The Backus-Holmes House

610 Bay Road, circa 1880

Built in 1880, 610 Bay Road was the family home of the Backus family. The original owner, John Fay owned 21 acres across Bay Road to Adams Road. Built on a stone foundation the house is designed as a two story, cross gable colonial revival. The house is sided in 4” clapboard and the inside still shines with many of the original heart pine floors. The Williamsburg style dining room with a brick fireplace remains as it was in the time of the Backus family. Also original are the 9 over 9 leaded glass windows on the first floor. The family added a master suite and a screened porch as well. Wide moldings adorn all the rooms. The upstairs has three bedrooms and a bathroom. The beautifully maintained gardens with stone walkways and patio are still the highlight of the property. Mr. Backus was known for his love of trees and planted many of the Norway spruces, White pines and Black locusts still in the neighborhood today. Current owners Robert and Veronica Holmes take pride in maintaining the integrity of this historic home.

The Krupnicki House

351 Holt Road, circa 1860

The large brick house located at 351 Holt Road was constructed C. 1860. Charles Whiting, builder of "The White House" in Webster Park, owned the original property. The house was built in the Gothic Revival style in red brick. The front and side porches with their ionic columns were added later between 1890 and 1910. The house foundation is fieldstone. As the house was adjacent to Webster Park, it was the home of the park’s first foreman, Henry Bowman who served from 1930 to 1958.

The Dunn Homestead

833 Lake Road, 1880

This graceful brick house is an outstanding example of rural architecture in the later 1800s. Historic records indicate that members of the Dunn family, many of who lent a hand during construction, built the house completed in 1880. The bricks came from the Bennett and Pierce Brickyard, which was located on Lake Road east of what is now Webster Park. New You State Assemblyman Donald Shoemaker was a long time owner of 833 Lake Road when much of the land was an orchard. At this time the property was named "SHU - M - ACRE FRUIT FARM.

Jonathan and Gertrude Blair House

1314 Lake Road, circa 1850

1314 Lake Road is an interesting example of architecture difficult to identify. The west end of the structure started as a tenement, built a few miles east of Webster on Lake Road and moved by log and oxen to its present location. In its day it was a store, and a dance hall with a blacksmith stable added around 1870 (post and beam construction.) The building covers one side of the lot to the other with only about two feet remaining. Access to the back yard was directly through the center of the building, under the dance hall, by horse and buggy. People would keep their horses in the stable. It was closed off later around 1935. The dance hall on the second floor had a babysitting room at one end where the women would take turns watching the children.

The Bachler – Bartlett House

1771 Lake Road, circa 1840

Originally built by E. Shermen, this Greek Revival house is a typical clapboard house of the early 1840s. The front entrance doorway on a recessed front porch is flanked on either side by two small bedrooms; one often referred to as a "birthing room." The tapered Greek style pillars on the porch also reflect the house style. The paneled front door with its original hardware has not only side windows but also a window transom over the door. Directly opposite the entrance is a narrow front stairway to the second floor. The house has unique cobblestone corner quoins and the basement has hand-hewn beams with no central beam. The three cast iron grates covering the second floor eave windows are typical in many Greek Revival buildings. The inside of the house has two small front bedrooms on the first floor, two parlors and a fireplace. The Bachler family purchased the property in 1935.

The Froniear House

737 Maple Drive, circa 1830

737 Maple Drive is a fine example of a West Webster family farmstead that maintains much of its original acreage. The center gable farmhouse is clapboard, post and beam construction with the original rough-hewn log beams. It was held together with treenails which were wooden pegs used instead of nails. The barn was built of wood from Rochester city boxcars. The family produced apples, peaches, cabbage and corn. Many garden vegetables were sold locally along with the gladiolas for which the farm was famous.

The Brucker Homestead

280 Phillips Road, circa 1912

Ludwig and Karolina Brucker bought this farm in 1884 with 55 acres. Son Charles married Anna Keller in 1903 and they had three children - Carl, Mildred and Margaret. Charles bought adjacent land that brought the homestead to 93 acres. He promised Anna to build a barn first and a home in 10 years. That home stands today. Built in 1912, part of the foundation was saved from Charles parents’ house. It was built with hollow clay tiles with cement and stucco on the outside and cement on the inside walls. The four-bedroom house has chestnut molding throughout and the replaced windows have been replicated to look like the original.

Son Carl Brucker remained on the farm and married Wilma McKay in 1944. They had four children – Carol Anne, Phyllis, Charles and Cathleen. The Bruckers raised pigs, chickens, and cows. They grew fruit including strawberries, gooseberries, cherries, peaches, apples and quince. The Brucker homestead became a favorite place to tour and the barn where Carl had his old farm tools was often referred to as "Carl Bruckers Museum." An inventor, his hen house was the 1st to be automated in NYS. Today the farm remains 52 acres.

The Kellner-Kurtz House

1352 Schlegel Road, 1846

This home of Janet Kellner and Jim Kurtz is an excellent example of adaptive reuse of a building. The cobblestone school was constructed in 1846 and used continuously until 1943. At one point there were 100 students attending. Webster schools centralized and the building was auctioned for $3,500. Fortunately the new owners decided to adapt the school for its new use as their home. When there was need for more living space, rather than tear down the school building, an addition was made. We thank Jim and Janet, and all the previous owners, for the preservations and stewardship of this fine building.

The Luther Curtice House

500 Webster Road, circa 1868

Luther Curtice built his home in 1868. It was designed by well know Rochester architect, Andrew J. Warner. Andrew and son J. Foster Warner designed many buildings in the Rochester and surrounding area, including the Rochester Courthouse. Distinctive elements of the house are the decorative gable trim on the verge boards and the cross bracing at each peak. The front porch has flattened arches between the porch supports that are all typical elements of the Gothic influence. Today, Daniel and Virginia Vail own the property and with their family, continue to care and maintain the original character of one of Webster’s significant properties.

The Marsh Property

370 Whiting Road, 1868

This 1900 square foot white clapboard house is constructed in the Italianate style. It was built in 1868 and the Italianate features are a hipped roof and square building with a wide roof overhang. A previous owner had said of the house, “ it has absolutely no beauty of architecture, no grace of line,” but current owner Wendy Marsh feels much differently about that as she cites the interior features of the 11 room home including original basswood floors, large beam construction and a Medina stone foundation.