Scotia is on the northern bank of the Mohawk River and was originally purchased by Alexander Lindsay Glen, from the Iroquois Indians, (a Scotland native) in the 17th century. The village was officially incorporated in 1904 and the name is the Latin word for Scotland.
During the 19th century, Scotia was a center for the manufacturing of brooms. During the mid 1800’s was the center of the Broom industry (much like the Town of Rotterdam also in the Schenectady County area) with close to 100 broomcorn farms that produced around 1 million brooms annually. This helped the town’s economy significantly during this period in time.
Some of the popular places to go to in Scotia are Freedom Park and Collins Park. As well as the famous summer eatery, Jumpin Jacks, which is only a short trip across the bridge from SUNY Schenectady County Community College. Scotia is also the home of one of the area’s finest establishments, Glenn Sanders Mansion.
Freedom Park was originally constructed in 1976. Originally a dumping ground, the setting on the Mohawk River was transformed so the Bicentennial Barge would have a place to land. It has since been utilized to create an amphitheatre and a stage and hosts many festivals and community events!
One of the main strips in Scotia is Route 50 (Mohawk Ave) which stretches from Scoti
Scotia is a middle class town with close community ties and quiet communities. It has virtually little to no nightlife, although a few popular bars have sprouted up over the years only to later fizzle out.
