Preservation and Progress

One of the reasons I choose to live in Pittsford is the rich sense of history that surrounds our community. Almost daily, my work takes me from my home past School District #3, the red brick, one-room schoolhouse where students studied from 1845 until 1946. Further down the road, I go past the Lehman Farm Market and the historic port area of Cartersville, once a settlement on the old Erie Canal where horse and mule teams changed and a distillery was housed. I come into the Village where I go past the Wiltsie & Crump building, behind which there was once a barn that was part of the Underground Railroad.

The Town and Village of Pittsford have worked to preserve their history. Yet, that does not mean living in the past. The one-room schoolhouse is now a home. The land surrounding the Lehman Farm Market continues to be farmed, using 21^st century technology. Cartersville is home to Little League Baseball fields where families enjoy warm summer afternoons watching their children play. The Village is now home to businesses including an advertising firm, software company, personal trainer, and massage therapy.

Preservation and progress can work together to create a more vibrant community. It takes vision, planning, and thoughtful consideration to make that happen. Heritage tourism is one way to meet goals of both preservation and economic development. According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, heritage tourism is “traveling to experience the places, artifacts and activities that authentically represent the stories and people” of a community or area.

Heritage tourism can have positive economic impacts, bringing in people from around the region to explore the area. More visitors supports a thriving economy. In addition to our iconic Sam Patch boat tours, imagine if we had signage on our trails to teach people about local cultural and natural history . What about a podcasted barn tour to tell stories of the families whose generations have lived on and worked the land. What if Pittsford worked with its local farmers to host an annual Open Farm Weekend where people could come for tours, hands-on activities, and food tastings. There are also opportunities to work with the Seneca community to highlight the earliest history of our region.

Heritage tourism also has social impacts, building pride in one’s community. It strengthens a community’s sense of identity and place. It creates opportunities to socialize, to be entertained, and to learn.

Laying the foundation for heritage tourism first requires that we identify our history. You can help do that. Currently, there are 89 homes in the Town of Pittsford (and many more in the Village) that are designated as local historic landmarks. In 2016, the town conducted a historical inventory that identified 70 more buildings that are likely candidates for landmark designation. To find out if your home is on the inventory, call Town Hall at (585) 248–6200. A member of the Design Review & Historic Preservation Board can walk you through the designation process.

If your house is not on the inventory, you can get involved in Historic Pittsford, a citizen’s group that promotes our local history. You can find out more about the organization at www.historicpittsford.com.

Thriving heritage tourism is going to require a collaborative effort of the Town and Village governments, business owners, historians, and residents. Together, we can preserve our past while growing into the future.