Ravena, New York
Ravena is a village in Albany County, New York, United States. The population was 3,271 in the 2020 census an increase of 3 over the 2010 census. The village is in the southeast part of the town of Coeymans.
History
The village of Ravena incorporated in 1914. Prior to its incorporation, it was known as "Coeymans Junction," but the name was changed to "Ravena" to avoid confusion with another hamlet in the town, "Coeymans Landing."In 1894, a post office was established in Coeymans Junction bearing the name Ravena. The name source of the post office is unclear. Some believe that the village's proximity to cliffs on its western boundary lent to the area being referred to as the ravine. Others feel that a brand of flour, Raven, was the inspiration behind the name.
The Israel Shear House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
Demographics
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, there were 3,369 people, 1,380 households, and 892 families residing in the village. The population density was. There were 1,487 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the village was 92.82% White, 2.91% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.98% from other races, and 2.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.16% of the population.There were 1,380 households, out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $42,875 and the median income for a family was $54,875. Males had a median income of $40,351 versus $26,865 for females. The per capita income for the village was $20,145. About 8.4% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.3% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The village of Ravena contains Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk High School and Middle School, as well as Pieter B. Coeymans Elementary School in the Hamlet of Coeymans, one of two elementary schools in the district. The second elementary school, A.W. Becker Elementary, is located in the hamlet of Selkirk in the town of Bethlehem.In addition to formal schooling, educational and entertainment information is available at the RCS Community Library which is located at 95 Main Street in the village of Ravena. The library serves the residents of the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District in southeastern Albany County, New York State and is a part of the Upper Hudson Library System. The library also provides in-house use of computers, photocopy and fax services to the public.
Commerce and industry
Cement plant
The village of Ravena is home to a Holcim Cement Plant. The plant was originally Atlantic Cement, but was bought out in the early 2000s. On July 11, 2008, the Albany Times Union reported that Holcim's Ravena plant "was the greatest source of mercury emissions in New York from 2004 to 2006". According to the story, plans have been made to upgrade the plant to reduce the mercury emissions. A second story, published the following day, stated that the factory had emitted 400 pounds of mercury annually from 2004 to 2006.As of 2016, Holcim is completing a $300 million upgrade to its Ravena plant that includes a new dry-process cement kiln that will replace two 50-year-old wet-process kilns. The new kiln will use less coal and emit fewer pollutants, including a 66% reduction in mercury emissions, while increasing production capacity. It will also take less water from the Hudson River, getting most of its water from the nearby limestone quarry that feeds the plant.