Stafford Village Four Corners Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Stafford Village Four Corners
Historic District |
|
East profile and north elevation of former
Sander Store, 2010 |
|
 Location in New York
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Stafford, NY |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Batavia |
| Area | 5.7 acres (2.3 ha) |
| Built | 1809–90 |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Mixed (more Than 2 Styles From Different Periods) |
| NRHP reference No. | 76001220 |
| Added to NRHP | October 08, 1976 |
The Stafford Village Four Corners Historic District is a special area in Stafford, New York, United States. It's found where two main roads, New York State Routes 5 and 237, meet. This district has six old buildings from the 1800s. One of these buildings is the oldest house in Genesee County, New York.
Stafford was the very first place where Europeans settled in the Holland Purchase area. People have lived here since 1798. These buildings together show what a busy downtown looked like in Western New York long ago. Most of the buildings are still used for their original purpose. One old store was later changed into the town hall. This area was officially named a historic district in 1976. It was then added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Exploring the Area
This historic district is right where the two highways cross. It's about halfway between the towns of Batavia and Le Roy along Route 5. Route 237 starts here and goes north to Morganville. The area is a small village with houses and shops. It's surrounded by farms and fields. There's also a golf course to the north.
The district covers about 5.7 acres. On these lands, you'll find six important buildings. All of them are wood frame structures built in the 1800s. They include two houses, two stores, a church, and a school (seminary). A small park on the northeast corner used to be the site of a hotel. That hotel burned down in the 1920s.
A Look Back in Time
Joseph Ellicott started surveying the Holland Purchase in 1798. This area is most of what we now call Western New York. He set up a storage building where an old Iroquois trail met his survey line. This settlement quickly became known as Transit. Soon after, a post office was opened there.
The next year, a survey team working for Ellicott stayed in Transit. Their leader, James Dewey, cleared some land for a small vegetable garden. This was the first time farming was done on the Holland lands.
Frederick Walther, who owned an inn at the crossroads, wrote to Ellicott. He said the garden grew well, showing the good quality of the soil. An 1800 map of the Holland lands called this intersection "Walther." This was probably because he was the only person living there. By 1804, he had built a Federal style inn just north of the old Indian trail.
Five years later, in 1809, the Marvin-Radley-Diefendorf House was built. It was made in the same style on the southwest corner of the crossroads. Unlike the inn, this house is still standing today. This makes it the oldest house in Genesee County, New York. By 1822, enough people had settled here that the Town of Stafford was created. The Greek Revival Radley-Worthington House was built on the southeast corner in 1831.
St. Paul's Episcopal Church was built next door in 1841. It was made in the Carpenter Gothic style. That same year, the crossroads changed its name from Transit. It became known as Stafford Four Corners, as it was the center of the town. Seven years later, in 1848, the Greek Revival seminary was built next to the church. It is now used as a parish house. Sanders Store was built two years after that.
In 1890, the Odd Fellows Hall was built on the northwest corner. This is the newest important building in the district. Walther's hotel burned down in 1922. The land where it stood was never rebuilt. Today, it is a park with memorials for soldiers. No new modern buildings have been added within the historic district.
Buildings to See
- Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge #222: This building is on the northwest corner. It has two stories and a hipped roof. It was built in 1890 and made bigger around 1910. It has two tall towers. The front of the building has a metal cover over the first floor. It is still used as a meeting place, with shops on the ground floor.
- Marvin-Radley-Diefendorf House: This house is on the southwest corner. The oldest part of this brick house was built in 1809. It has two stories and a hipped roof. A special window called a Palladian window is above the front porch. This is the oldest house in Genesee County.
- Radley-Worthington House: You can find this house on the southeast corner. It's a grand one-story house built in 1831. It has a large front porch with fluted Ionic columns. These columns support a fancy decorated border. Inside, the hallways have decorated pillars and arches.
- St. Paul's Episcopal Church: This church is east of the Radley House. It was built in 1841. It mixes styles, with a Greek Revival look and pointed Gothic windows. The tall square tower at the front has small towers at its corners.
- St. Paul's Seminary: This building is next to the church. It's now used as the parish house. It was first a school for the church. It became a seminary (a school for religious studies) in 1852.
- Sanders Store: This building is on the southwest corner. It was built in 1850 as a general store. In 1907, it was changed to become Stafford's town hall. It has been empty since the town hall moved to a new building. The building shows a mix of Greek Revival and local building styles. It has a fancy border and a special fan-shaped window. There is also a tower with a bell-like structure that holds a modern fire siren.
