^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Village of Watkins Glen, New York (U.S.)

Schuyler County

On this page:

Introduction: The Village of Watkins Glen, New York
Watkins Glen Village Flag
Watkins Glen Village Seal
Watkins Glenn Vintage Souvenir Pennants
Watkins Glen State Park - Rainbow Falls
Watkins Glen International Raceway - Watkins Glen Grand Prix
False Watkins Glen Flags
Motorcycle Racing in Watkins Glen

See also:

Introduction: The Village of Watkins Glen, New York

     Watkins Glen is a small historic village with a population of just under 2000 residents located between the towns of Dix and Reading in Schuyler County, New York. It was first settled in 1791 and informally incorporated as Jefferson by 1842. In 1852, it was officially renamed Watkins to honor the Watkins family who had opened several mills in the area in the 1790s and were important in building up the area's infrastructure of roads and businesses. "Glen" was added to its name in 1926. Brine Well Salt production was Watkins first important industry. Watkins Glen is now the the county seat of Schuyler County and the self-proclaimed "Heart of the Finger Lakes."
     In more recent times Watkins Glen became the home of the Formula One United States Grand Prix, which it hosted for twenty consecutive years (1961-1980) until having financial difficulties. Interestingly enough the original course, organized in 1948, started in the public streets of the village and ran for 6.6 miles. These public streets remain today with a checkered flags and signs marking the course and the original start-finish line.
     Because the Village of Watkins Glen is surrounded by the beautiful 778-acre Watkins Glen State Park and is located at the southern tip of Lake Seneca, it is a popular tourist destination visited by thousands each year. Watkins Glen is today the home of Farm Sanctuary, a national farm animal protection organization started in 1986.
     Watkins Glen has also become a destination for classic movie lovers. It is the home port of the schooner "True Love" which was built in 1926. It was featured in the 1956 box office hit movie "High Society" (two Academy Award nominations) staring Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, and Grace Kelly (Kelly's final role before she became Princess of Monaco). The movie was the musical remake of the iconic 1940 film "The Philadelphia Story" starring Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart. The schooner True Love is still an excursion boat sailing out of the the Watkins Glenn harbor on Lake Seneca.
Sources: Village of Watkins Glen , (Comprehensive Plan), Village of Watkins Glen (Document Library), Watkins Glen (Wikipedia), and High Society (Wikipedia).
Pete Loeser, 27 February 2023

Village of Watkins Glen Flag

According to the Mayor's office of Watkins Glen, the Village of Watkins Glen has never had an official flag of their own. They display the national flag in front of their village office and at their village meetings. This was verified on 31 March 2023 in a phone conversation with Megan Fernendez, Office-Assistant for the Mayor's Office of Watkins Glen, and confirmed by her with other staff members.
Pete Loeser, 31 March 2023

Watkins Glen Village Seal
The Heart of the Finger Lakes

image located by Masao Okazaki, 26 February 2023

It seems Watkins Glen is often referred to as a "town" on the internet, but calls itself a village. The attached seal comes from both an official Facebook page and a Village of Watkins Glen webpage.
Masao Okazaki, 26 February 2023

Watkins Glen Town Seal (Colorized Variant)

The stylized design elements used in the village seal are the Seneca Lake Boat House, a racing trophy, a piece of roadway, and Rainbow Waterfall used to form the letters "W" and "G".
It is used as a black and white illustration most of the time, but I discovered one colorized variant (below) in the village minutes.
Pete Loeser, 28 February 2023

image located by Pete Loeser, 28 February 2023
based on this logo found in the village minutes.

The color logo was found at the bottom of a report contained in the village's departmental documentation. It doesn't seem to be in wide use, however. The Seneca Lake Boat House and the racing trophy are rendered in (red), the piece of roadway is (black), and the waterfall and text "Watkins Glen in (blue). The text "The Heart of the Finger Lakes" is (red), boathouse fence rails are (blue), and the surrounding concentric circles are (blue/red).
Pete Loeser, 28 February 2023

Watkins Glen Town Seal (Modern Variant)

image located by Pete Loeser, 28 February 2023

This modern logo was used extensively in the Village of Watkins Glen's Comprehensive Plan (official report published 2012).
The report contains many recent and historical photos and is worth a look.
Pete Loeser, 28 February 2023

Watkins Glenn Vintage Souvenir Pennants

Because Watkins Glenn is a tourist destination a thriving souvenir market has existed there since the early 1920s. A wide variety of souvenir pennants are available for the village and nearby attractions. Here are some circa 1930s/1940s/1950s examples.
Pete Loeser, 10 March 2023

