View source for Ballston Spa, New York

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                     = Ballston Spa
|official_name            = Village of Ballston Spa
|settlement_type          = [[Village (United States)|Village]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    = A Village of Friends
|named_for                = [[Eliphalet Ball]]

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Ballston_Spa_1.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Milton Avenue in Ballston Spa
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = Ballston Spa Saratoga NY.png
|mapsize                  = 250x200px
|map_caption              = Location within Saratoga County
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
|pushpin_map              = New York#USA
|pushpin_label            = Ballston Spa
|pushpin_map_caption      = Location in the State of New York##Location in the United States
|pushpin_relief           = yes
<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = Country
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[New York (state)|New York]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in New York|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Saratoga County, New York|Saratoga]]
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = Settled
|established_date         = 1771
|established_title1       = Village
|established_date1        = 1807

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref  = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=September 20, 2022}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 4.17
|area_land_km2            = 4.15
|area_water_km2           = 0.02
|area_total_sq_mi         = 1.61
|area_land_sq_mi          = 1.60
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.01

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 5111
|population_density_km2   = 1232.93
|population_density_sq_mi = 3192.38

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 96
|elevation_ft             = 315
|coordinates              = {{coord|43|0|26|N|73|51|4|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 12020
|area_codes                = [[Area code 518|518]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 36-04253
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0969840
|website                  = [https://www.villageofballstonspa.org/ www.villageofballstonspa.org]
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
}}
'''Ballston Spa''' is a [[Village (New York)|village]] in and the [[county seat]] of [[Saratoga County, New York]], United States, located southwest of [[Saratoga Springs, New York|Saratoga Springs]]. It is part of the [[Capital Region (New York)|Capital Region]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}</ref> The population of the village, named after Rev. [[Eliphalet Ball]], a Congregationalist clergyman and an early settler,<ref name="grose-11">{{harvnb |Grose|1907| p=11 }}</ref> was 5,111 at the 2020 census.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/ballstonspavillagenewyork | title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Ballston Spa village, New York }}</ref> Ballston Spa lies on the border of two towns, situated partly in the [[Ballston, New York|Town of Ballston]] and partly in the [[Milton (town), New York|Town of Milton]]. The Ballston Spa School District encompassing most of the combined towns of Milton, Malta, and Ballston is often referred to locally as ‘Ballston Spa’ with the village proper being referred to as ‘The Village’ or 'Town'.

==History==
The village was first settled in 1771. In 1787, Benajah Douglas, grandfather of 1860 presidential candidate [[Stephen A. Douglas]], built the first tavern and hotel at Ballston Spa. It was located near the natural [[Spring (hydrology)|spring]].{{cn|date=April 2025}}

In 1803, Ballston Spa's [[Sans Souci Hotel (Ballston Spa)|Sans Souci Hotel]], at the time the largest hotel in the United States, was built by [[Nicholas Low]]. Presidents, Vice Presidents, Senators and Governors stayed there, as well as many wealthy private citizens.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nysarato/Sylvester/chap30.html |title=History of Saratoga County, History of the Village of Ballston Spa |publisher=Rootsweb.ancestry.com |access-date=November 25, 2012}}</ref> Ballston Spa was incorporated as a village in 1807.

At different times, the village was served by four railroads: the [[Delaware and Hudson Railway]], the [[Ballston Terminal Railroad]], the [[Schenectady Railway Company]],<ref>{{cite web|last1=DiCarlo|first1=Gino|title=Saratoga Line|url=http://gino.cdfw.net/_trolleypage/SRC/src2.htm|website=Gino's Rail Pages|access-date=November 19, 2014}}</ref> and the [[Hudson Valley Railway]].<ref>''The Ballston Terminal Railroad And Its Successors'', 2008</ref>

The village was famous for its [[mineral water]] [[Spring (hydrosphere)|spring]] used for healing in [[Sanatorium|sanatoria]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Spa, Sanatorium |url=https://archive.org/stream/independen79v80newy#page/n77/mode/1up |newspaper=The Independent |date=July 13, 1914 |access-date=August 21, 2012}}</ref> including the Hawthorne and Lithia springs.

The [[effervescent|effervescent water]], [[Pharmaceutical drug#For nutrition|tonic]], and [[cathartic]] from this city is also known as Ballston Spa. The liquid contains common [[salt]] and [[carbonate]]s of [[Magnesium carbonate|magnesium]] and [[Calcium carbonate|calcium]].

===Movies, Music and Books===
Portions of the novel ''[[The Last of the Mohicans]]'' were written by [[James Fenimore Cooper]] in the present day [[Brookside Museum]] and inspired by the local landscape.

