175th Anniversary of the Village of Lancaster, New York;
this  momentous  occasion  will  be  celebrated  with a myriad of events
throughout the year, and kicked off with a Demi-Semi Formal  on  Monday,
January 1, 2024, at the Lancaster Opera House; and

  WHEREAS,  The  third  oldest  village in Erie County, the Village of
Lancaster is a lovely community 14 miles east of the  City  of  Buffalo,
and  dates  back  to  the  early  1800s; it was part of the Holland Land
Company holdings which were surveyed by Joseph Ellicott  and  his  crew,
and was once part of Clarence, its neighbor to the north; and

  WHEREAS,  Early  settlers  came  to  the  Village  of Lancaster from
Connecticut, and were veterans of the Revolutionary  War;  some  of  the
names of these early pioneers and settlers were Bissel, Clark, Blackmen,
and Peckham; and

  WHEREAS,  In 1897, the iconic Lancaster Town Hall opened as a lovely
red  brick  and  Medina  sandstone  three-story  structure;  it  is  the
quintessential  focal  point of the Lancaster downtown area; during this
time, there were two jail cells  in  the  basement,  and  the  Lancaster
library  occupied space in the building from 1896-1941; today, the first
floor basement of the building and an addition on the back are used  for
the town offices; and

  WHEREAS,  The  Lancaster Opera House occupies the third floor of the
Town Hall; when it first  opened,  it  was  a  place  where  social  and
political  activities  took  place  within the community, including high
school graduations, traveling vaudeville shows,  recitals,  dances,  and
parties; and

  WHEREAS,  The  Opera  House  was also an important part of the civic
community, engaging in several important local  and  regional  projects,
and  was the headquarters of the Works Project Administration during the
Great Depression; and

  WHEREAS, The Opera House also warehoused civilian defense  supplies;
parachutes  were  manufactured in Lancaster, brought to the Opera House,
and folded there by volunteers during World War II; and

  WHEREAS, For a period of approximately 30 years after World War  II,
the Opera House was unused and neglected; restoration of this historical
building  commenced  in  1976 as a Bicentennial project, and reopened on
September 20, 1981; today, the Opera  House  is  an  enjoyable  326-seat
performing Arts and Community Center; and


  WHEREAS,  Across  Central  Avenue  to the west of the Town Hall main
entrance is West Main Street; this was the  original  thoroughfare  that
went  through  the  town; the post office was originally located on this
road when the town was called "Cayuga Creek"; during this time,  Buffalo
was known as "Buffalo Creek"; West Main Street connected to Water Street
(now  named  Aurora  Street)  which  connected  to what is now Broadway;
during the 1800s, this road connected  the  villages  of  Buffalo  Creek
(Buffalo)  and  Cayuga  Creek (Lancaster) and continued eastward towards
Batavia; and

  WHEREAS, Today, the residents of the Village  of  Lancaster  have  a
bright  outlook  for  the  future  of  their  community, which remains a
beautiful place in which to live and raise a family; and

  WHEREAS, Of historic origin, and remaining fruitful over the ebb and
flow of decades of growth and change, the Village of Lancaster continues
to provide the quintessential quality of life for its residents; and

  WHEREAS, In recognition of the Village of Lancaster's  rich  history
and  enduring  contribution  to  the State of New York, this Legislative
Body is proud to pay tribute to this spirited town upon the occasion  of
its 175th Anniversary; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 175th Anniversary of the Village of Lancaster, New York,
recognizing the significance of the role it continues  to  play  in  the
life of the community of the State of New York; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  a  copy  of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the Village of Lancaster, New York.