History of Pittsford, New York
The earliest history we have of our area is that it was part of the lands of the Seneca Indians, the western most tribe of the mighty Iroquois nation. We have records that show that the Marquis DeNonville crossed Lake Ontario from Montreal in 1687 with a force of two thousand French and Indian warriors to make war on the Senecas. DeNonville landed at what is now Ellison Park on July 10, and marched overland, following roughly the path of Irondequoit Creek. That army camped at the Big Spring, a favorite camping site of the Native Americans. DeNonville and his punitive forces were successful in driving the Senecas from this region but in so doing he created a powerful ally of the English against the French. Whenever there was conflict between the two nations, the Senecas sided with the British.
In 1788 Oliver Phelps and Nathaniel Gorham of Connecticut settled with the state of Massachusetts for a title to the land in western New York. On July 8, 1788, Phelps and Gorham met with the Senecas and signed the Treaty of Buffalo Creek at Geneseo in Livingston County at which the Indians gave up title to all the land between the Genesee River on the west and Seneca Lake on the east and from Lake Ontario south to the Pennsylvania line. This comprised about two and one-half million acres, Simon and Israel Stone, two cousins from Salem, New York, Washington County, had been officers in the Revolutionary War. They had heard about this fertile land in western New York state and arranged to purchase 13,296 acres of land, land for which they were to pay about 36 cents an acre. The two men came to this area in the year 1789 and built crude log cabins. Israel established his site at the Big Spring and Simon's was just a short distance to the south. The two cousins then went back to Salem and were able to persuade family members and friends to join them in this new venture in the "west".
In 1792 the seven townships northeast of the Genesee River were organized into the District of Northfield as part of Ontario County. That same year, Simon built a grist mail on Irondequoit Creek. He built a sawmill the following year and frame houses soon appeared, giving the new community a more permanent look.
The early settlers were proud of this Northfield and wanted to be sure that it grew and developed into a thriving community. A school house was built in 1794 in the area where Mendon, Mendon Center, and Stone Roads merge.
This settlement of structures was called Stonetown but later was known as The Milepost. The cost of this school, the first in what is now all of Monroe County, was raised by subscription with each family paying in proportion to the number of children who would be attending. That cost was $ 1.00 per student.
On April 5, 1796 the District of Northfield was organized as the Town of Northfield. A full set of town officers were elected at that first town meeting held in what is now Pittsford village. Captain Silas Nye was elected the first supervisor and Dr. John Ray was chosen to be Town Clerk - a position he held for the next sixteen years.
In 1808 the town was divided and the name Northfield was changed to Boyle. In 1813 there were more divisions and the name Smallwood was given to this area. In 1814 Smallwood was divided and one part was called Henrietta and the remaining part was named Pittsford. That name was chosen by Col. Caleb Hopkins, a leading citizen who had been supervisor and a hero of the War of 1812. Hopkins named this town for his hometown of Pittsford, Vermont.
A great event in the life of our community was the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825. The village soon become a busy shipping port with produce being sent to the eastern markets. It also brought a heavy migration of settlers from New England and land values rose rapidly. The village expanded and was incorporated in 1827. Another important event which contributed to growth was the coming of the Auburn and Rochester railroad in 1842.
Prior to the Civil War, there had been stories of runaway slaves being hidden in homes and cellars - all part of the Underground Railroad. Unfortunately, we have very little documentation of this theory. We do know that Samuel Crump, a merchant whose store was at the Four Corners, is known to have received runaways into hiding in his barn and in turn, took them in his wagons to the Port of Charlotte where they boarded a boat for freedom in Canada.
There are also, rumors of underground caverns and tunnels beneath the streets of Pittsford village. We have the accounting of more than one person who says they have been in those tunnels, but no one alive today is able to corroborate this fact. If there are caverns and tunnels underground, there is no evidence of any connection with Underground Railroad trafficking.
Pittsford was established as an agrarian community by people of common stock who were willing to let commercialism pass them by. Industry was not encouraged, although there was at one time a thriving Pickle Factory in the community and Pittsford Milling Company was a flourishing business through World War II. The town today is primarily residential and serves as the "bedroom community" for the city of Rochester which is only about ten miles away. Pittsford is an area of beautiful homes and gardens, trees and historical buildings. The school has an excellent reputation as does the library. The municipal officers of both the town and village have paid particular attention to parks and recreational opportunities and have collaborated on many community events. There are numerous restaurants, shops, boutiques and places of worship. In a word, Pittsford is an ideal community in which to live and is ideally located in beautiful upstate New York.
