Batavia s origins can be traced back to 1801 when Joseph Ellicott, surveyor and land agent for the Holland Land Company, laid out the town s principal thoroughfares. As Batavia grew, it became incorporated as a village in 1823 and as a city in 1915. Over the years, the face of the community has undergone many changes. Mansions were built along Main Street and then largely disappeared. A number of major factories sprang up but later failed or the businesses...