Pittsford, New York facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Pittsford
Town
Location in Monroe County and the state of New York
Location of New York in the United States
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Monroe
Incorporated	March 25, 1814; 211 years ago (1814-03-25)
Area
• Total	23.40 sq mi (60.61 km²)
• Land	23.19 sq mi (60.07 km²)
• Water	0.21 sq mi (0.54 km²)
Elevation	564 ft (172 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	30,617
• Density	1,320.26/sq mi (509.76/km²)
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	14534
Area code(s)	585
FIPS code	36-055-58365
Website	www.townofpittsford.org

Pittsford is a town in Monroe County, New York. It is a suburb of Rochester, New York. In 2020, about 30,617 people lived here.

Pittsford was first settled in 1789. It became an official town in 1814. The village of Pittsford was formed in 1827. The town was named by Colonel Caleb Hopkins. He named it after his hometown, Pittsford, Vermont.

The famous Erie Canal runs through Pittsford.

Pittsford's Location and Size

Pittsford is located in the southeastern part of Monroe County, New York. It is about eight miles from the city of Rochester.

The town covers about 23.4 square miles (60.6 square kilometers). Most of this area is land.

Pittsford shares its borders with several other towns:

To the south: Mendon
To the east: Perinton
To the west: Henrietta and Brighton
To the north: Brighton and Penfield

A Look Back at Pittsford's History

Early Days and Native Americans

Long ago, in 1687, French soldiers and their Native American allies explored this area. They were here to deal with the Seneca tribe. The Seneca were a powerful group of the Iroquois Confederacy.

Becoming a Town

In 1788, the land became part of New York. Then, in 1792, the area was called the District of Northfield. This district became the Town of Northfield in 1796. The part that is now the Village of Pittsford was settled in the same year.

Over time, Northfield was divided into smaller towns. In 1814, Pittsford and Brighton were officially formed.

The Erie Canal and Railroads

The Erie Canal was finished in 1825. This canal helped towns like Pittsford grow a lot. It made it easier and cheaper to transport goods.

In 1840, the Auburn and Rochester Railroad arrived. This brought faster travel for people. Later, this railroad became part of the New York Central system. Even with the railroad, the canal stayed important for moving goods to Rochester's mills. By 1918, a bigger and deeper canal was built.

Historic Buildings

Many old buildings in Pittsford are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include:

The Adsit Cobblestone Farmhouse
The Cole Cobblestone Farmhouse
The Gates-Livermore Cobblestone Farmhouse
The Mendon Cobblestone Academy
The Mendon Presbyterian Church
The Miller–Horton–Barben Farm
The Sheldon Cobblestone House
The Stewart Cobblestone Farmhouse
The Whitcomb Cobblestone Farmhouse

Pittsford Today

In recent years, Pittsford has become a very popular place to live. It is known for its excellent schools and safe neighborhoods. Pittsford's high schools, Pittsford Mendon and Pittsford Sutherland, are often ranked among the best in the country. This has led to a lot of growth and a strong housing market.

Pittsford's Population

The population of Pittsford has grown steadily over the years.

In 1820, there were 1,582 people.
By 1900, the population was 2,373.
In 1950, it reached 9,413.
By 2020, the population was 30,617.

This shows that more and more people have chosen to make Pittsford their home.

Protecting Green Spaces: The Greenprint Plan

In 1996, Pittsford started the "Greenprint Plan." This plan helps protect open spaces and farmland from being built on. The town buys the rights to develop land. This means the land stays open and natural.

Pittsford was the first town in New York State to use this method. The Greenprint Plan is now a famous example of how to save open spaces.

Learning in Pittsford: Education

Public Schools

The Pittsford Central School District manages the public schools. This district is known for its high quality. It has even won the New York State Governor's Excelsior Award.

Pittsford has two middle schools:

Barker Road Middle School
Calkins Road Middle School (which won an award as a "School to Watch")

There are also two high schools:

Pittsford Sutherland (the Knights)
Pittsford Mendon (the Vikings)

When the two high schools combine for sports like football, they are called the Panthers. The schools have a friendly rivalry, especially in basketball. They hold an annual "Rainbow Classic" game. This game raises money for Golisano Children's Hospital. It honors Katelyn Pasley and Ryan McCluski, who were treated there.

