A few years ago, when I started to hunt landmarks to shoot and mount on a historic landmark…read morewebsite, I came upon a farmhouse in southern Wisconsin that was built of cobblestones. I had never seen anything like that before and just shrugged it off as something unique. And then I found a few more, A cobblestone stage stop in East Troy, an office in Port Washington, a subdivision in Waukesha with several cobblestone houses including the sales office, a three story home in the middle of Green Lake County and a spectacular home in Eau Claire. With each find, I became even more intrigued by the construction method. The Wisconsin Historical Society says the methodology came out of New England, but the owner of a Wisconsin cobblestone structure told me the masons who crafted these structures were from New York. In 2020, I found myself in Western New York for an extended stay. When I went out to hunt landmarks, I kept finding cobblestone houses that were on the National Register of Historic Places plus plenty more cobblestone sheds, barns, schools, churches and houses. Some were on the NRHP and many weren't. Coincidentally, many of these structures are in the proximity of the Erie Canal and Lake Ontario. An owner told me that the majority of cobblestone structures in America are within a 75 mile radius of Rochester. Another owner of a large cobblestone farmhouse told me I should go to the cobblestone museum in Albion - and here we are. The museum is on Ridge Road, itself a historic thoroughfare that runs the length of four counties in Western New York. There are several structures located on the museum campus, not all are cobblestone but of interest to the history of the community. The cobblestone structures (a church, a house, and a school) are great examples of how the craftsmen that built these structures refined their methods over the years when this method of construction remainded popular. (The popularity of cobblestone construction essentially ended with the Civil War.) When you visit the museum, the docents explain all this in great detail, along with what life was like in Western New York in the first half of the 19th Century. You start your tour in basement of the church, where you'll see examples of other cobblestone structures in New York. You'll learn how the stones were selected, sorted for size and color, and how the selection process was refined over the years. In visiting the church, you'll see a unique heating system and learn more about 19th Century life. In the schoolhouse, you'll experience what life was like for kids in a one room school, and other buildings preserve rural New York life in the past. There are probably 1,000 or more cobblestone structures around Rochester, New York while there may be two dozen in Wisconsin. Relatively few are on the National Register of Historic Places although there are many listed for one reason or another. Beside those, there are many cobblestone schoolhouses, outbuildings, barn foundations, and many small cobblestone houses in Western New York. Many have been expanded and modernized, which excludes those structures from the NRHP. The Cobblestone Museum is an educational stop for anyone interested in the history of Western New York, life in the 19th Century and, of course, cobblestone construction. I highly recommend it!

We recently stumbled on the Cobblestone Society & Museum while randomly driving by; the "Book Shop…read moreOpen in Rear" sign on the side of the road caught our eye. On a whim we pulled a U'ey, and pulled into the museum's lot. On that day the museum was closed, but we still walked the grounds to explore what we could. There is some information outside that indicates cobblestone architecture originated in the Rochester NY area, with the oldest structures remaining in the Albion area. There are two cobblestone structures here on the museum site, one being the oldest cobblestone church still standing in North America. We definitely want to return to go into the museum itself on a day it is open--but OH BOY were we happy we stopped for the book shop! This family of bibliophiles was elated to find such a sweet little shop in the country. The bookshop building has a historic marker that it was originally used as a polling station in the early 1800s. But now it is a quaint used bookstore. Used books are fifty cents for paperback and a dollar for hardcover, with on-your-honor cash payments only. There are about a half dozen well-organized short aisles with a surprisingly good assortment for such a small space. There were sections for popular authors, classics, nonfiction, cookbooks, fantasy and sci-fi, how-to, biographies, large-print, childrens, new arrivals, and more. There are bins outside to leave book donations. We each left with a few finds, me with a couple short story collections to leave at our nearby camp, and a couple older novels. I look forward to coming back to peruse the bookshop again, as well as catch the museum at an open time--a great local history gem here!

Perfect location for spur-of-the-moment photo adventure with your film camera or senior photos.read more

Recently I was at Niagara Falls State park and I stopped at a placard I have driven by hundreds of…read moretimes. You may have as well. This is what is said: "First House Built By Judge Porter In 1808. Many Notable Visitors And Friendly Indians Were Received Within Its Walls." Its standing in a open lot, so the house is long gone. Judge Augustus Porter was a chief land surveyor for the Connecticut Land Company in the late 1790's. He is thought to be one of the first white settlers to the area (still occupied by various Indian tribes at the time). He bought this land near Niagara Falls, and built a sawmill (using the water power) and some other things. He was also a politician at the time, and was the State Assembly man for the Genesee and Ontario District at some point. He and his brother understood the value of the Falls as a tourist attraction and were able to make that happen. They built a bridge to Goat Island, got a ferry to cross the river, and planned gardens for people to come and enjoy. He was a busy man, and had a general store in the area, and then was a judge (the first for Niagara County) and postmaster (the first for Niagara Falls). A man of many talents. This was the site of the first home he built in the area. He had 5 children. Worth a quick stop along the road.

