Greece is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. A suburb of Rochester, New York, it is the largest town by population in Monroe County, and the second-largest municipality by population in the county, behind only the city of Rochester. The town is located west of the Genesee River in the northern part of Monroe County, and borders the city of Rochester to the east, the town of Gates to the south, the towns of Parma and Ogden to the west, and Lake Ontario to the north. The town is a contiguous suburb of Rochester. As of 2024, the Town has a total population of 93,928. [4]
History
Prehistory
Indigenous tribes had settled the area surrounding the Finger Lakes and moved northward to Lake Ontario, the Genesee River, Irondequoit Bay and the ponds of Greece as early as 1,300 AD. These people were Iroquoian tribes, early cousins of the Seneca, who traded with the Algonquin and Huron tribes. By about 1,550 AD the Seneca, Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga and Onondaga combined to form the Iroquois Confederacy. (The Tuscarora would later migrate from the Carolinas and join the Confederacy.) They remained the dominant inhabitants of the region for the next 200 years.[5]
The first European to visit the area was the French explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier, who visited in 1669.[6] French and British soldiers passed through on multiple occasions during this time period as the two colonial powers struggled for control of the region. European settlers began to arrive in the area in the late 1790s, after the land was formally purchased from the Seneca.[7]
Early Settlement
Following the conclusion of the American War for Independence in 1783, the new government was keen to enable its citizens to make use of the new vast regions to the west. In 1792, the first settlers in what would become the town of Greece arrived. William Hincher (a Revolutionary War veteran and a participant in Shays’ Rebellion), his wife Mehitable, and their eight children built a cabin on the west bank of the Genesee River and purchased 627 acres of land in present day Charlotte in 1794. Following William's death in 1817, a deed was created between Mehitable and the United States government for the establishment of the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse on the property which was constructed in 1822.[8][9]
In 1797, Kings Landing - the first European settlement and port west of the Gensee River - was established by the King and Granger families (natives of Suffield, Connecticut) on the bank of the Genesee River in what is present day Charlotte. The Grangers were related patrilineally to Gideon Granger whose home in nearby Canandaigua is a museum. The Kings Landing settlement survived until it was decimated by malaria - then known as "Genesee Fever". In 1807 the settlement was revived by the seven Hanford brothers (and renamed "Hanford's Landing") who constructed a mill, hotel and shipping center on the land.[10]
In 1805, James and Sarah Latta (natives of Big Flats) purchased large plots of land in Charlotte for their family. The following year, their son Samuel built a home and warehouse on the property and was appointed Customs Agent for the Port of Charlotte by the President of the United States. The home built by Samuel Latta still stands at the intersection of Lake Ave and Latta Road.[5]
Greece in the War of 1812
On October 1, 1812 the British warship H.M.S. Royal George waded at the mouth of the Genesee River. Seventy British marines entered the harbor and seized a United States Revenue Cutter, a vessel named the "Lady Murray", and a privately owned schooner. The following day the British returned as the riggings for the Lady Murray were kept in a storehouse at the Commercial Hotel operated by Erastus Spaulding (on a site near the present day intersection of Stutson Street and River Street in Charlotte) and seized the missing equipment along with two gallons of whiskey.[11]
On June 15, 1813 after learning that provisions for American troops were being stored at Charlotte, a fleet of eight British vessels under the command of Commodore James Yeo entered the Genesee River. 150 British sailors came ashore and seized the provisions along with a sloop which belonged to Erastus Spaulding. To prevent the people of Charlotte from alerting the militia, the British troops rounded them up and locked them overnight in a building owned by Frederick Bushnell and the Samuel Latta Home. A couple of men who managed to evade capture alerted the militia which was gathered at the Steamboat Hotel in Hanford's Landing (a distance of about 7 miles). Under the command of Colonel Caleb Hopkins the militia marched to Charlotte and arrived just in time to see the British vessels sailing away.[11]
On September 11, 1813 the American fleet under the command of Commodore Isaac Chauncey caught up with the British fleet at Braddock Bay. At 2:30 pm offshore of Charlotte, the American fleet began closing in and came within three-quarters of a mile of the enemy ships, putting them within long gun range. The USS Pike and the USS Sylph bombarded the British fleet with cannon fire for 90 minutes, but due to the poor maneuverability of the American ships the British were able to escape.[12]
