RPL HISTORY

Richmondville Power & Light - History

Village of Richmondville
New York
Established 1881
Focused on the future

295 Main Street Richmondville New York 12149 - Phone: 518-294-7700 - Email: rvilleclerk@rville.org

Richmondville Power & Light - History

RPL - Business Phones

The forefathers of the Village of Richmondville, nearly a century ago, had the wisdom and foresight to electrify our community.

The Great Bear Light and Power Company of East Worcester had been selling electricity to parts of Richmondville in the early years of the twentieth Century. But it was not until August 23rd, 1918 that the village board members thought it was time that we sell our own electricity and that would change how we would become a unique community here in upstate New York. The village board was upset by the poor service Great Bear Light and Power was providing. Power was only produced from “dusk until midnight” and the utility was having trouble maintaining even that level of service! The village petitioned the Public Service Commission multiple times during 1917-18 complaining about the poor electric service that Great Bear was providing. On September 7th, 1918 a “special election” was held in the village to decide whether the village would be allowed to purchase the Great Bear Light and Power Company in the Town and Village of Richmondville. The plan was to buy and extend even further into the town with Richmondville power, but the cost was not to exceed $15,000. That evening Village Clerk Smith A. Patrick recorded a vote of 88 yes and only 2 no! The agreed upon purchase price was $12,500.

Read More about the History of Richmondville - Click Here.

Village Office: (518) 294-7700
Village Barn: (518) 294-7730
rvillerpl@rville.org

Maintained UpstateNYIT