Articles
The following is a collection of historical articles available within our local History Room. For more information about these and other materials, please contact our town historian. 
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Homesteads, People, and Landmarks of Penfield34 documents

  • East Penfield
    document Header East Penfield
    Traditionally, East Penfield was the hamlet at Lovett's Corners, the intersection of Harris, Huber, and Penfield Roads. It was a busy little hamlet in the mid and late 19th century.
  • West Penfield
    document Header West Penfield
    Long before Daniel Penfield was born, the western border of town was rich with life and activity.

Homesteads22 documents

  • Alpheus Clark House
    document Header Alpheus Clark House
    Now known as the Clark House on the Shadow Pines property.
  • Brown-Furman-Vegh House
    document Header Brown-Furman-Vegh House
    Built circa 1817, this house has a unique Colonial Revival style.
  • Bush-Fellows House
    document Header Bush-Fellows House
    This home was moved from its original location to save it from destruction.
  • Daniel Penfield House
    document Header Daniel Penfield House
    Mr. Penfield promised his wife a house that was equal to the graciousness of the home they were leaving on the tip of Manhattan.
  • George Southworth House
    document Header George Southworth House
    A red brick Italianate-style house, more commonly known as Strawberry Castle or Hill and Hollow.
  • Harris House
    document Header Harris House
    This house remained in the Harris family for over 100 years.
  • Harvey Whalen House
    document Header Harvey Whalen House
    Built in 1875 at 1140 Whalen Road.
  • Henry Fellows Sr. House
    document Header Henry Fellows Sr. House
    Home of the brother of Mary Penfield - lawyer, farmer, and Town Supervisor.
  • Hipp Hutch House
    document Header Hipp Hutch House
    Originally a log cabin built as a residence of John and Hannah Hipp in 1804; they also had a sawmill and gristmill on the property.
  • John Fellows House
    document Header John Fellows House
    House of the son of Henry Fellows, Sr. and nephew of Mary Penfield
  • John Weaver House
    document Header John Weaver House
    Sitting at 1832 Penfield Road, this house has seen several different forms through the years.
  • Lawrence Johnston House
    document Header Lawrence Johnston House
    This house was built from adobe, with clapboard over it.
  • Luther Clark House
    document Header Luther Clark House
    The two parts of this house are connected by a tunnel.
  • Mann-Owen House
    document Header Mann-Owen House
    After working on the interior of the home for Ira Mann, Owen later purchased the house.
  • Nelson Fullam House
    document Header Nelson Fullam House
    At one time a private school was operated in this house.
  • Peter Silliman House
    document Header Peter Silliman House
    This house is partially built of Cobblestone.
  • Ross Farm Home
    document Header Ross Farm Home
    This home was once owned by the actor Robert Forster.
  • Samuel Rich House
    document Header Samuel Rich House
    Built on land along Irondequoit Creek, Mr. Rich also built a saw mill, fulling mill, tannery, and a gristmill on his land.
  • Silas Higbie House
    document Header Silas Higbie House
    A Greek Revival-style farm house, built circa 1835.
  • Stephen M. Phelps Home
    document Header Stephen M. Phelps Home
    Stephen Phelps was a renowned local cheese maker and farmer.
  • The Mud House
    document Header The Mud House
    The construction of this house took one year, using a method of mixing clay from the property with straw.
  • Tiffany Nettleton House
    document Header Tiffany Nettleton House
    This house grew in size with each different owner, from 1808 through 1967.

People5 documents

  • Almon Brown Strowger
    document Header Almon Brown Strowger
    As an undertaker, Mr. Strowger found the need for an automatic dialing machine, as he felt the operator's errors were causing him to lose business.
  • Aristides Francis Church
    document Header Aristides Francis Church
    A painter by trade, Aristides used detailed daily diary entries as a record of events in his life, as well as account books. His writings give us insight into rural late 19th and early 20th century Penfield.
  • Calvin Wooster Owen
    document Header Calvin Wooster Owen
    We have learned a lot of daily life in Penfield in the early 1800s from Mr. Owen's daily diaries.
  • Little Nellie
    document Header Little Nellie
    A the young age of 11, Ellen Therressa Williams "Little Nellie", became known across the country as a legitimate young editress.
  • The Lloyd Family of Lloyd's Corners
    document Header The Lloyd Family of Lloyd's Corners
    The Lloyd family has been a part of Penfield since at least 1803, having purchased nearly 300 acres from Daniel Penfield.

Landmarks5 documents

  • Brisee Tavern Stand
    document Header Brisee Tavern Stand
    A tavern stop for the stage that ran from Palmyra to Rochester
  • Daisy Flour Mill
    document Header Daisy Flour Mill
    Built by Samuel Rich, and powered by water flow from Irondequoit Creek.
  • Dayton's Corners School
    document Header Dayton's Corners School
    This 1857 building was built to serve students of School District #9, serving Penfield and Webster.
  • First Baptist Church
    document Header First Baptist Church
    Originally standing at Penfield Rd. and Baird Rd., this structure was disassembled and moved to current site.
  • The Town Hall 1895-1966
    document Header The Town Hall 1895-1966
    This original Town Hall held a basketball court, a stage, and a cook stove for public use.