Fairport, New York

Fairport is a village located in the Town of Perinton, which is part of Monroe County, New York. Fairport is a suburb 9 miles (14 km) east of Rochester. It is also known as the "Crown Jewel of the Erie Canal".[3] In 2005 it was named as one of the "Best Places to Live" by Money Magazine.[4] The population of the Village of Fairport is 5,353 as of the 2010 census.

Fairport
Village
The Fairport Lift Bridge
Location in Monroe County and the state of New York.
Location of New York in the United States
Coordinates: 43°05′58″N 77°26′35″W
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Monroe
Incorporated	1867
Area [1]
• Total	1.62 sq mi (4.19 km^2)
• Land	1.58 sq mi (4.09 km^2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.10 km^2)
Elevation	474 ft (144 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	5,353
• Estimate  (2019)[2]	5,305
• Density	3,357.59/sq mi (1,296.46/km^2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	14450
Area code(s)	585
FIPS code	36-25076
Website	http://www.village.fairport.ny.us/

History

The town of Perinton was first settled by European Americans in the two flat areas of Perinton Center (Turk Hill and Ayrault Roads) and Egypt. The first settlers in Perinton were Glover Perrin, his wife Johanna and his brother Jesse. What was developed as the village of Fairport was a swampy area within the Town of Perinton until the 1820s, when it was drained by construction of the new Erie Canal. With the opening of the Canal, what was then known as Perrinsville quickly became a busy canal port with a reputation for being a "fair port."[3][5] A further boon to the area's reputation as an industry and transportation center came with the construction of railroads in 1853.[3] This now booming section of Perrinsville was incorporated as a village on April 30, 1867 and eventually became the center of activity for the town of Perinton.[6]

Perspective map of Fairport with list of landmarks from 1885 by L.R. Burleigh

In the 19th century industry moved into Fairport, including Deland Chemical (baking soda), Cobb Preserving (the predecessor to American Can), and the Trescott Company (fruit grading and packing systems). Deland Chemical later became Fairport Vinegar Works, makers of Certo brand pectin used to jell foodstuffs.

In the early 20th century, the Erie Canal was expanded and renamed the Barge Canal. (It reverted to its original name in 1992). Barge transportation rapidly declined as automobiles and trucks became popular. The town began to expand away from the canal. The Erie Canal is now used mainly for recreation.

Fairport acquired its name in the mid-19th century from a traveler on the Erie Canal who was overheard at Mallett's Tavern referring to the village as a fair port.[3] Local legend has it that the same visitor vociferously complained the next morning that the Millstone Block Hotel had bedbugs, and he stormed out of Fairport, never to return. The name, however, stuck.

In 2005, Money Magazine and CNN/Money ranked Fairport as #62 on their "Best Places to Live" list.

In 2008, Relocate America included Fairport in their "Top 100 Places To Live" list.

The First Baptist Church of Fairport, Wilbur House, and Henry DeLand House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[7]

Most residents of the Town of Perinton reside within both the Fairport Central School District and the Fairport postal district; as a result, it is common for Perinton residents to describe their place of residence as "Fairport" even if they live outside of the village.

Geography

Fairport is located at 43°5'58" North, 77°26'35" West (43.099433, -77.443015).[8]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), of which 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) is water. The total area is 3.09% water.

Although officially the name of only the village, "Fairport" is often used to refer to a large portion of the encompassing township of Perinton as well. Both the Fairport Central School District and Fairport zip codes overlap closely with the borders of the Town of Perinton.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1880	1,920		—
1890	2,552		32.9%
1900	2,489		−2.5%
1910	3,112		25.0%
1920	4,626		48.7%
1930	4,604		−0.5%
1940	4,644		0.9%
1950	5,267		13.4%
1960	5,507		4.6%
1970	6,474		17.6%
1980	5,970		−7.8%
1990	5,943		−0.5%
2000	5,740		−3.4%
2010	5,353		−6.7%
Est. 2019	5,305	[2]	−0.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]

As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 5,740 people, 2,369 households, and 1,594 families residing in the village. The population density was 3,645.0 people per square mile (1,411.6/km²). There were 2,431 housing units at an average density of 1,543.7 per square mile (597.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 96.99% White, 0.73% African American, 0.12% Native American, 1.03% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. 1.38% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,369 households, of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18, 53.4% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the village, the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $53,375 and the median income for a family was $65,980. Males had a median income of $50,094 v. $30,431 for females. The per capita income for the village was $29,390. 3.3% of the population and 1.7% of families were below the poverty line. 2.2% of those under the age of 18 and 5.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Sports