Pittsford is a historic Erie Canal village, located seven miles southeast of Rochester in western New York. This small village, with a population of 1500 persons and an area of approximately three quarters of a square mile, has been remarkably successful in maintaining its distinctive small town character and quality of life despite the rapid growth of the surrounding suburban area.
Pittsford is the oldest of Monroe County's ten incorporated villages. Israel Stone, the village's first settler, built the village's first structure, a log house, in 1789. Early Pittsford served as the governmental seat for the town of Northfield, comprising most of what is now eastern Monroe County. The settlement contained the county's first school (1794), the first library (1803), the first permanent church (1807), the first post office (1811), and the first newspaper (1815). In 1813, after the surrounding towns were organized, reducing Northfield's territory, the name Pittsford was adopted to honor the Vermont birthplace of Colonel Caleb Hopkins, a farmer, community leader and hero from the War of 1812.
Pittsford prospered as a local trading center due to its location on the primary road between the mills at the Genesee Falls in Rochesterville and Canandaigua, the region's oldest and largest town. In 1816 Samuel Hildreth established the area's first stage coach line, eventually putting Pittsford at the center of a large stage network covering much of western New York.
Pittsford grew rapidly after the opening of the Erie Canal in 1822 and was incorporated as a village on July 4, 1827. Local entrepreneurs made fortunes from both canal construction and other businesses which benefited from the canal trade. Pittsford's fine collection of Federal period buildings are remaining evidence of the prosperity the community enjoyed during this period.
Because of its waterpower, Rochester soon eclipsed Pittsford as Monroe County's dominant economic and population center. Pittsford grew slowly through the rest of the nineteenth-century. Boosted by the arrival of the Rochester & Auburn railroad in 1834, Pittsford remained an important shipping center for local grains and produce until the mid-twentieth-century. Village industries included a flour mill, lumberyards, produce warehouses, a malt house and several fruit dry houses. The present charm of the Village's waterfront is due to the survival of historic canal warehouses, mills and silos, many of which have been renovated for boutiques and restaurants.
In the second half of the nineteenth-century wealthy Rochesterians began to establish country estates in and around the village. These estates were the first step in Pittsford's evolution from a farming community into a suburb.
Three of these grand homes remain within the village. Pittsford Farms, the oldest of the three village estates, was established in the 1860's by Jarvis Lord, a canal contractor. The property has retained its historic appearance and remains today a 200-acre working farm. The farm's dairy plant continues to bottle milk in returnable glass containers. The Town of Pittsford has purchased the development rights to this farm and seven others to ensure their open space remains for generations to come.
During the first quarter of the twentieth century, the construction of the Rochester & Eastern Trolley line and growing automobile ownership placed Pittsford within easy commuting distance of Rochester. By the 1950's Pittsford began to experience significant population growth from suburban residential development.
As the area surrounding the village continues to grow rapidly, residents became increasingly concerned about the effects of this growth on the village. Increasing traffic, demolition of historic buildings, commercial encroachment into historic neighborhoods, and the loss of open space led to the beginning of grass roots preservation efforts. Over the last thirty-five years, residents, business people, and government officials have worked cooperatively to preserve, enhance and revitalize Pittsford Village. Among the community's accomplishments are the restoration of numerous village buildings, the establishment of a historic preservation district, the redevelopment of the village's Erie Canal waterfront for commercial and recreational use, and the preservation of farmland through the town's purchase of development rights.
Pittsford has been fortunate to have dedicated, vocal, and active citizens. These qualities are best embodied by the members of Historic Pittsford, a local grass-roots preservation organization which for thirty-five years has been an advocate for the Village by addressing local preservation issues, assisting with grants, historic designations, and educating the public about the community's history and the importance of preservation. Vocal citizens have helped Pittsford avoid the fate of several neighboring communities which have been severely compromised by roadway volume enhancement projects, excessive parking lots and demolition of historic buildings.
The presence of four churches, three schools, the library, town and village offices and businesses have kept the Village functioning as the "downtown"' for the surrounding town. Pittsford's business district remains vibrant despite competition from nearby suburban shopping centers and big box retailers. The canal, walkable tree-shaded streets and restored historic structures provide an ambiance very different from the typical commercial strip. Despite its small size, the village contains over 250 individual services and businesses. Adjusting to the current retail environment has created some problems including the conversion of retail space to offices and the proliferation of gift boutiques and apparel stores at the expense of essential services. The village has revised the Main Street business district zoning to require retail or restaurant use of first floor storefronts and to encourage coffee shops and restaurants.
Pittsford Village contains a variety of housing types and a mix of age groups. Over eighty percent of the village's housing stock is over fifty years old. Despite its age, real estate in the village is sought after because of the architectural appeal of the houses, the presence of sidewalks and street trees and the appeal of village living.