West Seneca, New York

West Seneca is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 44,711 at the 2010 census. West Seneca is a centrally located interior town of the county, and a suburb of Buffalo. West Seneca, Orchard Park and Hamburg form the inner "Southtowns", a cluster of middle-class suburban towns.

History

Because the town is on land of the former Buffalo Creek Reservation, it was not open to white settlement until the mid-19th century.

In 1851, the town of Seneca was formed from parts of the towns of Cheektowaga and Hamburg. The town changed the name to West Seneca in 1852 to avoid confusion with another location in the state (Seneca, New York in Ontario County). In 1909 the area immediately south of Buffalo split from West Seneca, becoming the city of Lackawanna.

The Eaton Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The Community of True Inspiration Residence was listed in 2013.

Quality of life

West Seneca offers a community rich suburban lifestyle. The town and local businesses sponsor a large number of family oriented community events and festivals. The town has an extensive system of recreational facilities including 15 town parks, an indoor skating rink, swimming center, youth community center and a large soccer complex. The town is home to the Charles E. Burchfield Nature & Art Center. West Seneca is also the location of the 7.2 million dollar state of the art Southtowns Family YMCA Facility that opened in 2003. A recreational bicycle and pedestrian trail tentatively named the Seneca Creek Pathway is planned.