Notable athletes to come out of Fairport include Tim Soudan in lacrosse (UMass, Rochester Knighthawks), Shawn Johnson in football (Duke University, Tennessee Titans), Steve Soja (Coastal Carolina University, River City Rascals, Mid-Missouri Mavericks, Gateway Grizzlies and Yuma Scorpions)[11] and Ryan Szwejbka in baseball (University of South Carolina, Aberdeen Pheasants), Dave Cerny in lacrosse (SUNY Albany Hall of Fame), Dan Predmore in track and field (Cornell University Hall of Fame),[12] Chris Collins in hockey (Boston College, Providence Bruins), Olympic Trial Finalist swimmer Jon Roberts (University of Minnesota), tennis player Marcus Fugate, Dhruv Tyagi in diving (Stanford University) and Ryan Kavanaugh in rowing (Columbia University). Over the past 13 years, Fairport has become a regional center for adaptive paddling and cycling along the canal-way. Erie Canal Boat Company and Rochester Accessible Adventures have transformed the area to provide inclusive recreation to people of all abilities.

Culture

The Colonial Belle, a canal tour boat.

Much of the activity of Fairport revolves around the Erie Canal waterfront. The Fairport Village Landing, opened in 1977, and Packett's Landing, built in the early 1980s, are two of the main shopping, dining and gathering spots in the village. Both developments resulted from a then controversial decision to raze much of the core of historic buildings in the center of the village in favor of the style of urban development then coming into vogue.

The Colonial Belle is a popular tour boat that offers canal cruises from Packett's Wharf on the south bank of the Erie Canal in downtown Fairport.

Fairport is the home of Fairport Canal Days <Fairport Canal Days Home Page>. This festival takes place the first full weekend of June each year and features many Rochester, Monroe County, New York area performers, including The Perinton Concert Band, The Rochester Scottish Pipe Band, and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Artists and artisans from more than a dozen states and Canada flock to Fairport to show their goods at the three-day festival. During Canal Days, a large portion of Main Street is blocked off and reserved for vendors and stands. The parking lot of Fairport Village Landing is also blocked off and used strictly for stands.

Fairport's calendar is filled with numerous other family-oriented activities. Each Tuesday during the summer the village hosts live entertainment. Thursday evenings see hundreds gather at the canalside gazebo at Kennelly Park to enjoy live music of a variety of musical styles and genres. Center Stage at Center Park, a large outdoor amphitheater just minutes from the village, hosts live stage performances, festivals and concerts throughout the summer. The village also hosts numerous seasonal festivals throughout the year as well, such as the Fairport Music and Food Festival.

Fairport also has its own Farmer's Market that takes place in the parking lot behind Bank of America at 58 South Main Street. It opens the first Saturday of May and closes the Saturday before Thanksgiving. It's open from 7 am to Noon, however it is not open the weekend of Canal Days.

The Erie Canal towpath is a popular walking/biking path. The section from Rochester's Genesee Valley Park to the village of Fairport is one of the most popular sections on the entire 340 miles (550 km) of the Erie Canal. In the Rochester area the towpath is a mix of pavement and crushed gravel.

Although less popular, the section heading east from Fairport is high quality and an excellent trail. Hikers, bikers, dog-walkers, and runners are common on this section. It takes about 30 minutes to cycle from Route 250 to Canandaigua Road on the towpath.

Perinton Park is popular family oriented park located on the banks of Erie Canal at Fairport Road (Route 31F) - the traditional east/west gateway into the village. The park is a short walk on the canal from the village. Nearby is the rowing boathouse for the Fairport Crew Club, an independent rowing club for local residents. The FCC boathouse is used to store rowing shells, whose teams can be seen practicing on the canal most days during the traditional canal season. Each September Fairport hosts the "Lift Bridge Regatta", a popular crew event featuring some of the top crew clubs in the Northeast.

The Fairport Red Raiders represent Fairport High School in all varsity sports. For decades their traditional rivals in football were the East Rochester Bombers, whom they played annually for the Little Brown Jug. The tradition was ended October 30, 1987 when it was acknowledged that Fairport's student enrollment was much larger than that of East Rochester.

The village of Fairport owns and operates a municipal power corporation called Fairport Electric. Incorporated in 1901, Fairport Electric provides electric power to its customers at lower rates than those charged by neighboring utilities. Fairport Electric has purchased power from the New York Power Authority since 1961.

