Historic Irondequoit
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Here is small sampling of the content for the Titus Cooper neighborhood.
Farming
George Cooper, one of the first nurserymen in Irondequoit, raised plants, seedlings and shrubs on his farm located near the corner of Cooper and Titus. German Titus, a well know Irondequoit farmer, married Augusta Roberts of Mendon in 1846. Their son Dell established the largest greenhouses in the United States, and became famous for developing new varieties of vegetables, including Deltus cucumbers. In 1911, the Rudman’s farm north of Titus and east of Cooper produced almost 50,000 baskets of peaches. Six year old Gertrude Rudman is pictured above.
The Grange
The Grange was formed to advance methods of agriculture and promote the social and economic needs of farmers. Grange Hall, built in 1910, hosted dances, suppers and sales of fresh produce. It was even used for high school gym classes. In 1972, it became the House of Guitars, which today sells musical instruments to visiting rock stars, and hosts concerts on the I-Square stage.
Early Schools
The first schoolhouse in West Irondequoit, built from logs in 1840, stood at the southeast corner of Cooper and Titus on land donated by Stephen Titus. In 1861, it was replaced by a one-room brick building on the opposite corner, where Chase Bank now stands. In 1895, a new four-room brick school was built at the same location. In 1922, wooden buildings were added for a gym and library, along with indoor toilets. In 1931, the Reuben Dake school was built on the Williams farm site, at a cost of $200,000.
Photos and information courtesy of the Irondequoit Town Historian.
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