Generic Pennants (exact dates of use undetermined)

images by Pete Loeser, 10 March 2023 - based on this photo and this illustration of vintage souvenir pennants. (circa 1920s/1930s)

Because many Watkins Glenn tourist Felt souvenir pennants don't identify particular attractions it is hard to identify specifics. Here are a couple examples.
Pete Loeser, 10 March 2023

Decorative Wall Pennants (exact dates of use undetermined)

images located by Pete Loeser, 10 March 2023 - based on this photo and this photo of vintage souvenir pennants. (dates unknown)

The second example here is dated 1952, but similar pennants were made each year in different colors during the 50s and 60s and indicating different years. Perhaps a souvenir of a recurring event or as generic souvenir flags for the Watkins Glen area? This requires further research.
Pete Loeser, 10 March 2023

Pennants with Native American Seneca Chief (exact dates of use undetermined)

photos located by Pete Loeser, 10 March 2023

These felt pennants from Watkins Glen featuring the image of a Seneca chief in ceremonial headgear. The first with actual feathers attached to it, is obviously for displaying on a wall. Its caption read: "Watkins Glen N.Y., circa 1940s-1950s." The second pennant has a painted and/or embroidered Seneca Chief's head on it.
Pete Loeser, 10 March 2023

images by Pete Loeser, 28 February 2023 - based on this photo and this photo of vintage souvenir pennants. (dates of use undetermined)

You get the idea...
Pete Loeser, 10 March 2023

Watkins Glen State Park
Rainbow Falls Pennant

image by Pete Loeser, 12 November 2021
Based on this photo of a vintage souvenir pennant. (date unknown).

"Watkins Glen State Park is the most famous of the Finger Lakes State Parks, with a reputation for leaving visitors spellbound. Within two miles, the glen's stream descends 400 feet past 200-foot cliffs, generating 19 waterfalls along its course. The gorge path winds over and under waterfalls and through the spray of Cavern Cascade. Rim trails overlook the gorge." (source)
Pete Loeser, 28 February 2023

Watkins Glen International Raceway
Watkins Glen Grand Prix (1961-1980)

image by Pete Loeser, 28 December 2023
based on this photo.

Today, the Watkins Glen International Raceway, or "The Glen," is located just southwest of the village and hosts the annual NASCAR Cup Series, the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races, and other IndyCar races. Early spectator deaths in the race forced it to be moved off the local public streets were it had began in 1948 to just outside to the village proper (now a subdivision of the town of Dix) just southwest of the village of Watkins Glen in 1956.
Pete Loeser, 25 February 2023

image by Pete Loeser, 21 March 2023

My drawing of this two-sided souvenir Watkins Glen International Raceway flag (made by the WinCraft Flag Company) is based on the packaging illustration that came with the flag. (year unclear)
Pete Loeser, 21 March 2023 2023

As a NASCAR fan, I'm going to guess late 1990s or early 2000s for the vintage year of this flag. The current Watkins Glen International flags, produced and sold under license, follow the typical current pattern for NASCAR tracks, featuring the track logo on a thick black stripe across the middle of a standard black-and-white checkered flag.
Randy Young, 26 March 2023

False Watkins Glen Flags
(Neither village or raceway flags)

images submitted by Paul Haines, 11 November 2021

A white flag with the seal centered.
Paul Haines, 11 November 2021

This flag was purporting to be that of the Village of Watkins Glen, New York, and provided to FOTW without any official or photographic confirmation. The image was traced to a Redbubble sticker and is for a racetrack, not the Village of Watkins Glen.
Masao Okazaki, 26 February 2023

Thus far I have not been able to verify these variant Watkins Glen flags actual existence, either as a village flags or as a raceway flags.
See discussion: Questionable and False Flags.
Pete Loeser, 21 March 2023

Motorcycle Racing in Watkins Glen

image by Pete Loeser, 5 March 2023
based on this photo of a vintage souvenir pennant. (date unknown).

Following World War I, motorcycle racing gained popularity and there were races in many of the old automobile race centers; Watkins Glen was no exception. The development of motorcycling often paralleled with the development of automobile racing. Organized Motorcycle racing in North America began as early as 1903 with the formation of the Federation of American Motorcyclists in New York City. By 1924 this society evolved into the still-active American Motorcycle Association. (source)
Today there is a Vintage Race Weekend in Watkins Glenn. A scenic ride touring the hills and lakes of the surrounding wine country is open to riders of classic and sporting motorcycles of all eras. The back country tour includes two Cayuga Health System Laps of the original 6.6 Mile Grand Prix course through the streets of Watkins Glen. (source)
Pete Loeser, 5 March 2023