Perinton Historical Society & Fairport Museum

10/19/2026

Early 1950s view looking north on South Main Street in Fairport, NY. Most of the cars are much older, but there are one or two early '50s cars in the distance. Photo by Earl Pittinaro.

10/16/2026

Spots are filling up for our interactive escape room at the Fairport Museum!

Remaining sessions:
📅 Saturday, October 17 at 8:00 PM
📅 Friday, October 23 at 8:00 PM
📅 Saturday, October 24 at 8:00 PM

📍 Fairport Museum
👥 Teams of 1–4 players, ages 14+
🎟️ Free to play! Donations appreciated.

Registration is required, and space is limited!

📧 [email protected]
📱 Call or text (585) 267-6189 to reserve your spot.

🎨 A mystery is unfolding at the Fairport Museum! 🔎

One of Carl Peters’ paintings may be a forgery, and we need your help to solve the case!

Join the Perinton Historical Society for The Fairport Forger: A Carl Peters Mystery, an interactive escape room experience where you’ll become part of the FBI Art Crime Team. Solve puzzles, unravel riddles, and even put your painting skills to the test as you work to recover the original artwork and catch the forger!

📅 October 16, 17, 23 & 24
🕡 Sessions at 6:30 PM and 8:00 PM
📍 Fairport Museum
👥 Teams of 1–4 players, ages 14+
🎟️ Free to play! Donations are appreciated.

Registration is required! Reserve your spot by emailing [email protected] or calling/texting (585) 267-6189.

10/15/2026

Think you know Rochester? Think again!

We’re less than one week away from welcoming author Robin L. Flanigan to the Fairport Museum to discuss her latest book, Secret Rochester: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure.

From unusual local landmarks to little-known historical stories, discover some of the fascinating people, places, and surprises that make Rochester unique.

📅 Tuesday, October 20, 2026
🕖 7:00 p.m.
📍 Fairport Museum, 18 Perrin Street

10/14/2026

Vincent G. Kennelley Park and its’ centerpiece Gazebo
Bill Poray, Perinton Town Historian

With much of Urban Renewal completed in the spring of 1978, Fairport village leaders planned a celebration. The forerunner of Canal Days, Fairport Village Days, was scheduled for June 15 – 17th, 1978. A variety of events were held, including the dedication of a new park where the east end of West Avenue had previously intersected with South Main Street. Named Canal Park, the new area included a centerpiece, a gazebo, which immediately became the focal point of village activities, especially concerts.

After graduating from Fairport High School in 1943, Vincent G. Kennelley quickly joined the ranks of hundreds of Fairport and Perinton residents in military service. His hitch included duty in England, France and Germany. He returned home a decorated soldier, including the Bronze Star, awarded for heroism. Long known as Fairport’s auctioneer, Vincent Kennelley further served the community in village government for a span of 32 years, including seven years as Fairport’s mayor.

Soon after the death of Mayor Kennelley in 1989, Canal Park was rededicated with a new name, Vincent G. Kennelley Park. Each year since, Vincent G. Kennelley Park and its’ centerpiece gazebo have hosted countless events, including concerts, holiday celebrations, school field trips, and so much more.

The park and gazebo will have provided the community with a half-century of service in 2028 – here’s to another fifty years.

10/12/2026

In Loving Memory of Charles J. Barranco
July 25, 1927 – October 2026

Service Details & Arrangements - Calling Hours:
Wednesday, October 14, 2026 from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Richard H. Keenan Funeral Home (Village Location)
41 South Main Street, Fairport, NY 14450

Funeral Mass: Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Church of the Assumption, 20 East Avenue, Fairport, NY 14450

Interment & Military Honors:
St. Mary’s Cemetery: 1332 Turk Hill Road, Fairport, NY
Services will conclude at St. Mary’s Cemetery with Military Honor Guard rites honoring his service in the U.S. Navy

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations be made to Lollypop Farm in memory of Charles Barranco.

