LE ROY PENNYSAVER & NEWS - OCTOBER 23, 2022 by Lynne Belluscio I am gathering little pieces of information for a walking tour booklet of Main Street LeRoy. This week’s Pennysaver is about stone buildings. I have a lot of history for some of them, and virtually nothing on others. So, this is a work in progress. I am particularly interested in buildings of local limestone. In 2007, four of the Historical Society newsletters included articles about limestone buildings in LeRoy and the limestone quarries. Limestone was quarried in LeRoy as early as 1811. There were a lot of quarries through the years. At first the quarries produced stone that was used for foundations and buildings but eventually the architectural stone was discontinued. Probably the last building to be built in LeRoy was the church in Limerock. There were quarries in Lime Rock, and on both sides of the Oatka Creek behind Machpelah Cemetery. There was one at the base of Buttermilk Falls (known as Jagger Hole). The quarry on Warner Road produced the limestone for the old Genesee County courthouse. That stone was hauled to Knowleton Rich’s stone cutting mill south of LeRoy at Red Bridge (Munson Street) to be cut in slabs. Back to a walking tour in the village... W o o d w a r d Memorial Library – 7 Wolcott Street. The stone of the Library was taken from the 1869 Staunton Art Conservatory on the Ingham University campus. The stone came from the G.H. Holmes quarry on North Street near the present-day sewage treatment plant on the creek. When Ingham closed, the buildings on the campus were razed. The Woodward family decided to use the Conservatory stone for the new Memorial Library built in 1929. Some carved stones from the Art Conservatory were installed in the west wall of Ernest Woodward’s estate on East Main Street. St. Mark’s Church – 1 East Main S t r e e t . Work was begun on the church in 1869. The stone was taken from a f a c t o r y b u i l d i n g n e a r b y and was believed to have come from Sherrill’s Quarry that was located north of the village along the Creek. St. Marks is listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings. Methodist Church– 10 Trigon Park. This R i c h a r d s o n Romanesque l i m e s t o n e building was built in 1886 and replaced a brick building that was d e s t r o y e d by fire. The r u s t i c a t e d stones are highlighted with red mortar which can still be seen in some places. This type of construction can be seen in several buildings in the village. 23 East Main Street – The former 1898 LeRoy High School - the Jell-O Gallery. This building was an addition to the large wooden LeRoy Academic Institute that stood where the parking lot is today. Fossils can be seen in the stones, and to the left of the main door is a visible drill hole. 27 East Main Street - The foundation of this house is built of rusticated local limestone. 49 Main Street - the former 1896 Citizens Bank – Capish Restaurant. This limestone building has been a bar and restaurant for many years. Carved limestone details ornament the front of the building. 44 Lake Street - St. Peter’s Catholic Church - Our Lady of Mercy Parish. The cornerstone for the church was laid in 1870 and the church was dedicated in 1873. The vestibules on either side of the building were added in 1910. The steeple was removed in 1930 after it was struck by lightning 8 ½ Lake Street – Dr. Sutterby’s Livery - Bottle Return. This overlooked limestone building has some very interesting details on the Bacon Street side, including an impressive arch and some deeply marked corner quoins. The building served as the livery stable for the hotel on the corner. It served as a gas station for many years and was a NAPAAutoparts store. It is included in the National Register District for Main Street LeRoy. Not to be overlooked is 1 Main Street, Farmer’s Creekside Inn. This building is constructed of local blue shale, sometimes called oil shale. The layer of shale lies on top of the limestone in this area. This building was originally Ballard’s Hat factory and the felt hats made of animal fur, were laid out on the ground to dry. The building in the early 1900s was the home of Percy Hooker, the first New York State Highway Commissioner. There are photos of his daughter playing with her dolls on the front steps. The building also was the home of Dr. Knoll who had his office in the building. After a fire, Bill Farmer acquired the building and put a roof on it, and then over the next few years rebuilt it. Other evidence of local limestone can be seen in the lintels above windows and doors on Main Street. At one time, the entire length of Main Street was dotted with hitching posts made of local limestone. There are still a couple along East Main Street, including limestone step stones used to get into carriages. It should be noted that the Post Office is constructed of Indiana limestone. At the time that it was built, architectural stone was not being quarried in LeRoy. Stone Walls
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