Ballston Spa is a village in and the county seat of Saratoga County, New York, United States, located southwest of Saratoga Springs. It is part of the Capital Region.[2] The population of the village, named after Rev. Eliphalet Ball, a Congregationalist clergyman and an early settler,[3] was 5,111 at the 2020 census.[4] Ballston Spa lies on the border of two towns, situated partly in the Town of Ballston and partly in the 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'.
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.[citation needed]
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.[5] Ballston Spa was incorporated as a village in 1807.
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.[9]
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.
In 1838 the Ballston Spa National Bank, one of the oldest still functioning American banks, was founded. As of 2022, the Bank has 13 branches.[16]
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.[17] The village was also home to the Ballston Knitting Company from 1918 to 1994.[citation needed]
As the county seat of Saratoga County, county offices, courts, law enforcement, and the jail are major employers.
Ebby Thacher, Bill Wilson's (co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous) sponsor.
Ira Thomas (1881–1958), 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 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.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2), of which 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2) is land and 0.62% is water.
As of the 2020 census, Ballston Spa had a population of 5,111. The median age was 42.0 years. 19.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.2 males age 18 and over.[19][20]
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.[21]
There were 2,317 households in Ballston Spa, of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 36.5% were married-couple households, 21.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 38.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[19]
There were 2,480 housing units, of which 6.6% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.4%.[19]
As of the 2000 census, there were 5,556 people in the village.[22] The population density was 3,464.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,337.8/km2). There were 2,398 housing units at an average density of 1,495.4 per square mile (577.4/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 96.33% White, 1.17% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.61% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.94% of the population.
Of the 2,267 households, 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were 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.
This 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.[23]
Grose, Edward F. (1907). Centennial History of Ballston Spa 1763-1907. Troy, NY: E. H. Lisk. Retrieved November 9, 2010. A Souvenir of the Centennial Celebration Held June 22–25, 1907
