Spencerport Gazebo Decorated for Christmas

The gazebo in Spencerport on the Erie Canal, taken Christmas 1999.

Bittersweet Window

This a the top corner window on the Bittersweet building, at the corner of Main and Market Streets. It has been painted like this as long as I can recall. I would love to see what this building looks like inside on the top floor... Taken August 25th, 2008. (click for larger view)

Lift Bridge Bell

This is the bell assembly for the Main St. lift bridge, made by B&B Engineering in Norwood Louisiana. I love their logo, with the wing and lightning bolt, it looks like something from a superhero comic book. From what I recall, the bell runs at 2 speeds, faster when the gates are being closed, and slower when the bridge is going up and down. Where I grew up not to far from here, you could hear the bell most days when the house windows were open...
This being the motor side, you can't see the bell on the far side, but this view really caught my eye... Taken October 11th, 2008. (click for larger view)

Strand Theater

What a difference 11 years makes...
Here is a recent image of the Strand Theater, and as you can see it is in serious need of repairs. In this image taken in 1997, it was in pretty good condition, now you can see rust holes in many places, plus not all the neon is working. (not to mention they are using 3's for E's...) Recently the Strand Celebrated 100 years, and there was a celebration and fundraiser to try and raise money to restore the marquee. Let's hope we can make this happen, so we don't see Brockport's Strand end up like the one in Pennsylvania. Taken October 5th, 2008. (click for larger view)

Main Street Lift Bridge & Flags

Here is a different view of the Main Street lift bridge, taken from the south side of the canal, looking north-west. This is one of the few places where you can stand below water level, looking over the canal wall. There is an outdoor seating area for the restaurant here, called "The Port" now I think. Taken October 11th, 2008. (click for larger view)

Erie Canal Welcome Center

Fall evening view of Brockport's new welcome center on the Erie Canal. This is from the north bank near Main St, looking towards the Park Ave lift bridge. Taken October 16th, 2008. (click for larger view)

End of the line...

This is now the end of the eastbound railroad tracks coming out of Brockport. These tracks once carried passengers and cargo all the way to Rochester and beyond... Located on the east side of Owens Rd., this view is looking west towards Brockport. Taken October 19th, 2008. (click for larger view)

United Methodist Church

Side view of the United Methodist Church in Brockport, at the corner of Main and Erie Streets. The clocks on the tower actually work, and are lit up at night. Taken October 5th, 2008. (click for larger view)

Erie Street Sign

This is the cut steel decorative street sign at the corner of Main & Erie streets. A trolley on top signifies that Erie/State Street is where the trolley used to pass through Brockport, as seen in this picture. Taken October 5th, 2008. (click for larger view)

Autumn Tree

This big beautiful tree is in the woods near the Soldier's Monument out on Owens Road. Taken October 19th, 2008. (click for larger view)

Frosty November Morning

We woke up to a frosty sunrise this morning... The clocks were changed back last night, so this was about 7:30 AM, and the grass was still covered in white frost. Taken November 2nd, 2008. (click for larger view)

Park Avenue Lift Bridge

Here is a different view of the Park Ave Lift bridge, this time looking west. Taken October 11th, 2008. (click for larger view)

Small Boat Launch

This is the small boat launch area in Harvester Park. The canal wall is lowered to a couple inches above the water to make it easy to launch and board canoes or kayaks. When I was younger and canoed into town, we had to get out on the other side on the rocks, as the wall was too high to safely get in or out of the canoe. This is a great feature, and it's design adds to the beauty of the park. Taken October 11th, 2008. (click for larger view)

First Baptist Church

One of the many churches in Brockport... Taken October 11th, 2008. (click for larger view)

Red Brick Canal Path

This is the canal path in between the two lift bridges in Brockport. The pavement made to look like brick is a huge improvement over the gravel that used to be there. Makes for a very nice stroll, with benches along the way and lighting at night. Taken October 11th, 2008. (click for larger view)

Fall Evening on the Canal Path

Here is an evening view of the canal path, Park Ave lift bridge, and Harvester Park from near the Main St. bridge, taken last Thursday night around 6:45 PM. The days are getting shorter, and on an overcast day night seems to come even quicker... Taken October 16th, 2008. (click for larger view)

McCormick Reapers

This is the McCormick Reaper historical marker sign, in Harvester Park, with a fresh coat of paint. Hard to imagine the factory on this site back in the 1800's. The bridge is the Park Ave. lift bridge. Taken August 31st, 2008. (click for larger view)

