As I was perusing the plat maps–as I do late at night when sensible people are sleeping–I noticed something I had difficulty explaining. I have heard before from sources forgotten that “Hall Street” actually used to be called “Maxson Street”, but the name was changed and the Maxson moniker applied to another new street instead,…
Even the gaps have history. Meandering among the crumbling stone and brick edifices of Rochester’s old industrial heart, it can be easy to forget that what we see is but a tiny sampling of the rambling mills and smoke-puffing factories that once crammed these riverside lots with bustling productivity. For every stone façade still standing,…
As the summer winds down, nostalgic memories of other summers past bubble up to the surface. Recently I was reminiscing about my far-from-stellar career with the Phillies team of the Eastside Little League. I recall mostly long, hot practices in Tryon Park fielding grounders and running against my will. I recall even longer, hotter games…
There is a neighborhood known as the Fruit Belt in Dutchtown on the west side of Rochester, NY. It was settled largely by German immigrants in the 19th century. These settlers planted numerous fruit and nut trees in the neighborhoods, which eventually lent the streets fruity names: Orange, Lime, Grape, Walnut, Orchard. I’ve always been…
During the 1920s, a feature ran in the Democrat & Chronicle called “Over the Percolator”; items of local history were discussed, with reader submissions accepted regarding events or points of historical interest. Numerous letters were sent by Rochesterians sharing their memories and personal research regarding Rochester’s past. One discussion in particular caught my eye: “F.…
While meandering through archived issues of the Democrat & Chronicle searching for some bit of trivia or another, I happened upon this 1983 story regarding the Beechwood neighborhood. A minor jog in the path of Melville Street where it meets Berwyn Street is described therein as a sort of delineation between part of the street…
Something has always fascinated me about buried waterways. Perhaps it’s the idea that the persistent flow of water over millennia–long enough to carve deep gorges in the landscape–could be stymied in such short order by human action. Perhaps it’s because even human action doesn’t seem like enough to stop the flow of even the most…
At 5’ 2” tall and about 115 pounds, Frederick S. Smith may have been a small man, but he was brave, tough, and cocky. You had to be in his line of work, for Fred Smith was one of those adventuresome janitors of the heights: the steeplejack. Known as The Human Fly–especially to himself–it was…
This post, simply described, follows the history of a field. A Lyon’s Den Our story begins with Harrison A. Lyon, a Brightonian nurseryman. In the latter half of the 19th century, he and A. J. Fisk conducted a nursery business headquartered on the lot presently occupied by East High School. The map below shows Culver…
I’d like to write now about two buildings from Rochester’s past that are very close to my heart. In fact, these two buildings are the impetus behind the birth of Gonechester; researching the mysterious buildings made me appreciate the depth of history, as well as the wealth of information available if one is so inclined…
The Gonechester blog pulls together sources to tell stories about people and places that once were part of Rochester, NY, but now are no longer with us. Photographs, newspaper articles, and primary documents are all included to paint a picture of these lost locations, and the people who lived and worked in them.
If you are interested in a glimpse at the Gonechester research process, or a list of the resources Gonechester uses in its research, this page has both! Follow along as Gonechester discovers the location of a mystery photo.
The Gonechester blog has won a 2024 Special Commendation award from the Landmark Society of Western New York, for diligent and meticulous research regarding Rochester’s lost cultural and material heritage.
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➼I will be giving my presentation, “From Nurseries to Neighborhoods: The History of the East Main-Culver Area” at Rush Public Library on Wednesday, May 6th, 2026, at 6:00 PM.
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