Historic Downtown Albion

Historic Downtown Albion. . , Architectural Features , The Pratt building, at right, includes a third floor opera house. This site was built in 1882 and was the largest stage between Buffalo and Rochester. , The Village Hall and firehouse on East Bank Street is an ornate structure from 1873 that continues to serve in both capacities. , The Briggs Building was built in 1890 originally as a saloon. It has many Victorian features, including a fancy pediment. , Can you find the gargoyles on East Bank Street? , Albion is home to several historic districts , Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor: , The states entire 524-mile canal system is a National Heritage Corridor, recognized by Congress with this distinction in 2000. When the canal opened in 1825, it soon turned Albion into a busy village. Albion has two of the 16 lift bridges that remain on the canal. They're all on the western end of the historic waterway. , Courthouse Historic District: , This includes 33 buildings, highlighted by seven churches, stately homes, a post office and courthouse built in 1858. The district is one of two located in downtown Albion. Many of the buildings are made of locally quarried Medina sandstone. , Mount Albion Cemetery: , The park-like cemetery was established in 1843 and named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, the first site in Orleans County to make the list. The cemetery includes numerous monuments, including a Civil War Memorial that towers 68 feet. The cemetery is located on Route 31, about 2 miles east of Route 98. , Cobblestone Historic District: , A cluster of cobblestone building and other historic structures, including the oldest of 26 cobblestone churches in North America, is registered as a National Historic Landmark. The Cobblestone Society Museum is about 2 miles north of Albion. , Downtown Albion is one of the most intact historic districts along the Erie Canal. The buildings were constructed between 1827 and 1930 in Federal, Italianate, Greek Revival, Eastlake and Queen Anne styles. , Albion became a bustling port after the Erie Canal opened in 1825, shipping wheat and apples grown in the surrounding farms. The first Medina sandstone quarry opened in Medina in 1837, and the reddish brown sedimentary rock would become heavily quarried around Albion, with the stone shipped to build the brownstones in New York City. Paving blocks quarried locally were shipped to cities throughout the Great Lakes. , Trade in sandstone and farm products made Albion prosperous, and home to many ornate residences, commercial buildings, civic structures and churches. , The North Main-Bank Street Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.