Our Neighborhoods | Chemung History

Local Town Names

Chemung, NY was first called “Buckville.”
Horseheads, NY was sometimes known as “Fairport” and “North Elmira.”
Big Flats, NY was first called “Great Plains” and sometimes “Little Egypt.”
Southport, NY was named for the southern port on the southside of the Chemung River in Elmira.
Lowman, NY was first called “West Chemung” and sometimes “Stumptown.”
Millport, NY was first called “Millvale.”
Pine City, NY was first called “Pine Woods.”
Wellsburg, NY was first spelled “Wellsburgh.”

Our Old Neighborhoods

Pigeon Point - named for the thousands of pigeons that lived in the area of Lake and Oak Streets
Frog Hollow was the area east of Madison Avenue and between Church and Harper Streets
Pickaway - the area of today’s Sts. Peter & Paul Cemetery
“The Buttonwoods” area east of Brand Park named for the “buttonball” or sycamore trees that grow there.
The Patch - near the Rolling mill on East Washington Avenue
The Italian Patch - around Railroad Avenue, Magee and North Main Streets
Slabtown - an eastside neighborhood around today’s Ernie Davis School
Jewtown - the area around today’s Bragg Towers
Germantown - the area around Madison Avenue and Church Streets
Polandertown - from College Avenue to the Arnot-Odgen Medical Ceneter area and from Washington Avenue to the Elmira Correctional Facility
Carr’s Corners - the five street area of West Hill, Hoffman, Bancroft and Hillcrest Roads
Brookside Gardens - Sherman, Plymouth, and Woodbine Avenue area.
Universal Village - Robert and Allen Streets
Prospect Hill - the hill that Elmira College sits upon