Facts

  • Dansville was first settled in 1795 by Daniel Faulkner, a local storekeeper and Militia Captain.
  • Birthplace of the American Red Cross, founded in 1881 by Clara Barton.
  • Pioneered by Nathaniel Rochester, founder of the City that bears his name.

Dansville carries on a tradition of progressive community works.

The Village of Dansville was first settled in 1795 by Daniel Faulkner, and covers a large portion of the Township.  Dansville is nestled deep within the heart of the Genesee Valley where the Seneca Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy once laid claim to the land.  Dansville is surrounded by fertile farmland, rolling wooded hillsides, lakes, and streams and offers a unique balance between rural beauty and a thriving business community.

Dansville has an unusually rich history.  Dansville gained national prominence when a water cure enterprise was established in 1858 and run for 60 years by the Jackson family of physicians.  The water cure enterprise rivaled the health resorts of Europe and attracted such luminaries as Frederick Douglas, Susan B. Anthony, and Horace Greeley.  It was this facility that attracted Miss Clara Barton to Dansville to regain her health while establishing the American Red Cross.  During her stay in 1881, she established the first local society of the Red Cross in this country and it has been nationally recognized as the Clara Barton Chapter No. 1.

Founded over 200 years ago, Dansville carries on a tradition of progressive community works.