Gloversville

Gloversville is a city in the Mohawk Valley region of Upstate New York, and the most populous city in Fulton County. Gloversville was once the hub of the United States' glovemaking industry, with over two hundred manufacturers in Gloversville and the adjacent city of Johnstown.[6] In 2010, Gloversville had a population of 15,665.[7] In 2019, the U.S. Census Bureau's estimates program calculated that the city's population was 14,747.[8]

Settlers came to the Gloversville area as early as 1752.[9]

The region, historically known as "Kingsborough", was acquired by Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet, who established tremendous influence with the Native Americans of the area, which translated into control of the Mohawk Valley region. It was due to Johnson where the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy remained allied with England during the French and Indian War. In reward, Johnson was granted the Kingsborough Tract, a large parcel of land which was settled by Scottish Highlanders. The Highlanders were so loyal to Johnson that when he died in 1774, they followed his son to Canada.[10]

In 1752, Arent Stevens purchased land in the area. Puritans from New England settled there at the end of the 18th century, utilizing the houses and cleared land that had been left behind when the Highlanders emigrated.[10] By 1803, according to Elisha Yale, the population of Kingsborough consisted of "233 families and about 1,400 souls. Of the families, 191 are of English descent, twenty-three Scotch, fourteen Dutch, and five Irish."[10]

In 1852 Gloversville had a population of 1,318 living on 525 acres in 250 small wood-frame houses centered on the "Four Corners" formed by the intersection of Main and Fulton Streets.[9] The proximity of hemlock forests to supply bark for tanning made the community a center of leather production early in its history: there were already 40 small glove and mitten factories there by 1852.[9] The city would become the center of the American glovemaking industry for many years. From 1890 to 1950, 90% of all gloves sold in the United States were made in Gloversville.[11]

Upon the establishment of a United States post office in 1828, "Gloversville" became the official name of the community. Prior to that Gloversville had been known as "Stump City" because of the large number of trees that had been cut down.[12] In 1853, Gloversville incorporated as a village,[9] and then in 1890 as a city.[2] The city grew rapidly, and the population swelled from 4,000 in 1877 to 13,864 in 1890.

Glove-making operations had gradually changed from being home-based to being factory-based, and large tanneries and glove shops employed nearly 80% of the residents of Gloversville area. Home workers sewed the gloves from leather which had been cut in factories. Related businesses, such as box makers, sewing machine repairmen, and thread dealers opened to serve the industry.

Until 1936, Gloversville had a very active electric interurban line, the Fonda, Johnstown and Gloversville Railroad. It ran from Gloversville, through Johnstown, along the Mohawk River to Amsterdam, then to Scotia, then across the Mohawk River, and into downtown Schenectady to the New York Central station. In 1932, in a bold move during the Great Depression it acquired unique bullet cars in an attempt to revive the economy. Freight operation continued through this era.[13] Gloversville also became the main headquarters for the Schine movie industry in the mid-20th century.[14]

Following the Great Depression, the decline of the glove industry left the city financially depressed with many downtown storefronts abandoned and store windows covered with plywood. Many houses were abandoned when people moved out of town to find jobs elsewhere. The city's population peaked at 23,634 in 1950 and had since fallen to 15,665 people in 2010.[15] In 2018, redevelopment plans of downtown Gloversville were revealed.[16] In 2019, Mayor Vincent DeSantis (D) proposed economic revitalization plans.[17] On June 5, 2020, the Regan Development Corporation, based in Ardsley, New York, proposed plans to develop a new commercial space and apartment complex for the city.[18] The city, along with the Fulton County Center for Regional Growth, also began expanding digital marketing to attract new residents and businesses from throughout New York State in efforts to diversify.[19]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.1 square miles (13.3 km2), of which 0.0077 square miles (0.02 km2), or 0.17%, is water.[7] New York State Route 29A (Fulton Street) is an east–west road through the city. New York State Route 30A is a north–south highway along the eastern edge of the city, leading south 4 miles (6 km) into Johnstown and northeast 5 miles (8 km) to Mayfield at the southwestern end of Great Sacandaga Lake. Another north–south highway, New York State Route 309 (Bleecker Street), has its southern terminus at NY-29A in the center of Gloversville.

