Hammondsport, NY

Hammondsport sits at the south end of Keuka Lake in Steuben County, where the lake’s water, hills, and vineyards meet a compact village center. Settled in 1792 and incorporated in 1856, it grew from mills, lake transport, and the grape trade. Vineyards began spreading around Keuka Lake in the nineteenth century, and grapes moved by boat, wagon, and the Bath and Hammondsport Railroad. The 2020 census counted 583 residents. State Routes 54 and 54A shape the road approach to the lake village.

Two local legacies still organize the village. Pulteney Square and its historic district form the center, while wineries and the Keuka Lake waterfront connect Hammondsport to the Finger Lakes wine region. Glenn H. Curtiss was born here, tested early aircraft and seaplanes on Keuka Lake, and is remembered at the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum south of the village. Parks, boat shows, music, firemen’s events, and the wine calendar add recurring dates to the lake-town year. Hammondsport is a village where wine, aviation, and lake transport share one narrow valley.