Pittsford Mendon's soccer team has won seven state championships. Pittsford's swimming program is also very strong. The girls' team has won 14 straight sectional championships. The boys' team has won 13 straight titles.

The school district has updated many schools and built new ones. Calkins Road Middle School was completed in 2006.

Pittsford has five elementary schools:

Jefferson
Park
Thornell
Mendon Center
Allen Creek

These schools are all named after the roads they are on.

Private Schools

Pittsford is home to Allendale Columbia School. This is a private school for students from nursery school through 12th grade. It prepares students for college. Allendale Columbia also teams up with The Harley School for sports.

St. Louis School is a Roman Catholic school in Pittsford. It offers programs from preschool to grade 6.

Colleges

Two colleges are located in Pittsford:

St. John Fisher College
Nazareth College

The Rochester Japanese School also holds its weekend program in Pittsford.

Local News

The Brighton-Pittsford Post was the local weekly newspaper for Pittsford. It was printed from 1942 until 2021.

Businesses and Shopping

The Erie Canal was very important for business in Pittsford long ago. Today, some old canal buildings are now restaurants, cafes, and shops. In warmer months, you can enjoy concerts and boat tours there.

Pittsford has several important shopping areas:

Pittsford Plaza is a large shopping center on NY 31.
Pittsford is home to one of the biggest Wegmans stores. This store is often used to test new ideas for the company.

The town also has five country clubs:

Oak Hill Country Club
Irondequoit Country Club
Monroe Golf Club
Country Club of Rochester
Locust Hill Country Club

The Pittsford Chamber of Commerce helps local businesses.

Parks and Outdoor Fun

Pittsford has 11 town parks.

Great Embankment and Thornell Farm Park have many sports fields.
Lock 32 and the Erie Canal trail let you see the historic double lock.
The Isaac Gordon Nature Park has hiking trails and cross-country skiing.

Two Monroe County parks are also in Pittsford:

Powder Mills Park has a ski lift and a creek for trout fishing.
Mendon Ponds Park has many trails and unique natural features.

Sports in Pittsford

Pittsford is a popular place for professional golf.

The LPGA Championship was held here for many years.
Oak Hill Country Club has hosted major golf tournaments. These include the Ryder Cup and the PGA Championship.

The NFL Buffalo Bills hold their summer training camp at St. John Fisher College.

The University Athletic Association is based in Pittsford.

Farming in Pittsford

Before a lot of new homes were built in the 1950s, Pittsford was mostly farmland. Many families owned farms here. Some farms still operate today, like the Knickerbocker farm. This family has been growing crops for over 150 years.

Other important family farms include the Hopkins Farm, Powers Farm, Willard Farm, and Sweeney Farm. The Greenprint plan helps make sure that two-thirds of the remaining farmland will be saved for the future. The town wants to keep open spaces for everyone to enjoy.

Famous People From Pittsford

Many notable people have lived in or are from Pittsford:

Johnny Antonelli: A baseball pitcher who won the World Series.
Tyson Beckford: A model and actor.
Paige Conners: An Olympic figure skater.
Mary Therese Friel: Miss USA 1979.
John Curran: A film director.
Steve Gadd: A famous jazz drummer.
Teddy Geiger: A pop musician.
C. R. Hagen: A physics professor who helped discover the Higgs Boson.
Henry Lomb: Co-founder of Bausch & Lomb Company.
Chuck Mangione: A jazz musician.
Pamela Melroy: An astronaut.
Danny Mendick: A professional baseball player.
Kaitlin Monte: Miss New York 2011.
Henrik Rummel: An Olympic athlete who won a bronze medal.
Abby Wambach: A famous soccer player.
Leehom Wang: A Mando-pop singer.
Magnus Sheffield: A professional cyclist.
Chris Lillis: An Olympic gold medalist.

Areas and Places in Pittsford

Cartersville: A spot on the Erie Canal on NY 96. It has the Cartersville Guard Gate.
East Rochester: Most of this town is near Pittsford's northeast border.
Pittsford (village): This village is in the center of the town. It is on Routes 96 (Main Street) and 31 (State Street).