Village of Fairport Parks

• Kennelley Park
• Perinton Park
• Packett's Landing Wharf
• Potter Park

Government

Fairport village hall

The Village Board is the local legislative body, consisting of the Mayor and four Trustees. Board members are elected in the November general elections and serve a term of four years.

The Village Justice, also elected in the November general elections for a four-year term, presides over the village court which settles criminal, civil, small claims, parking, vehicle and traffic cases that occur within the Village.

The Village Board selects a Village Administrator with responsibility for directing Village operations, including those of the Fairport Municipal Commission and for serving as budget director, zoning officer and public safety officer.

Serving under the Village Administrator and appointed by the mayor with Board of Trustees approval, are the clerk/treasurer, deputy clerk, deputy treasurer and building inspector/fire marshal.[13]

Village presidents and mayors

Name	Title	Term		Name	Title	Term		Name	Title	Term
C. H. Dickingson	President	1866		Edward L. Dudley	President	1894		Lewis W. Hollander	Mayor	1933–1935
A. C. Hill	President	1867–1869		Joseph Duncan	President	1895–1896		Irving R. Neiss	Mayor	1935–1944
George R. Sanford	President	1870		Nathan A. Rightmire	President	1897		Harry F. VanHorn	Mayor	1945–1954
Thomas B. V. Durand	President	1871		James E. Russell	President	1898		Charles J. Stauber	Mayor	1955–1962
William P. Close	President	1872		Charles H. Howe	President	1899		Albert H. Knapp	Mayor	1963–1966
Joseph Y. Parce	President	1873		John Zollman	President	1900–1902		Gordon T. Murphy	Mayor	1967–1970
W. K. Goodrich	President	1874		Theron R. Pritchard	President	1903		Peter J. McDonough	Mayor	1971–1982
George R. Sanford	President	1875		George E. Cobb	President	1904		Vincent T. Kennelly	Mayor	1982–1989
W. K. Goodrich	President	1876		Irving B. Eldridge	President	1905		Clark T. King	Mayor	1989–2006
Levi J. DeLand	President	1877		S. J. Robbins	President	1906–1907		Frederick H. "Fritz" May	Mayor	2006 – 2018
Ezekiel Davidson	President	1878–1879		George C. Taylor	President	1908		Julie M. Domaratz	Mayor	2019–Present
Levi J. DeLand	President	1880		Frank M. Kurtz	President	1909
F. A. Defendorf	President	1881–1882		Richard L. Saunders	President	1910
Nelson Lewis	President	1883		Charles W. Butler	President	1911
F. W. Howard	President	1884		Gordon H. Kellogg	President	1912
G. L. G. Seeley	President	1885		J. H. Cotter	President	1913–1914
F. A. Defendorf	President	1886		E. L. Dudley	President	1915–1916
A. Worth Palmer	President	1887		J. D. McGartney	President	1917–1919
F. W. Howard	President	1887		James W. Welch	President	1920
Egbert L. Hodskin	President	1888		T. J. Bridges	President	1921
W. M. DeLand	President	1889		Harry T. Tinney	President	1922–1923
Patrick McAuliffe	President	1890		Stewart S. Pierce	President	1924
J. Wesley "Wes" Osborn	President	1891		Henry Steiger	President Mayor	1925–1927 1928
Ephrium J. Fisk	President	1892		Herman L. Steffen	Mayor	1929–1930
Ezra B. Pratt	President	1893		Glezen G. Wilcox	Mayor	1931–1932

Education

While the Fairport Central School District serves the village of Fairport (as well as the town of Perinton), only Brooks Hill Elementary School, Johanna Perrin Middle School and Minerva Deland are actually situated in the village. The town of Perinton contains Fairport High School, Martha Brown Middle School, Jefferson Avenue Elementary and Dudley/Northside Elementary School.

The Fairport Central School District has eight schools in total. Dudley Elementary School educates students in grades K - 2, and is attached to Northside Elementary School which educates students in grades 3 - 5. Jefferson Avenue Elementary and Brooks Hill Elementary Schools school serves students in grades K - 5 as well. Martha Brown Middle School and Johanna Perrin Middle School school is for students grades 6 - 8. All of the students come together for grade 9 at Minerva Deland School. Then they all move on to Fairport High School to continue grades 10 - 12. The "Fairport Family" prides itself for being very close and integrating programs for all of the schools to participate in together. The beloved program, "Brotherhood Sisterhood Week," takes place in March every year for one week. It focuses on Civility, Awareness, Respect, and Embrace (CARE) in each of the schools. At the end of the week, high school students, who have been pen pals with elementary school students for about a month, visit their buddies to teach about CARE and do fun activities.

