Our Village
Scottsville walking tour map

Walking Tour of Old Scottsville

By the Wheatland Historical Association

The 1830s and 1840s were the boom years of Scottsville’s history. This was the period when wheat was “king” in Monroe County, and the wheat and flour from Wheatland were second to none. New York and Boston merchants often paid premium prices for a barrel of flour made from the wheat grown and ground here.

These farmers and merchants became wealthy and built beautiful homes to take the space of the log cabins and simple houses that had been hastily erected. Most of the beautiful Post-Colonial, Greek Revival and cobblestone houses were built during these two decades.



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Main Street

(1) #1 Main Street
Site of Issac Scott’s Tavern. The present structure, built in 1881 and known as the Salyerd’s Block, was used as an inn, a butcher shop and a popular ice cream parlor where, during the 1890s, bicyclists would come from Rochester and surrounding towns to enjoy the ice cream served on the side porch overlooking the Oatka Creek.

(2) #15 Main Street
15 main street
This laundromat was originally a house built in the early 1820s by Abraham Hanford and later used as the parsonage of the Presbyterian Church. Its later uses drastically altered its appearance as shown in the original sketch of the house.
(3) #8 Main Street
Frame house built in 1814 by Abraham Hanford. This is the oldest dwelling in the village whose outward appearance remains practically unchanged since its construction.

(4) & (5) #14 and #18 Main Street
14 main street
The cobblestone building was erected by Osborn Filer in 1838 as a general store. Notice the “quoins” at the corners of the building as well as the 20-inch piers of limestone for support of the upper level. The cast iron plasters were added after the Civil War. The brick edifice was built around 1846 by Dr. Freeman Edson for his medical practice. The “wing” connecting the doctor’s office and the store was built in the 1860s.

(6) #28 Main Street - Scottsville Free Library
Scottsville free libarary
This 1892 building originally served as window hall, with its auditorium/dance floor, stage and baloney for village theatrical productions, graduations and dances. The Eastlake style was the inspiration of Charles Ellis, noted architect and resident of the town.
(7) #30 Main Street
In 1887, James H. Kelly commissioned Charles Ellis to design this building which was used as a drug store from 1888 to 1965. The style is transitional from Gothic Revival to Eastlake. Notice the second story bay window and the fish scales.

Church Street

(8) #3 Church Street
This building originally looked like a small Greek temple and was build in 1839 by a group of Presbyterians who split from the larger Presbyterian Church located at the “head” of Church Street. When later their differences were reconciled, the structure was used to store beans which had become a cash crop in the area. The ornate Green Revival details unfortunately have been covered with modern siding.

(9) #6 Church Street
This brick house was built in 1836 by Elijah Talcott Miller, a promoter of many businesses in town. In 1873 there were major alterations to the length of windows and in 1886 changes to the pitch and direction of the room done by E.T. Miller’s son, Myron. The Georgian Revival entry, somewhat out of character for the house, was added in 1931.

(10) and (11) #10 and #12 Church Street
The small 1830s brick house at #10 is similar to the ones at #18 Rochester Street and #88 Main Street. It was used as a parsonage for the Methodist Church which stood to the south of it and was razed in 1960. Note the Federal doorway with its fan shaped window on #12.

(12) #17 Church Street
This Green Revival house with its cobblestone foundation was built in the 1840s by John Dorr, a prominent local lawyer. Note the carved door with its intricate egg and dart moldings. The same craftsman may have carved this door as well as the door at #7 Rochester Street.

Browns Avenue

(13) Union Presbyterian Church
Church
Although the congregation was formed in 1822, this building was erected in 1856 after a fire destroyed an earlier church at the “head” of Church Street. The new church faced the newly constructed Browns Avenue allowing church Street to connect with North Road.

(14) Masonic Temple
This was the public school in Scottsville serving from 1868 to 1928. The addition on the south side was built in 1898. The Masons purchased it from the school district.

(15) Grace Episcopal Church
Grace episcopal church
This church was designed by the architectural firm of Charles and Harvey Ellis in 1885. The Richardsonian Romanesque style was based on an Episcopal Church in N. Andover, Mass.

 

Second Street

(16) #22 Second Street
This brick house is very similar to the one at #11 Church Street except that the front door is on the left instead of the center of the house. Note the original brick cornice which was typical of all the 1830s brick houses. Later, many owners changed the brick cornices to wood to be more stylish.

The houses on this street were all built as one story and a half dwellings. One can see some Greek Revival details still remaining as well as second stories added to meet the needs of larger families.

(17) #6 Second Street
6 second street
This cobblestone house was built in 1838 by Osborn Filer who was also responsible for the cobblestone store on Main Street. It was originally built as a story and a half with a one story wing and was remodeled around 1900 with the addition of the second floor.
(18) #2 Second Street
This Greek Revival house was built in 1824 by L.C. Andrews and is considered a “town house” style with its entrance on the side street instead of on Rochester Street.

Rochester Street

(19) #11 Rochester Street
This 1839 house was built by John Hammond for his son, George. Its Greek Revival style was originally identical to #24 Rochester Street, also built by John Hammond for his daughter, Alvira. The roof line at #11 was later raised to provide more head room in the second story.

(20) #18 Rochester Street
This brick house from 1837 is also Greek Revival and has second floor windows going into the frieze. All the bricks were locally made. Notice the wrought iron brick stabilizer on the second floor of the house.

(21) #12 Rochester Street
The rear portion of this house was built in the 1820s, but the elaborate Post-Colonial front part of the house was added in 1836 as a wedding gift from John Colt to his daughter, Miriam and her husband, Johnathan Sill. The house’s plan is T-shaped with a two story center and one story wings.

(22) #7 Rochester Street
7 rochester street
Dr. Freeman Edson, a nephew of Isaac Scott, came to Scottsville in 1814 and built this Green Revival adornment with its front entrance, corner pilasters and main cornice. Notice the beautiful wood carved frieze windows over each of the second story windows. The carved entrance door is flanked by sidelights and transom sash.

(23) #10 Rochester Street
10 rochester street
The front part of this house is of later Greek Revival design and dates from the 1850s. The rear section was built in the 1830s by Samuel Cox. The wrought iron fence was added during the victorian period.
(24) #8 Rochester Street
This brick house was built around 1816 in the Federal style. The doorway is a Philadelphia Colonial style and was added in the 1930s.