Canton in St. Lawrence County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Home of Silas Wright
Photographed by Megan Royce, October 24, 2026
1. Home of Silas Wright Marker
Silas Wright
Statesman
U.S. Senator 1833-43
Gov. of New York 1844-46
Erected 1957 by New York State Education Department.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Government & Politics. A significant historical year for this entry is 1833.
Location. 44° 35.749′ N, 75° 10.093′ W. Marker is in Canton, New York, in St. Lawrence County. It is on East Main Street (U.S. 11) 0.1 miles east of Park Street (County Route 27), on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3 E Main St, Canton NY 13617, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Upstate New York and in the Adirondacks & North Country. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, New Netherland, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: In Memory of those Citizens from the Town of Canton (within shouting distance of this
this page online
Also see . . .
1. Saint Lawrence County Historical Association. The home of Silas Wright is now the museum of the Saint Lawrence County Historical Association (Submitted on November 22, 2014, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.)
2. Silas Wright - Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
WRIGHT, Silas, Jr., a Representative and a Senator from New York; born in Amherst, Mass., May 24, 1795; moved with his father to Wyebridge, Vt., in 1796; graduated from Middlebury (Vt.) College in 1815; moved to Sandy Hill, Washington County, N.Y., in 1816; studied law; admitted to the bar in 1819 and commenced practice in Canton, St. Lawrence County, N.Y.(Submitted on November 23, 2014, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland.)
Surrogate of St. Lawrence County 1821-1824; member, State senate 1824-1827; appointed brigadier general of State militia in 1827; elected as a Jacksoniancandidate to the Twentieth Congress and served from March 4, 1827, to February 16, 1829, when he resigned.Photographed by Megan Royce, October 27, 20262. Home of Silas Wright Marker - View WestMarker is across from Canton Park on US 11. The Route is marked north-south, but is compass east-west through Canton.
Successfully contested the election of George Fisher to the Twenty-first Congress, but declined to qualify; comptroller of the State of New York 1829-1833; elected to the United States Senate in 1833 as a Jacksonian (later Democrat) to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of William L. Marcy; reelected in 1837 and served from January 4, 1833, to November 26, 1844, when he resigned, having been elected Governor.
Chairman, Committee on Finance (Twenty-fourth through Twenty-sixth Congresses); declined the Democratic nomination for Vice President of the United States in 1844; Governor of New York 1844-1846; unsuccessful candidate for reelection
Died in Canton, N.Y., August 27, 1847; interment in Silas Wright Cemetery (formerly Old Canton) in Canton, New York.
3. Silas Wright - Wikipedia. Excerpt:
In 1822, several of Canton’s young men formed a militia company, which they elected Wright to lead with the rank of captain. When his company was grouped with several others to form the 7th Regiment in 1825, Wright was appointed commander(Submitted on November 22, 2014, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.)with the rank of major. In 1826 he was promoted to colonel. In 1827 his regiment was organized as part of the militia’s 49th Brigade, 12th Division and the brigade’s officers unanimously elected him as commander, which resulted in his promotion to brigadier general. Wright resigned in 1829, when his assumption of the New York State Comptroller’s post required him to spend the majority of his time in Albany.Photographed by Megan Royce, October 24, 20263. Home of Silas Wright Marker - View East
4. The Wright House Through the Years. This page has numerous images of the property.
Moses Whitcomb built the house in 1833-1834 as a two-room cottage. In 1834, Senator Wright and his new bride, Clarissa Moody Wright, purchased the house and several acres of land extending southwestward to the Grasse River.(Submitted on October 31, 2026.)
The immediate property was made up of a large vegetable garden, orchard, and pasture. Over the next ten years, they enlarged the house in the popular Greek Revival style in order to accommodate the Senators’ important station in life.
Photographed by Sara Lynch, October 9, 2025
4. Home of Silas Wright
Photographed by Sara Lynch, June 3, 2026
5. Home of Silas Wright, now the St. Lawrence County Center for History and Culture
The home of Silas Wright is now the St. Lawrence County Center for History and Culture, home of the St. Lawrence County Historical Association.
Internet Archive
6. Silas Wright
from A History of the American People by Woodrow Wilson, 1902.
Photographed by Anton Schwarzmueller, November 8, 2014
7. An Older Photograph of the Home of Silas Wright
Library of Congress
8. Gov. Wright's Grand March
Published by Wm. H. Oakes, 1844.
Published by Wm. H. Oakes, 1844.
His Excellency
Governor of New York
by
Oliver J. Shaw.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 31, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 22, 2014, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York. This page has been viewed 730 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 31, 2026, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 6. submitted on September 3, 2020, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 7. submitted on November 22, 2014, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York. 8. submitted on September 3, 2020, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
