Edgerton (Rochester, New York)

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Edgerton was developed between the 1830s until the 20th century for the most part. It was named for Hiram Edgerton, a Rochester mayor in the early 1900's. Some of Rochester’s finest citizens lived along Lake Avenue, building estates on the river side of the street, giving them incredible vistas of the gorge. Many of the grand homes along Lake Avenue were demolished to make way for commercial buildings, but remnants of the neighborhood’s past still exist. The area lost some of its luster in the mid-20th century. Currently, some 5,000 residents live within Edgerton’s boundaries.

The firm of Frederick Law Olmsted designed Jones Square Park, one of the city’s oldest public squares. It was used as a training ground for Civil War soldiers and as early baseball fields. First Assembly Church of God, which borders the park, was built in the 1880s as Trinity Episcopal Church in the High Victorian Gothic style by noted Rochester architect Andrew J. Warner.

Edgerton Park is located on the former site of The Western House of Refuge, the first state-supported institution in the United States for juvenile delinquents. Built during the 1840s, it was originally a reform school for boys until girls were added later. At that time it was adjacent to the Erie Canal, which provided easy transport for inmates. The 42 acres comprising the grounds were full of imposing and numerous buildings. A drill hall, dormitories, chapel, workshops were just a few. A 12-foot stone wall encompassed the grounds. It was emptied in 1947, when the children were sent to a new countryside facility.

The city renamed the area Exposition Park in 1911. While some of the buildings were razed, others stayed. The buildings were used, in turn, as a library, museum, winter zoo, exposition site and hockey rink. The Central Library, Rochester Historical Society, Rochester Museum & Science Center all were born in Exposition Park. The park was renamed after Rochester Mayor Hiram Edgerton in 1922. The drill hall was turned into the Edgerton Park Arena. Rochester’s NBA team, the Royals, played there from 1945 to 1955. Today Jefferson High School and Edgerton Recreation Center are located in the two remaining buildings on the site.

Lake Avenue is an active commercial district, although large portions of the neighborhood continue to struggle.