More barns in Pittsford

A recent article was written about a particular barn located within the Village limits. Historic Pittsford is interested in indexing the remaining barns and/or the farms that are still in operation today. . On this note I am highlighting two barns, which may be in jeopardy of being razed. Those are currently located on Clover Street near the Mendon border.

The Charles Young farm at 3571 Clover Street has been purchased by a developer and will at some time become a housing development. This farm was originally owned by a family named Kinter who owned the property of about 120 acres that included the land next door and more on the east side of Clover.

The house at 3571 was built sometime prior to 1858 and the one at 3613 before 1850. There were many prosperous farms along Clover Street. (Interesting to note it was called Clover Street, not Clover Road.) This was long before Mendon Ponds Park was created about 1929-1930. Individuals who may have had to sell their farms during the great Depression due to mortgages being foreclosed upon by banks and needed the money for their investors privately owned much of the parkland.

Mr. Frank Young bought the property from the Kinter family about 1877 and when he died he left the farm to his two sons, Frank and Jacob who continued to farm the land. The house was slightly changed and the porch enclosed. At some time an addition had been added to the south side as there is evidence that the two-story portion is older. The house at 3613 was an earlier home that has been considerably changed. It was reported that there was a kitchen located in the basement. That was a feature of much earlier houses and also of those located in the South. This property is not now part of the farm, which I am referencing.

There are two large barns on the property. One is known as a large Dutch gambrel barn and the other is a small gable barn. (The style of barns has been described by the noted barn historian, Daniel Fink, and not by this author!) Since there is no more farm activity on this property, the barns will probably serve no purpose and may be torn down.

The former Matthews farm at 3626 Clover Street was acquired from the Kinter family circa 1860. Mr. Edward Matthews purchased the land, house, and barn and it has been in the same family since then until it was recently sold to a developer. Mr. Orson Matthews, the great-grandson, was the last person to work the land and his wife has lived in the home until her recent demise.

That home was originally a Greek Revival style home but much altered or "modernized" as farm families were wont to do to accommodate larger families or to keep up with the times. The barn is a small gambrel barn and a much smaller gable barn is behind the house.

Hopefully, these farmsteads and the buildings on them will be saved by photographs if not literally. Take a ride out Clover Street to find them.