Map of Medina village, New York

Medina /mɪˈdaɪnə/ is a village in the Towns of Shelby and Ridgeway in Orleans County, New York, United States. It is located approximately 10 miles south of Lake Ontario. 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, to the east, and Buffalo, to the west. It is also about 30 minutes from two small cities, Batavia and Lockport.

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Medina location map. Where is Medina village?

History

Joseph Ellicott, the agent of the Holland Land Company, once owned land that encompassed part of the village, purchased from the Holland Land Company. 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. The charter of incorporation called for five Trustees to be elected as village officials. That same year the first printing press was set up in the village and the first newspaper published, The Medina Herald.

In 1852, the railroad arrived in Medina and passenger service quickly became popular.

Early Industry

Medina’s first known industry was an ashery. The area was mostly covered in trees and brush when Ebenezer Mix was assigned to survey the area. Clearing the area would have been necessary for the village to be laid out and the Erie Canal built. An ashery would convert hardwood ash into lye or other usable products. Most of these industries would rely on the Erie Canal for their transportation needs.

Medina had a variety of mills over the years. Grain and flour mills were very important to the area and built as early as 1830. Two stave mills existed in the 1870’s, producing wood strips for the production of barrels. A Cloth mill also existed for a time though exactly when is not known. Saw mills were used for creating rough lumber and finished boards for other local industry.

The popularity of flour production resulted in a large need for barrels to transport the flour down the Erie Canal.

The Bignall Foundry began selling iron pumps, sinks, and more in 1861. After several fires, the company was part of a consolidation into the Central Foundry Company along with two other local foundries, A.L. Swett Company and Beach & Co in 1899. The Central Foundry focused on soil pipe manufacturing. A.L Swett Iron Works opened in 1871 to manufacture hardware specialties and continued operations in Medina through the 1920’s. Beach & Co manufactured plumbing supplies starting in the 1880’s.

The Maher Brothers were the first large scale furniture maker in Medina, opening in 1882. The family continued to run the business until 1928. S.A. Cook opened their furniture business around 1882, the Morris chair being among their most popular products. In 1911, Mr. Cook built a large block on Main St which still bears his name today. Another large furniture company of note was the Empire Couch Company. They moved to Medina in 1902. They successfully operated through the widening of the canal in 1913 but could not stay in business during through the Depression, declaring bankruptcy in 1935.

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.

Pearl Street Armory

In 1901, a State Armory was built of Medina Sandstone and located on the corner of Pearl St and Prospect Ave. Company F moved into the facility in 1902 with units serving in WWI and WWII. The Armory was officially closed by NYS in 1977. Company F records can found at Lee-Whedon Memorial Library. A bronze statue and memorial was erected in front of the building in honor of Company F in 2019. The building now houses the YMCA.

POW Camp

Medina’s Heinz factory housed a POW camp from 1943 to 1946. Seventy-one 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.

Medina Road Map

Medina city Satellite Map

Geography

Medina is located at 43°13′11″N 78°23′24″W / 43.21972°N 78.39000°W / 43.21972; -78.39000 (43.219808, -78.390101).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.5 km), of which 3.3 square miles (8.5 km) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km) (2.39%) 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.

See also