Medina, New York


Medina is a village in the Towns of Shelby and Ridgeway in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 6,065 at the 2010 census, making it the county's most populous municipality. The village was named by its surveyor, Ebenezer Mix. It is part of the Rochester Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Medina zip code, 14103, encompasses the village of Medina and the surrounding towns of Ridgeway and Shelby. The United States Census Bureau estimates the 2017 population of this area to be 17,234.
The village developed after construction of the Erie Canal, which bends as it passes through the village, creating a basin that served as a stopover point. This became the center of businesses that served trade and passenger traffic on canal boats. In addition, mills were constructed on Oak Orchard Creek to take advantage of its water power. The fertile lands around the village yielded fruit which was exported to major markets of New York City and west via the canal. At the start of the 20th century, Medina was a thriving industrial town.
Medina is located about an hour drive from two major cities, Rochester and Buffalo. It is also about 30 minutes from two small cities, Batavia and Lockport.

History

, the agent of the Holland Land Company, once owned land that encompassed part of the village. With the opening of the Erie Canal through Medina, the village enjoyed more trade and business associated with freight and passengers on canal boats.
The Village of Medina was incorporated March 3, 1832, creating an entity contained within the two towns of Ridgeway and Shelby. That same year the first printing press was set up in the village and the first newspaper published, The Medina Herald.

Medina Sandstone

Medina is known for its Medina Sandstone, a stone used widely in buildings across the region. Some local examples include the "million dollar staircase" at the New York State Capitol in Albany, the Richardson Olmsted Complex in Buffalo, and in buildings at the University of Rochester and Cornell University. Sandstone varies in color from light grey to a deep reddish brown.
The first commercial sandstone quarry was opened in 1837 by John Ryan. At their peak, sandstone quarries were one of the largest employers in the county with upwards of 2,000 employees. With the discovery of cheaper alternatives, Medina Sandstone's popularity began to decline around World War 1.

POW Camp

Medina's Heinz factory housed a POW camp from 1943-1946. 71 Italian soldiers arrived at the Heinz barracks in September 1943. They were allowed to work at the Heinz factory, local farms, or other local factories. In May 1944, the Italian soldiers were moved to a new location and replaced with 116 German soldiers.
During their tenure in Medina, the German prisoners went on strike to protest the smoking regulations at the Heinz factory. The soldiers wanted to smoke in the factory building and on the loading platforms. After having all of their possessions removed and not being allowed to sleep in the barracks, all of the soldiers voluntarily returned to work the following day.
In 1946, the Heinz camp was closed and all remaining prisoners were moved to local military installations in preparation for their return to Germany. During its use, the Heinz barracks housed up to 300 soldiers and 50 military police.

Recent history

In 2015, village residents voted to keep Medina an incorporated village, despite having the highest effective property tax rate in the Finger Lakes region according to a 2016 Empire Center report.
The Main Street Historic District, Medina Armory, and United States Post Office are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Payjack Chevrolet Building was added in 2012 and Boxwood Cemetery in 2015.

Geography

Medina is located at .
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
Medina lies at the junction of east-west highway NYS Route 31 and north-south highway NYS Route 63. In addition, Medina marks the location where NYS Route 31E and NYS Route 31A split off from NY-31.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 6,415 people, 2,567 households, and 1,576 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,962.1 people per square mile. There were 2,796 housing units at an average density of 855.2 per square mile. The racial makeup of the village was 87.89% White, 7.56% African American, 0.59% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.62% from other races, and 1.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.83% of the population.
There were 2,567 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were married couples living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the village, the population was spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $30,300, and the median income for a family was $37,857. Males had a median income of $31,857 versus $21,633 for females. The per capita income for the village was $16,138. About 13.0% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.7% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

Over the years Medina has been home to many different populations. St. John's Episcopal Church was the first church in Medina, consecrated in 1828. In the following decade, the First United Presbyterian, First Baptist, United Methodist, and St. Mary's Roman Catholic Churches were built. German immigrants started arriving in the 1880s and 1890s and built Trinity Evangelical Lutheran and St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran.
At the turn of the century, the Polish community had grown so large that they built Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ Church in 1910. In 1930, the African American community built Glad Tidings Missionary Baptist Church. Grace Baptist Church, an off shoot from another local Baptist church in Shelby, was built next.
More recently the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Fountain of Love, the Islamic Center, Calvary Tabernacle Assembly of God, Grace Covenant, Holiness Pentecostal, and Morning Star of God in Christ have opened. The Church of God Pentecostal purchased the former United Methodist Church in 2016. In 2017, the Akron Free Methodist Church leased the former Sacred Heart Catholic Church and began having services. Of the 15+ churches and religious institutions that have operated in Medina, 11 are still in the village.
Medina is featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not for St. John's Episcopal Church, known as the "Church in the Middle of the Road".

Government

Local

Medina is governed by a mayor and 4 trustees. Each position has a 2 year term.

County

See: Orleans County, New York

State

Medina is home to several international, national, and local businesses. Medina is also becoming a tourist attraction because of its historic downtown and location on the Niagara Wine Trail.

Business

Here is a listing of some of the larger businesses in the area.
Medina is starting to grow as a popular tourist spot, appearing in several blogs and papers. The events, restaurants, and atmosphere of this small village have wide ranging appeal.

Arts and entertainment

There are several cultural and educational opportunities in Medina. For those looking to make their own art, visit Brushstrokes Studios. Brushstrokes is a paint your own pottery shop. If you're more adventurous get locked in a room at Into the Enigma; you only have 1 hour to solve the puzzles and escape. You can also visit the Medina Railroad Museum, one of the largest railroad and toy train museums in the state of New York. Ripley's Believe It or Not notes "the Culvert", as the only place where the Erie Canal passes over an operating road.

Bars and restaurants

Medina has a variety of bars and restaurants to enjoy. 810 Meadworks is the first meadery in western New York. Zambistro is a locally owned fine dining restaurant and caterer which opened in 2006. Fitzgibbons Public House is a casual pub with Irish food. serves authentic Mexican food and has been well reviewed in WNY. Medina also offers a variety of pizza shops, diners, and fast food options.
Medina has 2 stops on the Niagara Wine Trail, and . Leonard Oakes Winery has won multiple awards for their wines, including best ice wine in New York.

Historic Downtown

Medina's downtown area has been designated a historic district and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Bent's Opera House is included in this district, a historic venue for touring performers.

Education

Medina has two K-12 schools, the and the . The Medina Central School District is composed of Oak Orchard Elementary, Clifford Wise Intermediate Middle and the Medina High School. All three buildings are located on the same campus. The Orleans County Christian School is a non-denominational, multi-church sponsored school.
A branch campus of Genesee Community College is located in Medina.

Culture and recreation

Park lands

The village has 7 different parks; all of which are open to the public from dawn til dusk. The majority of parks have swings, slides, and picnic tables; Rotary Park located on Main Street and the Medina Canal Basin park do not.
Medina had several newspapers throughout the years, starting with The Medina Herald. The Medina Tribune, The Medina Register, and The Medina Daily Journal followed. The Register and Journal merged becoming The Medina Daily Journal and Register. The shortened Medina Journal-Register closed its doors in May 2014.

Additional facts

One of the oldest homes in Medina stood at 224 Eagle Street, a block from the Erie Canal, on the north side of town. This home was built in the early 1820s and was purchased by the Burnam family in the 1830s. It stayed in the possession of family members until around 1984. The house was torn down in 2012.
The Carl Company was a department store founded as a dry good store in Medina by Charles W. Carl, Sr.

Notable people