Brockport Municipal Building

This is the Brockport village Offices at 49 State St. For many years this was the Brockport Seymour Library, before they moved to their new location. It still houses the Emily L. Knapp Museum on the second and third floors. Taken August 31st, 2008. (click for larger view)

Busy Day on the Erie Canal

This was Labor Day weekend, at Harvester park in Brockport. Just about all the boat docks were full, and there were three other boats passing under the lift bridges. The new welcome center has really transformed the canalfront in Brockport. The walkways are all nicely paved, there is a small craft launch area where the canal wall is lowered, picnic areas, and they loan bicycles to visitors so they can see the town easier. Taken August 31st, 2008. (click for larger view)

Golden Field

This field has been catching my eye for the last two weeks as it has turned from green to gold, and the late sun lights it up. Not sure what is growing here, looks like some sort of grain? You can just see the trees starting to change colors... Taken October 1st, 2008. (click for larger view)

Apples

It is early October, the colors are changing, and the apple trees are full of Fruit. On my daily drive each day, I pass through a few orchards, and I see the harvesters with their strange tripod ladders, making progress clearing the trees. This orchard on East Ave was still wet from rain, and lit up with the late sun to make the apples jump right out at you. Taken October 1st, 2008. (click for larger view)

Main & Market Street Sign

This is the street sign at the corner of Main & Market. It is one of a series of different cut steel signs along Main st., this one with a harvester on it. I hope to capture an image of each of them, and maybe even create a collage. I am still trying to find out when they were created, I'm thinking the late 70's early 80's? Taken August 31st, 2008. (click for larger view)

Ivory Soap

This is a close up of the well known Ivory Soap advertisement, on the side of the Bittersweet building. Originally painted in the late 1800's for canal travellers, it was restored in 1993. Taken August 25th, 2008. (click for larger view)

Lift Bridge Stairs

As you can see from this close up of the lift bridge stairs, the bridge operators are doing a great job of maintaining the bridge. Through the summer they are out there painting different parts of the bridge to keep the rust at bay. I love the color scheme they use, it is much more interesting than monochromatic green. The Main St. bridge, installed in 1915, is 93 years old this year.

Labor Day Weekend

We had a beautiful Labor day weekend here in Upstate New York... this was taken on the Erie Canal Heritage Trail between the Main St lift bridge, and the Smith St. high bridge. Quite a bit of the path through western New York is very well maintained and is perfect for walking, biking, running, etc. I remember when I was growing up in Brockport, it was very rough with many water filled potholes, larger stones, and even the occasional metal canal wall reinforcement showing through. Taken August 31st, 2008. (click for larger view)

Peddler's Market

This is the Peddler's Market at the Morgan-Manning House this past Saturday. The sale has been held the first Saturday in September for more than 30 years. A collection of craft and antique vendors, plus a sale of collectibles by the historical society in the carriage house in the back, all go to raise funds to maintain the house. Taken September 6th, 2008. (click for larger view)

Bittersweet

This is the bittersweet building using a wide angle lens, and then correcting for distortion. (the bottom corners are where the image ran out) Taken August 31st, 2008. (click for larger view)

Farm Market - Market St.

The farm market on Market St. this past Sunday... Taken August 31st, 2008. (click for larger view)

Smith St. High Bridge

This is the Smith St. high bridge, which has been closed to cars since June 15th, 2006. According to another article, the bridge was built around 1908, and Brockport now owns it. The DOT is scheduled to start rebuilding it in 2009. Taken August 31st, 2008. (click images for larger view)

Lift Bridge to Lift Bridge

The Park Ave. Lift bridge as seen from the Main St. Lift Bridge. Brockport is one of three communities on the canal with 2 lift bridges, ours being only 900 ft. apart... The boats are parked at the new welcome center. Taken August 25, 2008. (click for larger image)

This is not a Public Street

I have always loved seeing this old sign while walking up Main St. This is on the north-east side of the railroad bridge, and is marking what must be an old alley that you could use to drive up to Stull Lumber. My dad remembers driving on it, but as you can see in the image below, you'd almost need a machete to get through. Taken August 25th, 2008. (click for larger views)

Morgan-Manning Carriage House

This is the lesser seen carriage house behind the Morgan-Manning house. Built around 1854, the older main section is bigger than many houses. It had the carriages and horses downstairs, while the stablemen \ drivers lived upstairs. The newer section to the left was built in 1930 to house their first automobile. Restored by 2002, it still houses an antique sailboat built by the family in 1910. Taken August 25th, 2008. (click for larger view)

