Pittsford

Pause for Peaceful Pleasures

In 1789, Revolutionary War veterans settled in Northfield, which was renamed Pittsford in 1814. Claiming Monroe County’s first school, first library, first lawyer and first physician, it was the Erie Canal that first brought prosperity to Pittsford when tons of heavy gravel from nearby hills found an inexpensive mode of transport. Today a restaurant inhabits the former coal tower and a year-round population of ducks lives near a grain mill. The village today maintains its distinctive small town character, while specialty shops, dining spots and a tour-boat depot line the towpath in Schoen Place. Nearby Lock 32 is an active site, and features the only man-made whitewater rafting park on the Erie Canal.