Historic Resources ➤ Farms ➤ Westfall Property Map History
The LAND called Buckland Farmstead: Map History
“The end of the Revolutionary War marked the beginning of land investment in Western New York State. Nathaniel Gorham and Oliver Phelps bought from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts the land bounded on the west by the Genesee River, north by Lake Ontario, east by Seneca lake and south by the Pennsylvania border. The surveyors laid out 102 towns, each of which was six mile square. Township Number Thirteen of Range Seven encompassed what is now Brighton, which was approximately 18,900 acres.”
From “A History of The Browncroft Area”. page 27
The slides featuring Brighton maps depict the Buckland Farmstead and it’s neighbors as time progressed from it’s birth in the early 1800’s to the recent configuration. These images describe a farming community that lasted two hundred years till the present time of the Twenty First Century. Maps created in 1852, 1858, 1872, 1887, 1902, 1924 and 2000, will describe the neighborhood. Of special interest are the lots#30, #31 and #38, noted on most maps, which were the property of the Buckland family. Abner Buckland the eldest of settled Lot#30, along with brother Warren. Amos B. Buckland settled lot #38, and Leonard Buckland settled Lot #31. This map history will help you to understand the use of the land the glacier built. The glacier deposited a deep layer of clay, excellent for brick production and overlayed with a rich farming top soil. The particular family of Buckland history will be the main focus on describing the history of this small farming community.
Map – Sec. 13 Division
The small section of Phillips-Gorham Purchase map here shows how the property lots were organized in Brighton. The lots were established as 205 acre areas in a parallelogram shape to accommodate the angle of the Genesee River. The parallelogram area was an effort to best describe the land on the east side of the Genesee River and was established at a 26.5 degree angle to true north direction. Winton Road was set at this angle and then called the “North/South Road.” (Note: Winton road forms the eastern boundary of lots # 29, 30 31 and 32 shown above). The lot identification numbers appear in several of the maps in other slides that follow.
1852
The LAND called Buckland Farmstead:
First Farm Map Record
This earliest mapping record of the land called Buckland Farmstead is shown on the 1852 map known as ” Brown’s Map of Monroe County.” (A section of this map is shown below.) On which the homes of the four Buckland brothers, Abner, Amos, Warren and Leonard are located. Neighbors had names of James Edmunds, Schank, P. Blaker, Harvey Little, J.Yeo and P. Cory.
The 1855 NYS Farm Census describes each of the farms in acres for meadow and harvest. Abner Buckland owned 153 acres with a $15,300 property value, Warren, 35 acres @ $3,500, Amos B. 185 acres @ #18,500 and Leonard 128 acres @ $13,000 value. Neighbors James Edmunds owned 119 acres @ $9,400 value, Patrick Blaker, 112 acres @ $10,000, Harvey Little, 95 acres @ $9,100, William Yeo, 70 acres @ $7,000, Parkhurst Cory, 26 acres @ $5,000.
For 1855 top land owner comparison: Gideon Cobb owned 215 acres listed @ a value of $42,000 two years after selling his Brickyard property, and Oliver Culver owned 240 acres @ a $50,000 value. To convert $1,000 from 1855 of to today’s world would be about twenty times or $20,000. So Oliver Culver’s #50,000 would change to $1,000,000.
1858
The LAND called Buckland Farmstead:
Rich Brickmaking Family
The land called Buckland Farmstead was farmed by the Buckland family. Amos B. and Fanny Buckland had five children, (4 girls & 1 boy), in 1858, with the oldest Mary Ann being fifteen years old and the youngest Amos B. Jr. being three years old.
The Libber of Deeds: #33, page 278 for Nov. 20, 1835, describe that 112 acres of east half of Lot#39 was sold to Amos B. Buckland, of the City of Rochester, for $3,360. An auction was conducted on Tuesday, March 12, 1867 to sell the contents of the Amos Buckland farm. So these two records indicate that Amos B. held title to the land for (1867-1835) thirty two years.
