Lake Stone House

Martin Harris’s home on this site was a one-and-a-half-story white frame house. After Martin moved away in 1831, William Chapman occupied it. That house burned down in 1849 and was replaced by the present lake-stone house, which dates from 1850. Lake-stone buildings were first built in this area by English artisans who came here to work on the Erie Canal. After the canal was completed in 1825, they found employment constructing stone houses, and approximately 700 of these structures were built in this part of the state. Many of the stones for this house were hauled by wagon from the shores of Lake Ontario, often a two- or three-day trip because of the heavy load. The stones were then sorted and sized, with the most uniform stones used for the front, the less desirable stones for the sides, and the least desirable ones for the back. Intricate trowel work can be seen around each stone.

Palmyra, New York · United States