On May 15, 1814, British ships anchored off the shore of Charlotte were spotted by Colonel Isaac Stone. Thirty-three men from Greece, Gates, Rochester and Brighton gathered at the Hanford Inn and marched through the night arriving at the mouth of the Genesee River at dawn. Due to heavy fog the British believed a much larger force was gathered on the shore. Stone refused initial demands of truce, which were to surrender the provisions being stored at Charlotte. In response the British dispatched a gunboat to the harbor. Stone wanted to capture the boat but his militia prematurely fired their cannon. The British fired 15-20 shots in return, striking a warehouse. That afternoon, General Peter Porter and the militias under the commands of Colonel Caleb Hopkins, Colonel John Atchinson and Captain Frederick Rose (600-800 men in total) arrived in Charlotte. The British sent a second truce and threatened to land an army and 400 warriors from Tecumseh's Confederacy if they did not comply. General Porter again refused the demands and warned that if the British landed "they would be taken care of". Not knowing how many men were defending Charlotte, Yeo and his ships sailed away on the morning of May 16, 1814.[13]
Establishment of the Town of Greece
During the late 18th century counties were established to provide support to the western frontier of New York State. By 1789 Ontario and Genesee counties had been established, and in 1797 a region called Northampton had been designated in the eastern portion of Genesee county on land that had been acquired through the Phelps & Gorham land purchase. Northampton encompassed the area of present day Parma, Riga, Gates, Ogden, Chili and Greece.
In 1808, Northampton was divided into four towns. The area that is present-day Gates and Greece maintained the name Northampton until the town of Gates was formally established in 1813. In 1821, Monroe County was created from land of both Ontario and Genesee counties. On March 22, 1822 the state government passed legislation which, effective April 1, 1822, divided Gates into the modern towns of Gates and Greece. The town of Greece received a larger percentage of the land because it was believed that most of the northern portion of the town was unusable swamp land. The name Greece was selected in support of the contemporary Greek War of Independence from the Ottoman Empire.
1822 - present
The portion of the Erie Canal which passes through the town of Greece was completed by 1822. The hamlet of "South Greece" (present-day Henpeck Park at the intersection of Ridgeway Ave and Elmgrove Road) was established to facilitate the needs of travelers and workers on the canal. Some of the stone masons who came from Europe to help build the canal remained in the area and are thought to be responsible for the construction of cobblestone homes which are somewhat unique to the Central and Western New York region. Three such structures remain in the town as of 2024, including The Covert-Brodie-Pollok House on North Greece Road.[5][14]
Throughout the 19th century Greece was primarily a farming community with a population that hovered around 5,000 people, and additional hamlets such as North Greece, West Greece, Greece Center, Barnard Crossing and Paddy Hill were formed. Much of the economic activity in the town centered on the port of Charlotte, which was incorporated as a village within the town of Greece in 1869, and facilitated up to 100 ships in the port and along the Genesee River in a day.
The town’s proximity to Lake Ontario made it a famous vacation destination in the latter portion of the 19th century. The Ontario Beach Amusement Park (operating from 1884-1919) located on the site of the present day Ontario Beach Park was known as the “Coney Island of the West”. Another amusement park at Manitou Beach (operating from the 1890s - 1920s) was connected to Charlotte via the Grand View Beach Railway, and grand resort hotels such as the Manitou Hotel, Crescent Beach Hotel and the Odenbach Hotel sprang up along the route to accommodate visitors. The Dentzel Menagerie Carousel a reminder of the amusement parks' heyday still operates at Ontario Beach Park.[15]
It was around this same time that the economy of Greece began to shift from agriculture to industry. In 1891, George Eastman opened the first Kodak plant in the southeast area of town (at the intersection of Mt Read Blvd and West Ridge Road) that would eventually become known as Kodak Park. Kodak would eventually become the largest employer in the greater Rochester region and its success is directly responsible for the town's growth. As the City of Rochester expanded, it annexed large portions of the town. Charlotte was annexed in 1916 (creating the city's 23rd Ward), and the industrial district of Kodak Park was annexed in 1918.[16][17]
This economic shift continued steadily throughout the interwar period. It was during this time that weather extremes, such as a severe freeze in 1934 which destroyed many of the towns orchards, resulted in a devastating loss of crops that many farmers were not able to recover from. As a result, much of the farm land was sold for real estate development. Due to its proximity to Kodak Park, the town transformed as residential construction to support soldiers returning from World War II attracted large numbers of factory workers and their families to Greece. The population grew rapidly during this time from roughly 15,000 people in 1940, to almost 50,000 by 1960, and by 1967 the population was approaching 75,000.
