History of Corn Hill

• After the American Revolution, westward migration reached the fertile Genesse Country.
• Oliver Phelps and Nathaniel Gorham recognized the potential of the lower GeneseeŐs waterpower, purchased thousands of acres, and persuaded the Indians to cede land west of the river by agreeing to provide grist and saw mills on the Falls of the Genesee.
• Three gentlemen from Maryland, Colonel Nathaniel Rochester, William Fitzhugh, and Charles Caroll, saw the industrial potential of the site, and purchased the a 100 acre plot, and laid out village lots and streets in 1811.
• Other settlements vied with the village to become the regionŐs center.
• In 1821 the county of Monroe was formed and within the past eleven years, the population had tripled.
• The thriving city was sectioned into political zones or wards, and the Third Ward, known today as Corn Hill, consisted of the triangle bounded by the Erie Canal (Broad Street) on the north, the Genesee River on the east, and the Genesee Valley Canal (Ford Street) on the west.
• Millers and merchants built Greek Revival and Italianate brick houses on the major avenues; real estate investors built frame cottages on side streets that housed the cityŐs booming population.
• European immigrants joined the Yankee and southern pioneers, a Scottish promotion settled the area around Caledonia (Plymouth Circle) and former slaves settled over the hill along Clarissa Street.
• Changes accelerated in the 20th century and as the decades passed, the neighborhood began to decline, hastened after World War II by the exodus to the suburbs.
• By the early 1960s, most of the housing was dilapidated, and slum landlords flourished.
• Highway and Civic Center construction claimed many quiet streets and handsome landmarks, and Urban Renewal threatened to take what was left of the neighborhood.
• The Landmark Society intervened to save the Corn Hill which, though badly deteriorated, had great architectural potential.
• The Society documented these resources and persuaded the city government to designate part of the area for conservation.
• Urban Renewal, approved by the City in 1966, cleared the demolition area, but rehabilitation depended on private action.
• To encourage such action, the Landmark Society initiated a demonstration program of purchasing houses, organizing a neighborhood association (now the independent Corn Hill Neighbors), and provided tours, publications, and advisory services.
• Urban Renewal built a new school and library, made rehabilitation loans and grants available, rebuilt streets, utility lines, and planted trees.
• Today, the beauty and vitality of the neighborhood are a testament to the old and new owners, and to the residents who have invested their time, talent, and treasure to retore their homes and revitalize the neighborhood.
• Recently, the federal, state, and city governments have recognized the architectural and historical merit of the old Third Ward by awarding preservation district status to Corn Hill.

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