1872
The LAND called Buckland Farmstead:
Second Generation Bucklands
The land called Buckland Farmstead was still very evident on this 1872 map. The Bucklands arrived as very young men in 1815 and when their father died in 1819 they became leaders of the Buckland family investment, yes…leaders as teenagers. Now this map, some 57 years after their arrival in Brighton, depicts some of the first changes. Orrin Buckland has taken over his fathers farm with Abners death in 1865 at he end of the Civil War. David Buckland, Abners first son died the year before in 1864 and the second oldest son Orrin took over the operation of the family Farm and Brickyard. The names of brothers Warren and Leonard appear but Abner and Amos are missing.
1887
The LAND called Buckland Farmstead:
Changing Farm Land
The land called Buckland Farmstead is now surrounded by new neighbors. We don’t know when Warren Buckland died but his name does not appear on this map, along with Amos B. who had moved to Rochester and living with his son when he died at age 80 in 1884. Amos had five children, the first four were girls and his son Amos B. Jr. was born in 1855, so he lacked a male successor to the farm in 1867. The Carey Nurseries have established a farm next to the original Buckland property.
1902
The LAND called Buckland Farmstead:
Twentieth Century arrangement
The land called Buckland Farmstead is now pictured for the start of the Twentieth Century. Only one Buckland family is noted in the area, A. M. Buckland the third generation of Buckland’s (son of David A. Buckland). Leonard died in 1902 but must have sold the property to the Horst family before his death. Note that the Number #3 Schoolhouse is still active at Edmunds Corners.
1924
The LAND called Buckland Farmstead:
Prior to “Great Depression”
The land called Buckland Farmstead… is still surrounded by undeveloped property. The land from this image seems to be divided into farm lots the use of which is presently unknown. We do know that the “Horst” property was a dairy farm. A dairy farm in the age of horse drawn cart milk delivery system to ice boxes cooled with delivered blocks of ice. Home refrigerators were some time off for the majority of homes.
The Creeks of Buckland Farmstead
The land called Buckland Farmstead was rich in water resources. At a time when every one knew the location, direction, capacity and quality of each stream in the area the Buckland Farmstead was a rich source of water energy. If you were looking for well irrigated lands the Bucklands did well in locating their farms. Abner located on Buckland Creek a major Brighton waterway and Amos located on property containing the Westfall Creek, West Branch of Allen’s Creek and Allen’s Creek plus an unnamed stream on the property off Westfall Road. The map depicts the location of those streams.
Test: If we name the Creeks of Brighton as: Riverside, Red, West Branch Red, Crittenden, Furlong, Westfall, Allens, West Branch Allens, Buckland, Glen Manor, Indian Landing, Corwin, Grass, Irondequoit, Mud or Thomas Creek …how many can you locate? We know you can locate the Genesee River, Irondequoit Bay and Lake Ontario, but streams and creeks should be noticed.
The Future
The LAND called Buckland Farmstead:
Historic Farmland of Brighton NY
The land called Buckland Farmstead …has a great future by providing areas to participate in many game and athletic competitions plus the farm house will be preserved allowing residents to visit the property and explore Brighton history. Possible orchards may some day surround the property as they did in the past. Also the prospect of a community garden awaits development on the land.
Note The land area of Brighton has been reduced by annexation, from the maximum (1817), when it contained all the land east of the Genesee River and west of the Towns of Pittsford & Penfield. It was bounded on the south by the Town of Henrietta & on the north by Lake Ontario and contained about 45 square miles or approximately 29,000 acres. Today @ 10,010 acres the Town has been reduced by approximately sixty percent. Title to land and history were lost. One example of loss was the annexation of Brighton Village in 1905, a loss of 750 acres. The City renamed the Village as the 21st Ward leaving the Town smaller in land, history and without a Village center. We plan to keep the Village history alive and remembered. Percent of Land Area: 38.5% Residential, 19% Roads/Waterways/Utilities