Geography
Water distribution of glacial Lake Iroquois in comparison with present Lake Ontario.Map showing the locations of historic hamlets within the Town of Greece, NY.
At the end of the last ice age, around 11,000 BCE, much of the land making up the town of Greece was covered by a prehistoric lake which was created by glacial ice sheets that prevented the lake from draining via the St Lawrence River as it does today. This lake, known as Lake Iroquois, was in essence an enlargement of present day Lake Ontario. As the glaciers receded, the waters of Lake Iroquois began to drop to modern levels leaving behind a ridge of land roughly 7 to 7.5 miles from the current shoreline and rising about 160 feet above Lake Ontario (400 feet above sea level). The soil deposited in these receded regions was rich and fertile for agricultural purposes. This ridge had long been used by Native Americans as a footpath and to this day it is the main thoroughfare of the town, known to locals colloquially as "the Ridge."
Sometime between 1801 and 1804, anticipating that the Ridge would become a major thoroughfare, Abel Rowe opened a tavern on Ridge Road. For some time it was one of only two buildings on the Ridge between the Genesee River and Lewiston. During the War of 1812 the Ridge served as an important route for transporting troops and supplies across Western New York, and in 1813 New York State appropriated $5,000 for improvements to the roadway. In 1816, stagecoaches began traveling on Ridge Road and would continue to be a major mode of transportation for decades. More taverns and general stores sprang up, often near the hamlets that formed at various points along the Ridge.[18]
By the middle of the 19th century, Ridge Road was lined with prosperous farms and mansions such as the Todd Mansion (at the intersection of West Ridge Road and North Ave) and the Upton Mansion (present day Ridgemont Country Club). In the 1860’s a portion of Ridge Road between Long Pond Road and Elmgrove Road was planked, similar to a boardwalk. However, the majority of the Ridge remained a dirt road until the beginning of the 20th century.
In 1900, Ridge Road became New York State Route 104 and money was appropriated for its improvement. As automobiles gained popularity there was less need for many of the taverns and hotels along the Ridge. Blacksmiths and carriage makers made way for gas stations and repair shops. Route 104 was rebuilt in 1926 to better accommodate travel by motorcar. By the 1940’s thousands of Greece residents were traveling along the Ridge daily to work at Kodak often causing it to become congested. The Ridge was widened in 1956 (four lanes), again in 1978 (six lanes), and again in 2008 (six to eight lanes, plus medians). The last of the early taverns on the Ridge, Streb’s Steak House, was torn down in 2013. Today shopping plazas, chain restaurants and car dealerships line both sides of Ridge Road.[19]
Besides the Ridge, wetlands and numerous ponds such as Cranberry Pond, Long Pond and Braddock Bay cover the northernmost portion of the Town of Greece along the shoreline of Lake Ontario. This area has the lowest elevation in the Town of Greece, sitting 243 feet above sea level.[20]
The highest elevation in the town of Greece is south of Ridgeway Avenue along Interstate 390, the current location of BJ's Wholesale Club, sitting 558 feet above sea level.[20]
As of the census[17] of 2020, there were 96,926 people, 43,885 households, and 25,748 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,040.54 inhabitants per square mile. There were 45,948 housing units at an average density of 967.3 per square mile (373.5/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 75.4% White (Non-Hispanic), 8.7% Black or African American, 3.5% Asian, 0.5% from other races, 4.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.5% of the population.
J & F Fetzner Carriage and Blacksmith shop on West Ridge Road, by Raymond Getzner, 1877
There were 43,885 households; 54.9% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 25.1% of households were non-families. The average household size was 2.2 people. The median value of owner-occupied housing units was $185,100.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 17.1% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 23.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.2 years. Males comprised 48.9% of the population versus 51.1% for females.
