View source for Ballston Spa, New York

'''Ballston Spa''' is a [[village]] and the [[county seat]] of [[Saratoga County, New York]], United States, located southwest of [[Saratoga Springs, New York|Saratoga Springs]].
The population of the village, named after Rev. [[Eliphalet Ball]], a Congregationalist clergyman and an early settler, was 5,409 at the 2010 census. 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]].

==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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://history.rays-place.com/ny/milton-ny.htm |title=History of Milton, NY |publisher=History.rays-place.com |date= |accessdate=2012-11-25}}</ref>

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, senators and governors stayed there, as well as many wealthy private citizens. Ballston Spa was incorporated as a village in 1807.

At one time the village was served by four railroads: the [[Delaware and Hudson Railway]], the [[Ballston Terminal Railroad]], the [[Schenectady Railway Company]]

The village was famous for its [[mineral water]] [[Spring (hydrosphere)|spring]] used for healing in [[sanatorium]]s,<ref>{{cite news |title=Spa, Sanatorium |url=https://archive.org/stream/independen79v80newy#page/n77/mode/1up |newspaper=The Independent |date=Jul 13, 1914 |accessdate=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 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.

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. 

===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] 
It is also home to Brookside Museum, Saratoga County Historical Society.<ref>[http://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. In 2015, the bank opened its 11th branch. It also boasts a world class IT department.

[[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.

===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
* [[Abner Doubleday]], [[American Civil War]] hero and supposed inventor of [[baseball]] was born in Ballston Spa. The house he was born in is designated as a [[New York (state)|New York]] State landmark.[[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.
* [[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.<ref name="lost" />

==Geography==
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}} of it 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
|estyear=2018
|estimate=5276

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 also known as Gordon Creek Elementary School)
* 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 Fall 2013)

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/?id=rn0_AAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false |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 |accessdate=9 November 2010 |ref=CITEREFGrose1907}}

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

[[Category:Villages in New York (state)]]
[[Category:New York (state)]]
[[Category:Spa towns in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Saratoga County, New York]]
[[Category:Alcoholism]]