Someone around here has psycho-kinetic powers because they knew the instant I created this listing!…read moreIt's awesome that I added this listing to Yelp about a week ago, and within 2 days of doing so, someone had reviewed it. Way to get in there before me! I'm impressed and I tip my proverbial hat, although I don't wear a hat. Anyway. But it's a glorious old building in the heart of Rochester, with some decent food options inside. It has its own security and doorman and such, and a lovely floral plant-filled area inside, sort of like a courtyard in the middle of a towerblock. The popular hipster Yelpy place inside is Sapori, which doesn't impress me, but it's hella cool to have such a trendy sandwich shop inside such a lovely old NY State building. I say that because the feel of the place could only be NY State, or perhaps somewhere like Cleveland. It's extremely North East. The building is like what Manhattan buildings would have been like in the 50s. I love it. Like Icona Pop, I love it. Now I'm at the peak of my powers, I'll quit this review.

This is one of the most beautiful buildings in Rochester. It also has a hidden gem - one of the…read moremost expansive and impressive atriums around. From inside and out, there's absolutely nothing that isn't short of spectacular! The first floor has retail which includes a tailor, an optometrist, and much more. It also has quite a few sculptures and art pieces. Entrances off of State Street and Main Street lead to the atrium. The atrium itself has another hidden gem in the form of Sapporo's cafe, which will be covered in a later review. Ferns and hostas proliferate throughout this multi-story extravaganza. You really feel like you're in a whimsical garden while walking through the space. Being that it's mostly professionals in the building it's nice and quiet. A perfect spot to read a book or simply have a seat and relax. No matter the weather, you'll leave this space feeling brand new. It's truly remarkable.

Wow! This house is a hidden gem. Built in the 1850s, the house features three floors of exhibits…read moreand a cupola. The furniture and decor was intentionally acquired to only feature pieces from the late nineteenth century, including East Lake furniture and a few other pieces original to the home. The volunteers were friendly and knowledgeable, and led guided tours throughout the house. The tour is 1 hour and costs $8/adult. I highly recommend visiting the house!

I love octagon houses and this is a rare opportunity-- Newstead Historical Society, 1870 Octagon…read moreHouse, leave message 716-542-7022. Gift Shop. Trolley car ride available between the Octagon and Knight-Sutton Historic House Museum. Director_RTOH@newsteadhistoricalsociety.org $12 a person - group of one to five people $10 a person - group of 6 or more people. In depth tours available. membership@newsteadhistoricalsociety.org * collections@newsteadhistoricalsociety.org * https://newsteadhistoricalsociety.org/rich-twinn-octagon-house/ Another is the 1856, Camillus Octagon House (5420 West Genesee Street, 13031, near Syracuse, Rte 5, 315-488-7800, https://octagonhouseofcamillus.org/special-events/ https://octagonhouseofcamillus.org; octagonhouseofcamillus@gmx.com), FREE! donations welcome! 5 floors, great views from cupola, open FREE on Sundays 1-5 PM (OR by app't) for guided tours in Spring-Fall or, rent for your family functions! rest room off 1st floor kitchen, informative website (floor plans, info on Fowlers, phrenology, listing of FREE events (special FREE event in Nov--inc great chances on specially, often themed, decorated, lighted, 3 ft trees, 2nd weekend of Nov; home made food available (pie by the slice, 6 sugar cookies, coffee, hot chocolate to eat at Grandma's table!), stories, with live music inc choirs & pump organist (moi!), gold octagon ornaments $6) Not to be missed! Near the Camilus Erie Canal Park, http://eriecanalcamillus.com/boat.htm, (680) 800-5298, 5750 Devoe Road, Camillus, NY 13031. Open Sundays, 1, 2, 3 PM, Wed's, 1, 2, 3PM precisely for inexpensive historic, narrated vintage boat rides (45 min) with music over aqueduct (wheel chairs accomodated!), special cruises upon request for your family gatherings! with walk/bicycle paved way (Adult $5, 5-12 aged $3PM, under 5 FREE, max $15.00 per family!); historic fully stocked air conditioned Sims General Store, exhibits, costumes for kids' dress up, quaint inexpensive gift shop, original Canal big tools, wonderful doll house!, lock keeper's house, bugle, and original wooden lock from the Canal, school tours, please ask for the small, water recreation of how a lock works without electricity!, map of 362 mile Canal (365 days in a year! easy way to remember!mo, the original Erie Canal w/ path (there were 3 Erie Canals!), the new walk/bicycle way, FREE Towpath Day in August!, modern rest rooms ! Also see the Camillus Martisco Station Railway Museum, http://www.townofcamillus.com/default.aspx?PageID=85 MAKE A DAY OF IT