The median income for a household in the town was $64,867, the median income for a family was $90,950 and the median income for married families was $101,340. The median income for non-family households was $39,086. The median income for full-time working males was $61,166 versus $52,666 for females. The median income for all males working part-time or full-time was $46,504 versus $33,147 for females. The per capita income for the town was $39,510. About 10.39% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The town is governed by a town board consisting of a supervisor and four council members. The supervisor is elected by all registered voters in the town, while council members are elected by and represent one of four wards. Supervisors are elected for four-year terms, and by town law may not serve for more than twelve years consecutively, after which the individual is ineligible to serve for four years. Councilpersons are elected for two-year terms, and may serve for a maximum of ten consecutive years in that position.[23]
The town board's practice of opening each meeting with a prayer, which started in 1999, was legally challenged in 2008,[25] on the grounds that all prayers offered to open the meetings had, until that point, been Christian ones.[26] The United States District Court, Western District of New York, ruled in favor of the town in 2010,[27] and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision in 2012,[28] setting the stage for a 2014 decision by the Supreme Court of the United States which ruled in favor of the town (see Town of Greece v. Galloway).[29]
The town is also represented in congress by three different representatives, the State Assembly Representative, State Senatorial Representative and the Congressional Representative.
The town's New York State Assembly Representative is Josh Jensen who represents the towns of Greece, Ogden and Parma.
The town's New York State Senatorial Representative is Jeremy Cooney who represents the Towns of Brighton, Clarkson, Gates, Greece, Hamlin, Parma, as well as parts of the City of Rochester, including Charlotte, Historic Maplewood and the University of Rochester.
The town's United States Congressional Representative is Joseph Morelle who was elected on November 6, 2018 replacing the late Representative Louise Slaughter, who had served as the United States representative for the 25th congressional district of New York from 1987 until her death in early 2018. He represents all of Monroe County except for the towns of Mendon, Rush, Hamlin, Wheatland, and one election district in the town of Clarkson.
Six of the 29 districts of the Monroe County Legislature include portions of Greece.
Education
Education in the Town of Greece dates back to at least 1798 when the residents of then Northampton elected the first school commissioner. In 1823, a year after its founding, the Town of Greece was divided into Common School Districts. By the end of the 19th century the town had seventeen Common School Districts, as well as two Joint School Districts on the Greece / Parma town border. During this time the districts were repeatedly renumbered and restructured as the population of students in the town grew.[30] Common School District #15 - Barnard School is the only building still functioning as a school. It is currently occupied by Derech HaTorah, a private Jewish school.[31]
Centralization of the Common School Districts began in 1928 with the consolidation of districts 3, 11 and 16 which were combined to form Greece Central School District #1 - Hoover Drive. Greece was the first centralized school district in Monroe County and the thirteenth centralized school district in New York State.[31]
As the population expanded rapidly following World War II, the Greece Central School district grew to accommodate its growing number of students. The first secondary school in town following the annexation of Charlotte was Olympia High School which opened in 1959. Prior to the construction of Olympia the only secondary schools serving residents of the Town of Greece were Charlotte High School and John Marshall High School in the City of Rochester.[32] Over the next 10 years two more secondary schools would follow; Arcadia High School (1963), and Athena High School (1969). The Hoover Drive School was eventually transformed to the Odyssey Academy before relocating to the site of the former Cardinal Mooney High School in 2012 following the consolidation of Apollo Middle School — which had previously occupied the Cardinal Mooney building — and Olympia High School.
Today there are three school districts serving the Town of Greece: the Greece Central School District, the Hilton Central School District and the Spencerport Central School District. The schools of the Greece Central School District educate approximately 11,000 students. Excluding New York City, the Greece Central School District is the seventh largest school district in the State of New York.[33] The post-elementary schools have Classical Greek names and mascots. Private sources of education within the Town of Greece include the Greece Montessori School, Rochester Academy Charter High School, Dorech HaTorah Jewish School and St. Lawrence Catholic School.
The William Payne House at 505 Elmgrove Road. Added to the National Register of Historic Places and designated Town of Greece Landmark in 2012.
The lost Town of Greece Memorial Town Hall which stood at the southeast corner of the West Ridge Road / Long Pond Road intersection from 1919-1999. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
The William Covert Cobblestone Farmhouse (also known as The Covert-Brodie-Pollok House) at 978 North Greece Road. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. Designated Town of Greece Landmark in 1998.
^Tomkiewicz, Virginia; Husted, Shirley Cox (1982). Eight miles along the shore-- : an illustrated history of Greece, New York, 10,000 B.C. to 1980 A.D. The Historical Society of Greece, N.Y. p. 185. LCCN82-81240.
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