Ontario County, especially Canandaigua, is rich in history. Long before Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean, members of the Seneca Nation lived lived there for hundreds of years.
After the Revolutionary War, Oliver Phelps and Nathaniel Gorham purchased 6 million acres of land from Native Americans, on which they later founded the town of Canandaigua, according to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.
A historical context statement indicates that Canandaigua officially became a town in 1791. The first town meeting was held that same year and presided over by the first mayor, General Israel Chapin. In 1794, Canandaigua became the site of the signing of the Pickering Treaty on November 11, establishing peace between the United States and the Six Haudesaunee Nations, also known as the Iroquois Confederacy. The village of Canandaigua was founded in 1815 and became a town in 1913.
These stories from the past live on in the planks, stones and bricks that make up the historic buildings in downtown Canandaigua. The whispers of those who came before us can be heard in the flowing waters of Canandaigua Lake, and their presence is felt along the shores.
Fortunately, many of the original buildings in Canandaigua still stand today, which begs the question: Which is the oldest?
Preston Pierce, historian for Ontario County and Canandaigua City, said many once believed the former Canandaigua Grange Building, once Chapin’s home and now at 24 Coy St., was the oldest in Canandaigua. But recent research, Pierce said, suggests that may not be the case.
What is the oldest building in Canandaigua?
According to Pierce, the oldest building in Canandaigua is probably the house at 21 Dailey Ave. Built in 1792, the building was once the home of pioneer Abner Barlow, a veteran of the Revolutionary War.
His house formerly stood on the corner of Gibson Street, where the United Church of Canandaigua now stands. Pierce said it was moved across Main Street to Dailey Avenue around 1871. Barlow died in 1846 at the age of 94 and was buried in the Pioneer Cemetery in Canandaigua.
An obituary in the Ontario Repository on July 1, 1846, states: “He was one of the few remaining links connecting the present with the past, and it was a pleasure to sit by his side and listen to his lively narrative of the events connected with the first improvements in this country, which we shall never forget.”
The current address of the Abner Barlow Farm House is listed on the Ontario County Historic Sites Register. It is also a stop on the Ontario County Main Street Guided History Walk.
What about 24 Coy St.?
According to Pierce, some information suggests that the former home of General Israel Chapin, now located at 24 Coy Street, is the oldest building in Canandaigua. Although the original home was built in 1792, recent research suggests that the home currently standing on Coy Street is not the original, Pierce said.
Pierce said it is believed to be the third Chapin house, built between 1859 and 1860. The other Chapin houses were either added onto the original house that burned down or, as in the case of 24 Coy St., were built on the original foundations.
Former Canandaigua town historian Herbert J. Ellis wrote in an article published June 26, 1969, that the Chapin House was the oldest building in Canandaigua, Pierce said.
“I knew Herb and he had very accurate information. However, this is one case where he was wrong,” Pierce said. “That’s easy to understand when you consider that many archives were not as accessible back then as they are today.”
Who knows what other historical secrets may be uncovered in Canandaigua and surrounding Ontario County as technology and access to resources continue to evolve.
— Madison Scott is a journalist at the Democrat and Chronicle who edited and reported on our Weld Street Project. She is interested in how the system helps, or doesn’t help, families with missing loved ones. She can be reached at [email protected].
