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Angelica

Our small, historical village nestles in the foothills of Allegany County, conveniently located near Alfred University, Alfred State College, Houghton College, and St. Bonaventure University, but anywhere in the village is an amble away.

Angelica is a small town with a population of 1000 friendly folks, people who cherish their small-town lifestyle, a unique blend of the past and present with a watchful eye on the future. Stroll our tree-lined streets, visit our antique and country shops, rest a while in the Park and begin to understand why Angelicans call their home, "A Town Where History Lives."

Philip Church:  Captain Philip Church, after a year of exploring the 100,000 acres he had purchased the year before, selected the site for a village, which he named Angelica, in honor of his mother, Angelica Schuyler Church, who has her own archive at the University of Virginia with letters from Washington, Hamilton, Jefferson, and many other influential correspondents.

Evert VanWickle: Angelica was to be a planned community. Evert Van Wickle, land agent and surveyor for the Church family, built the first framed house west of Bath, New York, in 1802; this year marks the 205th anniversary of the oldest structure in Allegany County.

Moses VanCampen: Moses Van Campen, an Indian fighter and Revolutionary War hero, worked as surveyor for Church. He soon became involved in government affairs, serving as treasurer and judge.

Rev. Calvin Fairbanks:  Methodist preacher, Rev. Calvin Fairbank, confined in prison 17 years for freeing 47 slaves in Kentucky, is also buried here.

French Aristocrats: At approximately the same time, two families of French political exiles, the DuPonts and the d'Autremonts, arrived in Angelica. Members of both families showed an active interest in humanitarian and public affairs.

More History...