David Barker Home

Doud's bricks used in the David Barker home

It has been brought to our attention that a very visible house used bricks from Elihu Doud's brickyard that was located on the west side of South Main Street at the Milepost. This brick home is located opposite Pittsford Mendon High School and was the home of David Barker. The following article is presented by Paul F. Knickerbocker who is the great, great, grandson.

David Barker was born in 1815 on a farm on Mendon Road, just south of Jordan Road. His grandfather, Jared Barker, a revolutionary veteran who came to Pittsford from Madison County in 1801, settled the farm. David's father Lyman, and David's brother, Charles, moved west to Mount Vernon, Ohio in 1830 and their descendants still reside there.

David married Sarah Eckler of Mendon in 1835 and together they had six sons whose names were Lyman, William Henry, George, Benjamin, Numan, and Clair. For a few years they resided in Victor but by 1845 they had come back to Pittsford and bought the Stillman farm at 443 Mendon Road that was a half-mile south of his birthplace.

David was a prosperous farmer as were all of his sons who located in Pittsford. Lyman, the oldest son, and his wife, Clarissa, a granddaughter of Caleb Hopkins, had a farm at 3265 Clover Street. When Lyman died in 1874, his farm became part of the present Hopkins farm. William Henry, the second son purchased the farm adjoining David's farm on the west side at 219 Mendon Center Road, the present home of my sister, Mary (Knickerbocker) Menzie.

Numan lived on the farm at 428 Mendon Road, directly east of the Homestead. Benjamin located at 77 West Bloomfield Road and built the existing home there. George first lived at 524 Mendon Center Road, but his wife, Susan Thornell wanted a new house, so he purchased the farm at 429 Mendon Center Road and in 1882, built the house that still remains at that site. All of the Barkers lived and worked farms within two miles of each other.

A high point of David's life was when, in 1876, he was able to travel to Philadelphia to attend the Centennial there. Just three years later, David died and left each of his sons $2,000 or land of equivalent value. His youngest son, Clair inherited the homestead, which included three large barns. On one of the foundations of a now demolished barn was inscribed 1827. David, Susan, and two infant children, as well as Lyman are buried in the Pioneer Cemetery, just a few feet from the Milepost School, which they all attended.

Notes from Town Historian: (The house at 443 Mendon Road has been extensively changed. The original bricks made by Doud, were sandblasted in 1974, which drastically changed the color and texture. Some of the outbuildings and barns have been removed. The architectural style is Federal with a later porch with turned columns. The two-tiered porch on the south side is a much later addition).