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Pittsford (village), New York
Encyclopedia
Pittsford is a village
in Monroe County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 1,418 at the 2000 census. It is named after Pittsford, Vermont
, the native town of a founding father.
The Village of Pittsford is the oldest village in Monroe County, incorporated in 1827. The village, an Erie Canal
community, is in the Town of Pittsford
. Pittsford is a suburb of Rochester.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²), of which, 0.7 square miles (1.7 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (4.35%) is water. Pittsford is located seven miles (11 km) southeast of Rochester
in western New York State. The village is bisected by the historic Erie Canal
.
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's first church began meeting in 1803. The congregation survives today as the First Presbyterian Church located on Church Street.
Pittsford prospered as a local trading center due to its location at the intersection of the primary road between the mills at the Genesee Falls
in Rochesterville and Canandaigua
, the region's oldest and largest town and a new east/west road (now New York State Route 31). 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 profitted 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 superior 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 late 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, which in recent years have been rehabilitatedted for offices, 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 of Rochester.
Three of these grand homes remain within the village. Pittsford Farms, the oldest of the three village estates, was established in the 1860s by Jarvis Lord, a canal contractor. The property has retained its historic appearance and remains today a 200 acre (0.809372 km²) working farm, owned by descendants of the Zornow family. 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. During the early twentieth century, a number of infrastructure improvements were completed in the village including a water system, paved streets, storm and sanitary sewers, and electric street lights. These decades also witnessed the development of new village neighborhoods of four-square, Craftsman and Colonial Revival homes.
By the 1950s Pittsford began to experience significant population growth from suburban residential development. As the area surrounding the village continued to grow, 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 fifty 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. Today the Village of Pittsford is widely admired for the preservation of its historic character and its charming walk-able business district.
File:Phoenix Hotel.jpg|The ca. 1826 federal-style Phoenix Hotel marks Pittsford's Four Corners intersection
File:Pittsford Village Hall.jpg|Pittsford's Village Hall was constructed as a home in 1855. In 1937, the building was remodeled in the colonial revival style and donated to the Village
File:Sylvanus Lathrop house.jpg|The Sylvanus Lathrop house was constructed in 1826 by the general contractor responsible for Pittsford's section of the Erie Canal
File:Vogt - Allen house.jpg|The Queen Anne ca. 1898 Vogt-Allen house was built by the family operating the Pittsford Flour Mill
File:Carver house.jpg|Dr. Hartwell Carver, the original owner of this fine ca. 1852 Gothic revival home, was a nationally prominent advocate of the transcontinental railroad
File:Pittsfrod business district.jpg|Like much of the village, Pittsford's compact business district is distinguished by many fine nineteenth-century buildings.
File:Wiltsie and Crump buidling.jpg|The ca. 1887 Wiltsie and Crump Building replaced an earlier structure which had burned
File:Pittsford Farms Dairy.jpg|Pittsford Farms dairy, established in 1888, is Pittsford's oldest operating business
of 2000, there were 1,418 people, 633 households, and 386 families residing in the village. The population density
was 2,156.8 people per square mile (829.5/km²). There were 652 housing units at an average density of 991.7 per square mile (381.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.95% White, 0.56% Black or African American
, 0.07% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.14% from other races
, and 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.92% of the population.
There were 633 households out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples
living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.80.
In the village the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $60,543, and the median income for a family was $69,297. Males had a median income of $51,389 versus $35,156 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $32,637. About 2.8% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Monroe County
Monroe County, New York
Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 744,344. It is named after James Monroe, fifth President of the United States of America. Its county seat is the city of Rochester....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,418 at the 2000 census. It is named after Pittsford, Vermont
Pittsford, Vermont
Pittsford is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The town was named for William Pitt. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 2,991. Pittsford was first settled as a frontier town in 1769, about north of Bennington...
, the native town of a founding father.
The Village of Pittsford is the oldest village in Monroe County, incorporated in 1827. The village, an Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
community, is in the Town of Pittsford
Pittsford (town), New York
Pittsford is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States and is an affluent suburb of Rochester. The population was 29,405 at the 2010 census....
. Pittsford is a suburb of Rochester.
Geography
Pittsford is located at 43°5′20"N 77°30′54"W (43.089013, -77.515239).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²), of which, 0.7 square miles (1.7 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (4.35%) is water. Pittsford is located seven miles (11 km) southeast of Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
in western New York State. The village is bisected by the historic Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
.
