Museum has tour of cobblestone homes set for Sept. 15

Staff Reports Posted 6 September 2018 at 8:50 am

File photos by Tom Rivers: Pete Consler is pictured in front of his cobblestone home in Kent, which also includes a carriage step. Consler and his wife Joan raised two sons in the historic house, which is included on a tour of cobblestone homes on Sept. 15.

The Cobblestone Museum is highlighting eight houses in a Cobblestone Tour of Homes on Sept. 15. The event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. is a self drive tour and includes stops from Clarendon to central Orleans County to the western end of Orleans in Shelby.

Cobblestone architecture flourished from about 1820 until the end of the Civil War with more 900 structures built in New York State during that time. Orleans County has about 100 cobblestone buildings.

The emphasis of the Cobblestone Home Tour is a focus on cobblestone masonry and its many forms of expression, said Doug Farley, museum director.

“Owners of many of the homes featured in the tour are graciously allowing ticket holders to tour the interior of their homes,” he said. “This behind-the-scene glimpse of home interiors is a favorite of previous attendees and will certainly be a highlight of this year’s tour, too.”

Those taking part in the tour are invited to set their own pace and visit sites throughout the day. A map and tour booklet containing historical information on each of the cobblestone buildings will be distributed to ticket holders. Tickets for the Cobblestone Home Tour are available at the Cobblestone Museum, 14389 Ridge Road W, Albion, or online at cobblestonemuseum.org. Check the museum website for information on ticket prices. Additional information is available online or by calling 585.589.9013.

Tour sites:

#1 Universalist Church (1834) – Exterior & Interior

14389 Ridge Road West, Childs

Owner: The Cobblestone Museum

#2 Ward House – Exterior & Interior

14393 Ridge Road West, Childs

Owner: The Cobblestone Society & Museum

#3 Gaines School District No. 5 – Exterior & Interior

14435 Ridge Road West, Childs

Owner: The Cobblestone Society & Museum

This home owned by Mary Anne Braunbach on Densmore Road in Gaines will be part of a tour of cobblestone houses on Sept. 14. Braunbach is a past president of the Cobblestone Museum. Her home was built in the 1840s.

#4 Brown/Braunbach Cobblestone House – Exterior & Interior

14615 Densmore Road, Albion

Owner: Maryanne Braunbach

#5 Billings/Consler House – Exterior Only

965 Kent Road, Kent

Owner: Pete & Joan Consler

#6 Gaines District No. 2 Schoolhouse – Partial Interior & Exterior

3286 Gaines Basin Rd., Albion

Owner: Orleans County Historical Association

#7 Millville Academy – Exterior & Interior

12405 W Lee Rd, Shelby

Owners: Calvin & Linda Fredenburg