A Message from the Mayor . . .

This Web site has been put together with two groups of people in mind. The first is new residents and interested visitors, for whom we hope the site serves as a sketch of life in Freeville. The second is established residents: the site contains many pieces of information that are often needed but difficult to find.

Freeville (the only incorporated municipality in the nation with this name) is a stubborn village. It is within the Town of Dryden (http://dryden.ny.us/), but it has been an independent entity since its beginning. The first settler in what became Freeville arrived in 1798, and by 1810 the population had reached sixteen; almost two hundred years later, it is only 523.  In some ways life here is reminiscent of village life a hundred years ago. People know one another and one another’s children, they are familiar with the patterns of their neighbors’ lives, they are likely to help each other regardless of any disagreements, and they enjoy village events.

Freeville is full of variety. Its residents are young, middle-aged, and elderly; employed and retired; ethnically and racially various; single and married; fond of their privacy and generous with their time (and opinions). They were born in this country and in other countries. They own their homes and they rent. They live in one- and two-parent households. They have century-old roots in the village and have lived here for just a short time.

They also have a broad range of skills, talents, and hobbies. In this one square mile there are anglers, an architect, artists, athletes, bakers, barbeque czars, builders, canoeists, carpenters, computer whizzes, cooks, cyclists, a dentist, doughnut-makers, editors, electricians, emergency medical technicians, engineers, falconers, farmers, a farrier, financial planners, firefighters, gardeners, a hair stylist, herbalists, hikers, historians, horticulturalists, innkeepers, lawyers, a librarian, mechanics, ministers, musicians, nurses, photographers, physical therapists, plumbers, postcard collectors, printers, ring masters, singers, stone-cutters, students, teachers, train enthusiasts, veterinarians, world travelers, and writers–and doubtless the list is incomplete. These skills and talents are a rich resource for the village, and many community events are enhanced by them.

The Board of Trustees and I hope this site will be helpful to you.  We also hope you will help us: if you see a piece of misinformation, or if you know of something that should be added, please call the village hall at 607-844-8301 and tell our village clerk, Stephanie McConnell.  (Note: for the photos here we thank Nancy Carver, Clara Gallagher, Tim Gallagher, Andy Down, and Simon St. Laurent.  And we thank Penny Beebe and Dan Barrow for creating this site.)

Lotte Carpenter