Architectural Detail - Bittersweet Building

This is the roof line of the Bittersweet Building, showing the ornate details created back in the 1800's. This post shows the whole building. I'm not sure exactly what year it was built, but it was the only Market St. structure to survive the 1877 fire. The second picture on this page, shows what it looked like just after completion, with four tall chimneys that don't exist anymore. Taken August 25th, 2008. (click for larger view)

Letchworth Park - Middle Falls

About an hour south of Brockport is Letchworth State Park, sometimes called the "Grand Canyon of the East". This is the Middle Falls, near the Glen Iris Inn. Taken in October of 1997. (click for larger view)

Arts Fest & Lightning

Here is another view of the Arts Fest at night, this time looking north-west towards the Lester building. The sky is lit up by multiple flashes of lightning from the oncoming storm. Taken August 9th, 2008 (click for larger view)

Getting Ready for the Duck Race

This is the containment system for the annual duck derby at the Brockport Arts Festival. The plastic ducks are all released on the opposite side of the bridge, and float under. The first ducks to make it through the arched gate at the end, win the prizes... Taken August 9th, 2008. (click for larger view)

Lift Bridge & Lightning

Another image taken when Main St. was shut down for the Arts Festival, this is the Main St. lift bridge looking west towards an oncoming storm. Since it was well after sunset, the only thing illuminating the sky is lightning... Reflected in the canal are the lights from the Smokehouse restaurant. Taken August 9th, 2008. (click for larger view)

Brockport Arts Fest at Night

The Brockport Arts Festival is this weekend, so Main St. is closed to traffic for 2 days. As I was walking up and down the street, a coming storm was putting on quite a light show. In this shot of the closed vendor booths, you can see lightning behind the telephone tower, and the moon to the left of the arts fest sign. Taken August 9th, 2008. (click for larger view)

Seymour Library

This is the new Seymour Library, built in 1995. For the previous 60 years, it was in the building that now is the Brockport Village Offices. Taken in October of 1999. (click for larger view)

Genesee Country Museum

This was taken at the Genesee Country Museum in Mumford. According to their website, it is the largest living history museum in NY, and one of the largest in the nation. I have been there 5 or 6 times in the past, and have seen new things each time. There is too much to take in on a single trip. Taken in June of 1997. (click for larger view)

Hamlin Town Hall

Just north of Brockport on the way to Lake Ontario, is the town of Hamlin, and this is the town hall. It looks to me like it used to be a school at one time. Taken in October of 1999. (click for larger view)

Spencerport Lift Bridge at Night

This is Spencerport's Main St. lift bridge at night, taken from the north east canal bank. You can see the shadow from the bright bridge lights, on the building wall and also reflected in the canal. In the background is the steeple of one of Spencerport's churches. The orange on the grass is from the glow of a nearby streetlight. Taken in July of 1997. (click for larger view)

Brockport Post Office

This is a twilight image of the Post Office on Main St. in Brockport. The post office has been in this same building since it was built in 1940. Taken in November of 1999. (click for larger view)

Aerial - Brockport North End

This aerial image is of the Lake Rd. & East-West Ave. intersection, looking west. The Pizza hut red roof stands out the most, and you can see Lakeside Hospital near the top. I was surprised to see the water tower on East Ave. was empty! Taken in June of 1999. (click for larger view)

Train Crossing at Night

This image is a long exposure taken as a train engine was passing by, on Behan Rd. near the Rochester Airport. Flashing lights on the train created the dotted lines. Taken in September of 1986. (click for larger view)

Tugboat on the Erie Canal

This image of a tugboat docked on the Erie Canal in Spencerport, was taken 22 years ago. I don't recall this name of this tug, I wonder if it is still in use? Taken in July of 1986. (click for larger view)

Clarkson Town Hall

This is the Clarkson Town Hall just north of Brockport, on Lake Rd. at the corner or Ridge Rd. According to the sign, it was built in 1899. I wonder if it was a house at one time, or built as the town hall. I have also wondered why if I officially reside in Clarkson, and there is a Clarkson Post Office, I still get my mail through the Brockport post office. Taken in October of 1999. (click for larger view)

Prometheus Sculpture at SUNY Brockport

Sunset silhouette of the "Prometheus" sculpture at SUNY Brockport. Installed in front of the Allen administration building in 1980, to commemorate the 1979 special Olympics held there. The statue was donated to the college by soviet artist Zurab Tsereteli. Taken in August of 1985.(click for larger view)