Randolph, NY

The Randolph census-designated place is the former village center within the Town of Randolph in western Cattaraugus County. The broader town counted 2,470 residents in 2020. Randolph sits near the Chautauqua County line, roughly between Salamanca and Jamestown, with I-86/NY 17 crossing the town and exits 15 and 16 providing access. The hamlet is the older settled core, while the town around it includes East Randolph and several rural crossroads.

Settlement began around 1820 on land once held by the Holland Land Company, and the town took its name from Randolph, Vermont. The village of Randolph incorporated in 1867; East Randolph followed in 1881. Residents voted in 2010 to dissolve both village governments, with the changes taking effect at the end of 2011. The former village center still meets NY 394 and NY 241, and the old Erie Railroad corridor marks another layer of the story. Randolph is a place where municipal lines changed, but the road-and-rail geography kept the center recognizable.