Ballston Spa

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. In 1803, Ballston Spa's 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. 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, and the Hudson Valley Railway. The village was famous for its mineral water spring used for healing in sanatoria, including the Hawthorne and Lithia springs. The effervescent water, tonic, and cathartic from this city is also known as Ballston Spa. The liquid contains common salt and carbonates of magnesium and calcium. 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 singer, wrote in his song "When I Go Out" details about his trip through Pennsylvania and 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. 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. 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.…

Geography

Ballston Spa is located at (43.007185, -73.851168). According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , of which 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 and Interstate 87 (The Northway).

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  13,736
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  13,042
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  12,717
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  12,044
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  11,876
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  11,484
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  10,929
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  9,984

Largest nearby schools

• SARATOGA SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL
  High · SARATOGA SPRINGS · 1,947 students · 13.3:1 ratio
• MAPLE AVENUE MIDDLE SCHOOL
  Middle · SARATOGA SPRINGS · 1,392 students · 12.4:1 ratio
• BALLSTON SPA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
  High · BALLSTON SPA · 1,249 students · 10.4:1 ratio
• BALLSTON SPA MIDDLE SCHOOL
  Middle · BALLSTON SPA · 945 students · 10.7:1 ratio
• BURNT HILLS-BALLSTON LAKE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
  High · BURNT HILLS · 928 students · 10.4:1 ratio
• GOWANA MIDDLE SCHOOL
  Middle · CLIFTON PARK · 773 students · 13.3:1 ratio
• KODA MIDDLE SCHOOL
  Middle · CLIFTON PARK · 751 students · 13.7:1 ratio
• ACADIA MIDDLE SCHOOL
  Middle · CLIFTON PARK · 744 students · 12.2:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 3.1 — 2020-03-11
  0 km SSW of South Glens Falls, New York
• M 2.79 — 2015-09-27
  New York
• M 2.76 — 2011-08-27
  5 km WSW of Altamont, New York
• M 2.69 — 2011-08-25
  5 km WSW of Altamont, New York
• M 3.15 — 2009-12-13
  15 km N of Medusa, New York
• M 2.56 — 2009-12-13
  14 km N of Medusa, New York