Buster Red, a Depression era [[Folk music|folk]] singer, wrote in his song "When I Go Out" details about his trip through [[Pennsylvania]] and [[New York (U.S. state)|New York]]. According to the song it was in Ballston Spa that he was ultimately found out for some crime or deception, before moving on to [[Saratoga, New York|Saratoga]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/jimmie-rodgers-treasures-untold/Buster+Red+-+When+I+Go+Out.mp3 | title=American Folk Song Collection }}</ref>

The village was the model for the village of North Bath, NY, the setting for the 1993 best-selling novel and 1994 movie, ''[[Nobody's Fool (1994 film)|Nobody's Fool]]''.  The book's author, [[Richard Russo]], is a native of nearby [[Gloversville]]. It was also the location of the fictional "Elspeth Hatch" murder trial defended by [[Clarence Darrow]] set in 1897 in the book titled ''[[The Angel of Darkness]]'' by author [[Caleb Carr]].

Several scenes in [[Sydney Pollack]]'s 1973 film ''[[The Way We Were]]'' were filmed on Ballston Spa's Front Street. Scenes from ''[[The Horse Whisperer (film)|The Horse Whisperer]]'' (1998) were also filmed in the village.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119314/locations|title = The Horse Whisperer (1998) - IMDb|website = [[IMDb]]}}</ref>

Since 2008 Ballston Spa has been home to the ''Ballston Spa Film Festival'' of short films from around the globe.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ballston Spa Film Festival|url=http://bspafilm.org/|access-date=August 29, 2013}}</ref>

Ballston Spa was also mentioned in the 1963 novel [[The Tulip Tree]] by Howard Rigsby.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Rigsby |first1=Howard |title=The Tulip Tree |date=1963 |publisher=Doubleday and Company |location=Garden City, New York |page=128 |edition=Book Club}}</ref>

===Museums===
[[File:Verbeck House, Ballston Spa, NY.jpg|thumb|The historic [[Verbeck House]].]]
Ballston Spa is home to the [[National Bottle Museum]].<ref>[http://www.nationalbottlemuseum.org/nationalbottle/Untitled.html National Bottle Museum] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915074337/http://www.nationalbottlemuseum.org/nationalbottle/Untitled.html |date=September 15, 2008 }}</ref> It is also home to Brookside Museum, Saratoga County Historical Society.<ref>[https://www.brooksidemuseum.org Brookside Museum]</ref>

The [[Brookside Museum]], [[United States Post Office (Ballston Spa, New York)|United States Post Office]], [[Union Mill Complex]], and [[Verbeck House]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2009a}}</ref>

===Industry===
In 1838 the Ballston Spa National Bank, one of the oldest still functioning American [[bank]]s, was founded. As of 2022, the Bank has 13 branches.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bsnb.com/locations/ | title=Capital Region Branch Locations &#124; BSNB }}</ref>

[[George West (American politician)|George West]] (known as the "Paper Bag King") developed a line of square-bottomed paper bags, which he manufactured by the millions after the [[American Civil War]], and at one time owned almost a dozen paper mills located along the [[Kayaderosseras]] Creek.<ref name="lost">''Lost Industries of the Kaydeross Valley'', Starr, 2007</ref> The village was also home to the Ballston Knitting Company from 1918 to 1994.{{citation needed|date=July 2012}}

As the [[county seat]] of [[Saratoga County]], county offices, courts, law enforcement, and the jail are major employers.

===Government===
Recent mayors of Ballston Spa:
* Frank Rossi, II (Jr.) (2022–present)
* Christine Fitzpatrick (2021–2022)
* Larry Woolbright (2019–2021)
* John Romano (1995–2019)
* James Capasso Jr. (1991–95)
* Bert Grandin (1983–91)
* James Capasso Sr. (1971–83)

==Notable people==
* [[Stephen Steele Barlow]], Attorney General of [[Wisconsin]].
* [[Scott Cherry]], former [[North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball|North Carolina Tar Heels]] player, [[High Point Panthers men's basketball|High Point Panthers]] coach
* [[Dick Doheny]], racing driver
* [[Abner Doubleday]], [[American Civil War]] hero and was born in Ballston Spa. The house he was born in is designated as a [[New York (state)|New York]] State landmark. Doubleday is buried in Arlington Cemetery in Virginia. The [[Doubleday myth|claim that Doubleday invented baseball]] was debunked years ago, but still is stated on his landmark sign at his place of birth. [[File:DoubledayBirthplace.jpg|thumb|right|280px|Birthplace of Abner Doubleday]]
* General [[James Gordon (New York)|James Gordon]], a veteran of the American Revolution, lived in Ballston Spa.  Gordon Creek is named after him.
* [[Trevor Marsicano]], Olympic short-course speedskater, winning a silver medal in the Team Pursuit at the 2010 Games.
* [[Ed Pompa]], racing driver
* [[Frances Shimer]] (1826&ndash;1901), founder and first president of [[Shimer College]].
* [[Ebby Thacher]], Bill Wilson's (co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous) sponsor.
* [[Ira Thomas]] (1881&ndash;1958), Major League Baseball player was born in Ballston Spa
* [[Stephen Trombley]], Emmy Award-winning film maker, author and musician, is a 1972 graduate of Ballston Spa High School.
* [[Todd Waring]], television and movie actor, 1973 graduate of Ballston Spa High School.
* [[George West (American politician)|George West]] acquired ten paper mills situated along the [[Kayaderosseras]] Creek from 1862 to 1899 and became the largest manila paper manufacturer in the world. Also was a member of the New York State Assembly and the United States Congress.