Just on the edge of the Dillon Cemetery is the location of the second known bee sting death in…read moreNorth America. Which is evidently worthy of a plaque. So it's worthy of a yelp entry. I wonder where the first known death was?

It's an unusual monument in an unusual place. The Soldiers' Memorial Tower is located in Brockport,…read moreNew York although if you wish to visit it, you really need to know where it is. It's not where you might expect a monument to be, and there is no signage to guide you to it. Honestly, there isn't a lot of reason to visit except to A) See the memorial and B) Pay homage to the honored Civil War dead from the Township of Sweden. It was built in 1894 to honor the Civil War dead from the township of Sweden, in which Brockport is located. 845 men from the Brockport area served the Union Army. After the war ended, the land on which the tower sits was supposed to be a cemetery for the free internment of local veterans. There is no cemetery. With the opening of other cemeteries in the area, most of the remains that were here were moved, although at least two graves visible are extant on the grounds and there may be more. The tower was designed by Brooklyn architect Clarence Birdsall in the Gothic Revival style. Medina sandstone was shipped to Brockport via the Erie Canal. Originally, the tower stood 52 feet in height. At one time, there was an iron spiral staircase and a viewing platform at the top. At some time, a grass fire swept through the cemetery that destroyed a chapel and caretaker's cottage that had been on the grounds. The staircase and iron bars on the windows were lost to time. Meanwhile, passing time, erosion, and damage has shortened the tower from its original height. In 1995, after the tower had been placed on the National Register of Historic Places, students in the ROTC program at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Brockport were given credit for performing community service on behalf of the tower. The students researched the names on the tower, members of the 140th New York Infantry Regiment. The program only lasted two years. Fundraising efforts continue, however, they have not been successful. The cemetery association transferred the land to the Town of Sweden which built a volunteer firehouse on the land. The town made some effort to stabilize the tower, gravel surrounds the tower and a fence was constructed around the base. As of this writing, there doesn't seem to be enough funding to restore the tower. An interpretive marker was placed at the site to commemorate the tower's placement on the NRHP. On July 12, 2019, a dedication ceremony included Civil War re-enactors firing memorial volleys over the tower and over the graves. To visit the tower, find the fire station on Owens Road. Access to the tower is to the left and behind the station, about a quarter of a mile into the woods. About halfway to the tower, look for two graves to your left, and pay your respects. (The text is very difficult to read on the stones.) (Sidebar: There is a similar, but unnamed, tower in the Mt. Albion Cemetery a few minutes west of here. That tower is intact and open for climbing.) If you do visit, keep in mind, the memorial is sacred ground. You will be paying silent homage to those local soldiers who gave their lives in the Civil War.

love this place! So cool. They let you really see how things used to be. I'm proud to have this…read moreplace as a part of my region. Worth the visit. Make sure you check out the pond in the back and visit the upper floors of the mill. I think its worth buying some of their food items, they let you visit everything for free. They have the best fresh deep fried donuts in Durham Region. We've been sooo lucky. Every time we've had them they were made to order. *We visited the Tyrone mills again today - Aug. 18, 2018. Mainly just to buy donut (our favorite). We bought plain donut and cinnamon sugar donuts. We decided to try other baked goods like apple fritters and raspberry coconut butter tarts and oh boy it was so delicious. And also bought a jar of raw honey. This place is a gem.

From the owner: The Tradition Continues...Operating Since 1846.read more

Thank's to Will Smith and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for the following street poem which I found…read morefitting to modify to talk about this Stouffville monument and town center piece! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upniIg29Tcc Tick Tock Clock The Clock is ticking for you (Stouffville) Cuz the time you said you'd give Came up wayyy past due so dance to the clock rock stay on the floor Cuz when the ticks turn to tocks I'll be knocking at ya door Reading this now, it makes absolutely no sense. But a lil' Willi (Smith) makes everything fresh! If you're walking around WS this summer, it's certainly something to stop and see. Erected (he he) in 1967 to mark the 100th anniversary of Canada's Confederation, it stands now as the tallest building in this small town north east of Toronto.