Cayadutta Creek, a tributary of the Mohawk River, flows southward through the city.

The city sits in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains and therefore is within a climatic transition zone. Gloversville experiences the warmer summer temperatures common throughout the Capital Region, Hudson Valley, and Mohawk Valley while experiencing generally more copious precipitation throughout the year than the Capital Region. This manifests in commonplace rolling thunderstorms throughout the summer months and snowfall amounts more akin to the lake-pocked higher elevations of the Adirondacks in the winter months.

At the American Community Survey's 2019 estimates, Gloversville had a population of 14,747 and 6,159 households.[8] The racial and ethnic makeup of Gloversville was 91.5% non-Hispanic white, 2.0% Black or African American, 1.1% American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.9% Asian American, 1.2% from two or more races, and 4.4% Hispanic or Latino of any race. The 2018 estimates determined its multiracial population was primarily White or Black and African American, and White and Asian.[22] Of the Hispanic or Latin American population, Mexicans and Puerto Ricans were the largest groups at the 2018 census estimates.

Gloversville's median age in 2018 was 40.5, higher than the national average of 38 in 2019.[23] The estimated median household income from 2014 to 2018 was $37,416 and the per capita income was $20,562.[8] The city's median value for housing units was $76,800 in 2019. An estimated 26.4% of the city lived at or below the poverty line.

At the census of 2010, there were 15,665 people, 6,486 households, and 3,763 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,047.7 people per square mile (1,176.9/km2). There were 7,477 housing units at an average density of 1,454.7 per square mile (561.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.4% White, 2.8% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.9% some other race, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.4% of the population.[24]

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older in 2010. The median age was 37.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.[24]

For the period 2010–14, the estimated median annual income for a household in the city was $35,317, and the median income for a family was $47,114. Male full-time workers had a median income of $39,682 versus $30,288 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,949. About 20.7% of families and 25.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36.4% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.[25]

According to Sperling's BestPlaces, less than 30% of Gloversville professes religious affiliation as of 2020. The largest religious group in Gloversville and its area is Christianity, mainly served by the Roman Catholic, United Methodist, Presbyterian, Latter-Day Saints, and Episcopal churches. Conservative evangelical churches in the area are the Southern Baptist Convention and Assemblies of God. The second largest religious group is Judaism, followed by adherents of eastern religions including Hinduism and Buddhism.[26]

The city of Gloversville was once a major center for the glovemaking industry in the United States. Since the Great Depression, the city has struggled with a declining population, poverty, drugs, and violent crime.[27][28] During the late 2010s and early 2020, the city has proposed numerous economic redevelopment plans to stem its decline.[16][17][18]

Gloversville falls entirely within the Gloversville Enlarged School District[29] All of Gloversville ESD's schools are within city limits, with the exception of Meco Elementary, which is in the Town of Johnstown within 0.5 miles (0.80 km) of the city's western border.[30][31] Nearby Fulton–Montgomery Community College is located in the Town of Johnstown.

The city and area are primarily served by The Leader-Herald, a regional newspaper which is headquartered there. Gloversville lies within the Capital Region's media market. In addition to stations licensed to Albany, Gloversville is also served by radio stations WENT (1340 AM) and WFNY (1440 AM), and television station WFNY-CD (channel 16).

The Kingsboro Assembly of God Church, built in 1838 as a Presbyterian church, is the centerpiece of the Kingsboro Historic District

The Fulton County Historical Society operates the Fulton County Museum from a former public elementary school built in 1900

The Glove Theatre on North Main Street was the flagship of the Schine Enterprises chain

The Gloversville Armory was built in 1904. It is still used by the New York Army National Guard.

The Eccentric Club building, completed in 1908, is part of the Downtown Gloversville Historic District The club was founded in 1882.

The Gloversville Public Library building is a Carnegie Library built in 1904

Notes

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