==Geography==
Ballston Spa is located at {{Coord|43|0|26|N|73|51|4|W|type:city}} (43.007185, -73.851168).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the village has a total area of {{convert|1.6|sqmi|1}}, of which {{convert|1.6|sqmi|1}}  is land and 0.62% is water.

[[New York State Route 50]] (Milton Avenue), a north-south highway, passes through the village and intersects [[New York State Route 67]] (West High Street).  County Road 63 (Malta Avenue) leaves the village to the east, connecting it to [[U.S. Route 9 in New York|U.S. Route 9]] and [[Interstate 87 (New York)|Interstate 87]] (The Northway).

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1810= 500
|1840= 1500
|1850= 2000
|1860= 2285
|1870= 2970
|1880= 3011
|1890= 3527
|1900= 3923
|1910= 4138
|1920= 4103
|1930= 4591
|1940= 4434
|1950= 4937
|1960= 4991
|1970= 4968
|1980= 4711
|1990= 4937
|2000= 5556
|2010= 5409
|2020= 5111
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015 }}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/ballstonspavillagenewyork | title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Ballston Spa village, New York }}</ref> of 2020, there were 5,111 people, 2,291 households in the village.  The population density was {{convert|3,464.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 2,398 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,495.4|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the village was 96.33% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.17% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.16% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.52% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.61% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.21% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.94% of the population.

There were 2,267 households, out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 23.9% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.2 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $37,173, and the median income for a family was $49,387. Males had a median income of $36,929 versus $27,281 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the village was $20,237. About 7.4% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 16.8% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

==Schools==

===Public schools===
* Milton Terrace South (closed summer 2013)
* Milton Terrace Elementary School
* Wood Road Elementary School
* Malta Avenue Elementary School (Ballston Spa High School, 1900–1957)
* Ballston Spa Middle School (Ballston Spa High School, 1957–1998)
* [[Ballston Spa High School]]
* Gordon Creek Elementary School (Opened 2013) (Replacing Milton Terrace South)
Before the 2008-2009 school year, the arrangement of public schools was as follows:
* Milton Terrace Primary School
* Wood Road Intermediate School
* Malta Avenue Intermediate School
* Ballston Spa Middle School
* Ballston Spa High School

===Non-public schools===
* [[St. Mary's Ballston Spa|St. Mary's]] is a [[Roman Catholicism|Catholic]] school located in Ballston Spa, providing students with a Catholic education from preschool through 5th grade.
* Spa Christian School is a small, private, non-denominational Christian school for children Pre-K to 6th grade.
* The Church Mouse is a Christian preschool and pre-K.

==Climate==
This [[climate|climatic]] region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Ballston Spa has a [[humid continental climate]], abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=484703&cityname=Ballston+Spa%2C+New+York%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Ballston Spa, New York]</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Grocers}}

==Bibliography==
{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rn0_AAAAYAAJ |title=Centennial History of Ballston Spa 1763-1907 |last=Grose |first=Edward F. |year=1907 |quote=A Souvenir of the Centennial Celebration Held June 22–25, 1907 |publisher=E. H. Lisk |location=Troy, NY |access-date=November 9, 2010 }}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Ballston Spa}}
{{Commons category|Ballston Spa, New York}}
{{EB1911 poster|Ballston Spa}}
* [https://www.villageofballstonspa.org/ Ballston Spa, NY]
* [https://www.ballston.org Ballston Spa Business and Professional Association]
* [http://www.ballstonhistory.com Ballston Spa and Saratoga County: Industries, Railroads and Inventions]

{{Capital District}}
{{Saratoga County, New York}}
{{New York county seats}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Villages in New York (state)]]
[[Category:County seats in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Spa towns in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Villages in Saratoga County, New York]]
[[Category:1771 establishments in the Province of New York]]