Massena Center, New York facts for kids

Massena Center is a small community, also called a hamlet, located in the Town of Massena in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. It is home to about 89 houses and a few small businesses.

History of Massena Center

During the early days when towns were being formed in northern New York, it was common to build a settlement right in the middle of a new town. The Town of Massena was officially created in 1802. Over time, parts of its land were used to create other towns like Hopkinton (in 1805), Louisville (in 1810), and Brasher (in 1825).

Massena Center is about two and a half miles east of the Village of Massena. It sits on the north side of the Grasse River. This area is also known as the Grasse River Meadowlands. These meadowlands stretch along the last five miles of the Grasse River before it flows into the St. Lawrence River.

The St. Lawrence Seaway runs along the northern edge of Massena Center. This seaway has two important American locks. The Eisenhower Lock, which has a visitor center, is in the northwest part of Massena Center. You can reach it using New York State Route 131. The Snell Lock is in the northeast corner, near where the Grasse River meets the St. Lawrence River. This lock is not open to the public. Near the Grasse River's mouth, there are also special repair facilities for the locks. A large floating crane and the Tugboat Robinson Bay are often seen in this area.

Local people sometimes call Massena Center "The Center." It was founded by a group of early settlers, including Nathaniel Kezar and Samuel Dana. The first public inn, a place for travelers to stay, was opened in 1835 by Ephraim Hyde and Samson Wheeler. The first post office opened in 1851, with Chloe Atwood as the first postal manager. A nice school building was built in 1871 next to the Massena Center Baptist Church. It taught students until 1958. After that, students went to other schools in Massena.

The area was mainly used for farming because its fertile meadowlands were great for large farms. For example, the Rickard Farm in Massena Center was the first farm in the Town of Massena to use a steam-powered milking machine. By the 1970s, there were seven big farms in the area. The last one closed in the late 1990s. Today, only a few of the original farm barns are still standing.

The second bridge built across the Grasse River in the Town of Massena was in Massena Center. It was built in 1832 but was quickly washed away by melting ice in the spring. In 1862, a covered bridge was built for $4,000, but it was also destroyed. Finally, in 1873, an iron bridge was built for $10,000.

Holton Duncan Robinson was born in Massena Center in 1863. He became a very famous engineer. With David Steinmen, he started the engineering company Robinson and Steinmen. They designed many bridges, including the Deer Isle Bridge in Maine and the Thousand Island Bridge System on the St. Lawrence River. In 1910, Holton returned to Massena Center to design and build the suspension cable bridge across the Grasse River. This bridge is still there today, but it is closed to all traffic.

On September 5, 1944, a strong earthquake shook northern New York and southern Ontario. It was a 5.8 magnitude earthquake and was felt very strongly. People felt the shaking from Maine all the way to Maryland. Even though it was not a huge earthquake, it caused a lot of damage. Several thousand chimneys fell down, and property damage was estimated to be about $2 million.

Massena Center Landmarks

Union Hall

Union Hall is a building located near New York State Highway 131. It was once used as a meeting place for workers who were building the Saint Lawrence Seaway. It is not known how long the building was used for this purpose. Today, it is a residential home.

The Old Community Center

The Old Community Center is also located near New York State Highway 131. This block building was used for many years as a community center. It stood empty for a long time but is now used by a business that makes custom counter tops.

Sunset Drive-In

The Sunset Drive-In was an outdoor movie theater located on the south side of the Grasse River, across from the main part of Massena Center. This area is now the site of the Massena International Kampground, a campground for visitors.

Seaway Motel

The Seaway Motel was located at the corner of New York State Highway 131 and Massena Center Road. This spot used to be a children's amusement park called Kiddieland. The motel, which was once known as the Park Inn Motel, burned down in January 2005 and is no longer operating.