History
Pittsford is the oldest of Monroe County's ten incorporated villages. The village was the site of a spring fed pond which attracted the first European Americans. Israel Stone, the village's first settler, built the village's first structure, a log house next to the pond, in 1789. The frame structure replacing stone's original cabin survives today. The village today is distinguished by the survival of a large number of buildings dating from the early nineteenth century.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
Pittsford, Vermont
Pittsford is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The town was named for William Pitt. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 2,991. Pittsford was first settled as a frontier town in 1769, about north of Bennington...
of Colonel Caleb Hopkins
Colonel Caleb Hopkins
Colonel Caleb Hopkins was a War of 1812 hero and the first town supervisor of Pittsford, New York, USA.-History:In 1791, Caleb Hopkins moved from his hometown, Pittsford, Rutland county, Vermont, to what is now Monroe County, New York, and built the first log dwelling in the present town of Penfield...
, a farmer, community leader and hero from the War of 1812. Pittsford's first church began meeting in 1803. The congregation survives today as the First Presbyterian Church located on Church Street.
Pittsford prospered as a local trading center due to its location at the intersection of the primary road between the mills at the Genesee Falls
Genesee River
The Genesee River is a North American river flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides hydroelectric power for downtown Rochester....
in Rochesterville and Canandaigua
Canandaigua (city), New York
Canandaigua is a city in Ontario County, New York, USA, of which it is the county seat. The population was 11,264 at the 2000 census...
, the region's oldest and largest town and a new east/west road (now New York State Route 31). 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 profitted 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.
Rochester and Syracuse Railroad
The Rochester and Syracuse Railroad was incorporated on August 1, 1850 authorizing the consolidation of the Auburn and Rochester Railroad Company and the Auburn and Syracuse Railroad Company...
in 1834, Pittsford remained an important shipping center for local grains and produce until the late 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, which in recent years have been rehabilitatedted for offices, 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 of Rochester.
Three of these grand homes remain within the village. Pittsford Farms, the oldest of the three village estates, was established in the 1860s by Jarvis Lord, a canal contractor. The property has retained its historic appearance and remains today a 200 acre (0.809372 km²) working farm, owned by descendants of the Zornow family. 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. During the early twentieth century, a number of infrastructure improvements were completed in the village including a water system, paved streets, storm and sanitary sewers, and electric street lights. These decades also witnessed the development of new village neighborhoods of four-square, Craftsman and Colonial Revival homes.
By the 1950s Pittsford began to experience significant population growth from suburban residential development. As the area surrounding the village continued to grow, 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 fifty 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. Today the Village of Pittsford is widely admired for the preservation of its historic character and its charming walk-able business district.
File:Phoenix Hotel.jpg|The ca. 1826 federal-style Phoenix Hotel marks Pittsford's Four Corners intersection
File:Pittsford Village Hall.jpg|Pittsford's Village Hall was constructed as a home in 1855. In 1937, the building was remodeled in the colonial revival style and donated to the Village
File:Sylvanus Lathrop house.jpg|The Sylvanus Lathrop house was constructed in 1826 by the general contractor responsible for Pittsford's section of the Erie Canal
File:Vogt - Allen house.jpg|The Queen Anne ca. 1898 Vogt-Allen house was built by the family operating the Pittsford Flour Mill
File:Carver house.jpg|Dr. Hartwell Carver, the original owner of this fine ca. 1852 Gothic revival home, was a nationally prominent advocate of the transcontinental railroad
File:Pittsfrod business district.jpg|Like much of the village, Pittsford's compact business district is distinguished by many fine nineteenth-century buildings.
File:Wiltsie and Crump buidling.jpg|The ca. 1887 Wiltsie and Crump Building replaced an earlier structure which had burned
File:Pittsford Farms Dairy.jpg|Pittsford Farms dairy, established in 1888, is Pittsford's oldest operating business
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 1,418 people, 633 households, and 386 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,156.8 people per square mile (829.5/km²). There were 652 housing units at an average density of 991.7 per square mile (381.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.95% White, 0.56% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.07% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.14% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.92% of the population.
There were 633 households out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.80.
In the village the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $60,543, and the median income for a family was $69,297. Males had a median income of $51,389 versus $35,156 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $32,637. About 2.8% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.