JCPenney

Batavia is the only City in Genesee County and serves as the County seat with a corporate boundary of 5.2 square miles, serving a population of 15,399 residents. The City of Batavia is a business-friendly organization with a balanced budget, quality services and an affordable cost of living. The City of Batavia is committed to serving the community with the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and ethics, while being results-focused.

Batavia was named to acknowledge and honor the Dutch investors who comprised the Holland Land Company. At that time, their homeland of the Netherlands was known as the Republic of Batavia, a name taken from the Batavii. The Batavii were a tribe of people who lived in the Netherlands during Roman times and are considered to be the forerunners of the modern Dutch nation.

The Batavia Industrial Center, launched in the 1950s, was the first business incubator in the world. John Elway, later quarterback of the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos, hit his first professional home run at Batavia’s Dwyer Stadium while playing minor league baseball. When Buffalo was burned by the British in the War of 1812, refugees and soldiers alike fled to Batavia where they found a safe haven.

The first Union soldier to enlist in the Civil War was from Batavia. Many celebrities have visited, entertained, or otherwise spent time in Batavia, often drawing large crowds. For example, in 1926, over 1,000 people turned out to hear Helen Keller speak.