Fairport High School ranked 548 out of the 2,000 schools in Newsweek's list of America’s Best High Schools for 2013.[14]

Notable people

• Cole Bardreau, NHL hockey player, New York Islanders [15]
• Brian Michael Bendis, comic book writer, spent summers in Fairport
• Ralph Bown, radio pioneer[16]
• Paul Foster Case, occultist[17]
• Bill Davey, professional bodybuilder, 1997 AAU Mr America
• Don Davey, NFL football player, Green Bay Packers (1991–94), Jacksonville Jaguars (1995–97)
• Henry A. DeLand, founder of Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, lived in Fairport[18]
• Andrea Nix Fine, 2013 Academy Award winner, documentary film "Inocente"[19][20]
• Laura Nix, 2020 Academy Award nominated director, documentary short film "Walk Run Cha-Cha"[21]
• Joseph Fornieri, historian and author[22]
• Philip Seymour Hoffman, actor, 2006 Academy Award Winner (Best Actor in Capote)[23]
• Vijay Iyer, jazz pianist[24]
• Cory Johnson, journalist
• Noah Z. Jones, animator and creator of Fish Hooks[25]
• Leo Lyons, owner-manager of Rochester Jeffersons founding NFL team (1920–25)[26]
• Julia Nunes, singer-songwriter[27]
• Lauren O'Connell, singer-songwriter, guitarist
• Kim Pegula, businesswoman and co-owner of the Buffalo Bills[28]
• Sian Proctor, scientist, 1988 graduate of FHS
• Louise Slaughter, Former U.S. House of Representatives; Ranking Democrat, House Rules Committee[29]
• Tim Soudan, professional lacrosse player[30]

References

1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
3. "Village of Fairport:About Fairport". Retrieved 2009-05-31.
4. "Best places to live 2005: Fairport, NY snapshot". Money Magazine. Cabel News Network. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
5. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 123.
6. Merriman, Marjorie Snow (1944-06-08). "EARLY DAYS IN FAIRPORT". Fairport Herald-Mail. Perinton Historical Society. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
7. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
8. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
9. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
10. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
11. Kinmartin, Patrick (2007-06-21). "GBL's (First) Players of the Week - Outlawed Baseball". Norcalblogs.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2012-12-21.
12. "Cornell University Athletics - Hall of Fame". Cornellbigred.com. Retrieved 2012-12-21.
13. This section was copied from Fairport Village Government official website: Link Archived 2006-04-30 at the Wayback Machine
14. "2013 America's Best High Schools". Newsweek. Retrieved 2017-01-18.
15. Roth, Leo. "After 230 minor league games and several injuries, Fairport's Cole Bardreau makes NHL debut". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
16. Times, Special To the New York (1 August 1971). "Dr. Ralph Bown, 80, Bell Lab. Official". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
17. "B.O.T.A. Builders of the Adytum". www.bota.org. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
18. "Henry Addison DeLand obituary - founder of DeLand, FL - Newspapers.com". newspapers.com. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
19. writer, Bethany Young, staff. "Fairport filmmaker earns Oscar nomination for documentary". Monroe County Post.
20. "Andrea Nix". IMDb.
21. Carey, Matthew; Carey, Matthew (January 23, 2020). ""There Was Whooping And Shouting": 'Walk Run Cha-Cha' Director Laura Nix On Reaction To Earning Oscar Nomination".
22. "Fornieri Joins AHI as Senior Fellow". July 10, 2013.
23. "Philip Seymour Hoffman's hometown reflects year after death". nydailynews.com. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
24. "Fairport's Vijay Iyer coming home for jazz fest". democratandchronicle.com. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
25. "June 20 - The Rockwell Center for American Visual Studies". www.rockwell-center.org. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
26. "Leo Lyons Player Register - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
27. "Internet funds another Julia Nunes album". democratandchronicle.com. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
28. "From orphan to NFL owner". democratandchronicle.com. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
29. "Funeral arrangements set for Rep. Louise Slaughter". democratandchronicle.com. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
30. "RocJocks: Lacrosse star Tim Soudan got his start at Fairport". democratandchronicle.com. Retrieved 26 March 2018.

External links

• Fairport, New York travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Village of Fairport, NY webpage
• Fairport Canal Days webpage
• Fairport on City-Data.com
• Perinton Community Center
• Fairport Public Library