Lake Stone House

Lake Stone House. . Martin Harris’s home was a one-and-a-half story white frame house, which stood on this site. When Martin moved away in 1831, it was occupied by William Chapman. That house burned down in 1849 and was replaced by the present lake-stone house, which dates from 1850., Lake-stone buildings were first built in this area by English artisans who came here to work on the Erie Canal. After the canal was completed in 1825, they found employment by constructing stone houses. Approximately 700 of these structures were built in this part of the state., Many of the stones for this house were hauled from the shores of Lake Ontario by wagon - often a two- or three-day trip because of the heavy load. The stones were then sorted and sized with the most uniform stones used for the front, the less desirable stones for the sides. and the least desirable ones for the back. lf you examine the house closely you can see the intricate trowel work around each stone. No interior tours are available, but please feel free to look around outside.