Charles J. Barranco, a devoted husband, proud father, pillar of the Fairport community, and honorably discharged veteran of the United States Navy, passed away peacefully. Born on July 25, 1927, Charles was part of the World War II generation whose dedication, hard work, and humility left an indelible mark on all who knew him.
During World War II, Charles proudly served his country in the United States Navy aboard the aircraft carrier USS Bon Homme Richard (CV-31). His military service reflected the grit, quiet integrity, and pride that defined his entire life.

Following his military service, Charles returned home to New York, where he spent his entire life rooted in Fairport. The Barranco family stands as one of Fairport’s foundational families, helping shape the town over generations. Beyond establishing and running Barranco’s retail store on Main Street, Charles and his family helped pave the way for local growth by developing commercial properties and apartments—providing spaces for local businesses to grow and helping other families and neighbors thrive.

Nothing brought a bigger smile to Charles’s face than being right at home in the shop, greeting generations of customers, sharing stories, and offering genuine warmth to everyone who walked through the door. Even in his later years, taking care of people in the store and remaining active in the town’s daily life was his true passion. His legacy lives on through his family, his business, and the community he helped build from the ground up.

Family & Legacy:

Beloved husband of Ruth Barranco. Devoted Father of son James “Jimmy” Barranco and family, and daughter Monica Barranco and her son Kelby Barranco. Surrounded by his loving family, friends, and the deeply connected community of Fairport, New York.

10/11/2026

🎨 A mystery is unfolding at the Fairport Museum! 🔎

One of Carl Peters’ paintings may be a forgery, and we need your help to solve the case!

Join the Perinton Historical Society for The Fairport Forger: A Carl Peters Mystery, an interactive escape room experience where you’ll become part of the FBI Art Crime Team. Solve puzzles, unravel riddles, and even put your painting skills to the test as you work to recover the original artwork and catch the forger!

📅 October 16, 17, 23 & 24
🕡 Sessions at 6:30 PM and 8:00 PM
📍 Fairport Museum
👥 Teams of 1–4 players, ages 14+
🎟️ Free to play! Donations are appreciated.

Registration is required! Reserve your spot by emailing [email protected] or calling/texting (585) 267-6189.

10/09/2026

Warehouses were plentiful in the Perinton hamlet of Bushnell's Basin during the earliest years of the Erie Canal. Most were of wood construction, but one or perhaps more were cobblestone, such as the one pictured here. The flooding visible in the photo is most likely related to an early 1900s canal break. The warehouses have long since disappeared from the Bushnell's Basin waterfront.

10/08/2026

A View of 1940s Fairport
Bill Poray, Perinton Town Historian

This newly found Fairport photo features a view to the south, on South Main Street. West Avenue intersects with Main Street at the far-right. The deck and sidewalk of the bridge are constructed of wood. Steel replaced the wood in the summer of 1953. The steeple of the Fairport First Baptist Church towers over the village, just as it has since 1877.

The cars appear to be from the 1930s, but the photo is not quite that old. Automobile production during WWII virtually ceased while factories focused on production for the war. Another clue as to the age of the photo: Saxton's Department Store (the second building from the right) celebrated their grand opening in July of 1941.

The buildings seen here on the west side of the street were all lost to a major Urban Renewal initiative in the 1970s. The color photo is a contemporary view from the same vantage point. 

10/05/2026

A resident on Fairport's Roselawn Avenue recently noticed old 8mm films discarded on the curb. The films were donated to the Perinton Historical Society. There are a few scenes of general interest to the community. We had the films digitized, and here is the unveiling of the first scene.

The film was taken on Monday, May 31, 1954, of the Memorial Day Parade. The Fairport Herald-Mail published the order of those in the parade, as follows: VFW and American Legion Colors; VFW Firing Squad; Gold Star Mothers; Official Cars; Girl Scouts; Boy Scouts; VFW Band; American Legion; VFW Posts and Auxiliaries; San Sebastian Society; Fairport High School Band; Fairport Fire Department. Of special note: The drum majorette in the blue uniform is Mary Schoolmaster Ellsworth, FHS class of 1955.

Note that the photographer did not film the entire parade - this film is about 1.5 minutes long.