Pittsford (village), New York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pittsford
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Location in Monroe County and the state of New York
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Location of New York in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Monroe |
| Town | Pittsford |
| Incorporated | 1827 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.72 sq mi (1.88 km2) |
| • Land | 0.70 sq mi (1.82 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2) |
| Elevation | 492 ft (150 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,419 |
| • Density | 2,015.63/sq mi (778.17/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
14534
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| Area code(s) | 585 |
| FIPS code | 36-58354 |
Pittsford is a small village in Monroe County, New York, United States. In 2020, about 1,419 people lived there. The village got its name from Pittsford, Vermont, which was the hometown of one of its founders.
Pittsford is the oldest village in New York, officially becoming a village in 1827. It's known as an Erie Canal community and is part of the larger town of Pittsford. The village is also a suburb of Rochester, New York.
Contents
Exploring Pittsford's Location
Pittsford is located in western New York State, about seven miles (11 km) southeast of Rochester. The village covers about 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.
A very important feature of Pittsford is the historic Erie Canal, which cuts right through the middle of the village.
A Look at Pittsford's Past
Pittsford is the oldest of the ten villages in Monroe County. The first European American settler, Israel Stone, built a log house here in 1789 next to a spring-fed pond.
How Pittsford Grew
The larger area around the village, called the town of Pittsford, was first named Northfield in 1789. The original settlement was a bit south of where the village is today. In the early 1800s, a new main road (now NYS Route 31) and the planned Erie Canal caused people to move north to the "Four Corners" area.
Early Pittsford was a very important place. It had the first school (1794), library (1803), permanent church (1807), post office (1811), and newspaper (1815) in the county. In 1813, the name Pittsford was chosen to honor Colonel Caleb Hopkins. He was a farmer, community leader, and hero from the War of 1812, and he was born in Pittsford, Vermont.
Trade and Transportation
Pittsford became a busy trading center because it was located at a crossroads. It was on the main road between the mills in Rochester and Canandaigua, which was the biggest town in the region back then. In 1816, Samuel Hildreth started the first stagecoach line, making Pittsford a hub for travel across western New York.
The village grew even faster after the Erie Canal opened in 1822. Pittsford officially became a village on July 4, 1827. Many local businesses made money from building the canal and from the trade that came with it. Pittsford also had great soil for farming, which helped agriculture grow quickly.
Even though Rochester soon became a bigger economic center, Pittsford remained important. Many of its old buildings from the early days are still standing today. The arrival of the Rochester & Auburn railroad in 1834 also helped Pittsford stay a key shipping center for farm products.
Village Industries and Modern Charm
Pittsford had many industries, including a flour mill, lumberyards, and warehouses for produce. Today, the village's waterfront is very charming because many of these old canal buildings have been restored. They are now used as offices, shops, and restaurants.
In the late 1800s, Pittsford started to grow again. Wealthy people from Rochester began building large country homes in and around the village. This was the start of Pittsford changing from a farming area into a suburb of Rochester.
Three of these grand homes are still in the village today. Pittsford Farms, started in the 1860s, is one of the oldest. It's still a working farm today, covering about 200 acres (0.8 km2). The farm's dairy still bottles milk in glass containers. The town of Pittsford has even bought the rights to this farm and others to make sure they stay open spaces for future generations.
Growth and Preservation Efforts
In the early 1900s, it became easier to travel to Rochester because of the Rochester & Eastern Trolley line and more cars. This made Pittsford a popular place to live. The village also improved its services, adding a water system, paved streets, sewers, and electric street lights. New neighborhoods with beautiful homes were built during this time.
By the 1950s, Pittsford saw a lot of new homes being built. People became worried about how this growth was changing the village. They were concerned about more traffic, old buildings being torn down, and losing open spaces. So, people in the community started working together to protect and improve Pittsford Village.
Over the last 50 years, residents, businesses, and government leaders have worked to save and restore many village buildings. They created a special historic preservation district and developed the Erie Canal waterfront for businesses and fun activities. They also saved farmland by buying its development rights. Today, Pittsford Village is admired for keeping its historic look and having a lovely, walkable business area.
Several historic places in Pittsford are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Hildreth-Lord-Hawley Farm, Hopkins Farm, Adolph Lomb House, Phoenix Building, Pittsford Village Historic District, Spring House, and Thomas Youngs House.
Pittsford's Population Over Time
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 505 | — | |
| 1880 | 756 | 49.7% | |
| 1890 | 852 | 12.7% | |
| 1900 | 1,000 | 17.4% | |
| 1910 | 1,205 | 20.5% | |
| 1920 | 1,328 | 10.2% | |
| 1930 | 1,460 | 9.9% | |
| 1940 | 1,544 | 5.8% | |
| 1950 | 1,668 | 8.0% | |
| 1960 | 1,749 | 4.9% | |
| 1970 | 1,755 | 0.3% | |
| 1980 | 1,568 | −10.7% | |
| 1990 | 1,488 | −5.1% | |
| 2000 | 1,418 | −4.7% | |
| 2010 | 1,355 | −4.4% | |
| 2020 | 1,419 | 4.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Famous People from Pittsford
- Thomas Kempshall – A former US Congressman.
- Mary Therese Friel – She was Miss New York USA in 1979 and then Miss USA in 1979.
- Abby Wambach – A famous former USA women's soccer player, an Olympian, and a World Champion.
- Andrew Rea – The host of the popular YouTube cooking channel, Binging with Babish.
- Magnus Sheffield – A professional cyclist.
Images for kids
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The c. 1826 Phoenix Hotel is at Pittsford's Four Corners. It's a great example of Federal style buildings in Western New York.
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Pittsford's Village Hall was built as a home in 1855. In 1937, it was updated and given to the Village.
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The Sylvanus Lathrop house was built in 1822 by the person in charge of building Pittsford's part of the Erie Canal.
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The Queen Anne style Vogt-Allen house, built around 1898, belonged to the family who ran the Pittsford Flour Mill.
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Dr. Hartwell Carver, the first owner of this beautiful Gothic revival home from around 1852, was a national supporter of the transcontinental railroad.
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Pittsford's business district, like much of the village, has many lovely buildings from the 1800s.
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The Wiltsie and Crump Building, built around 1887, first housed a dry goods store. It replaced an older building that had burned down.
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Pittsford Farms Dairy, started in 1888, is the oldest business still operating in Pittsford.
See also
In Spanish: Pittsford (villa) para niños
