A Message from the Mayor
Welcome and thank you for visiting the Village of Elba web page. I hope this site will provide useful information about the Village and the surrounding area.
Elba is a small rural village with a very large heart. We are about one (1) square mile in size, located just north of Batavia, NY and only a short drive to the cities of Buffalo and Rochester. In addition to the Village Board that oversees the operation of the Village, it employs a full time Clerk Treasurer, full time Department of Public Works Supervisor and a part-time Clerk.
This close-knit community consists of the Elba Central School, several small businesses, Elba Fire District, a Village Park which includes courts for basketball, tennis and pickle ball. The Village is surrounded by many great farms. We also have two cemeteries with Pine Hill being the oldest and Maple Lawn as well as four churches within the Village: First Baptist, United Methodist, First Presbyterian and St. Padre Pio Parish.
If you’re looking for a “Sunday drive,” please consider coming out to the country for a drive around the rich farmland that surrounds our quaint and pretty Village, enjoy a snack or meal and visit one of the seasonal farm stands.
History of the Village
First settled in 1802 by John Young as Pine Hill sometimes called “The Pinery,” it wasn’t until 1894 that Elba was incorporated and became the Village of Elba. The name “Pine Hill” was derived from a Native American name for the area, but “Elba” comes from a little island off the coast of Tuscany, Italy.
The Village of Elba is approximately one square mile surrounded by rich fertile soils, including muckland (black dirt) which helped to bring early settlers to the area. Our residents refer to Elba as the Onion Capital of the World as we are one of the largest onion producers in the country.
In the late 1800’s the center of the Village was a vibrant business and industrial center. Located near the intersection of Main, Mechanic and Chapel, you could find the Elba Hotel, Tornado Windmill Company, a tannery, grocery, crockery, machinery and stave yard. Elba was also the first place in New York State to have rural mail carriers. In 1886 Russell Crosby was sworn in as the first rural carrier in the United States.
Our quaint Village includes one school containing grades Pre-K through 12, four churches, the Elba Fire District, and two cemeteries. Businesses include a restaurant, two catering businesses, auto service center, hairdresser, two gyms, party hall, candy/craft store, antique/feed store, pizzeria, metal working shop, bottle redemption store
