Neighborhood Highlights
Stone-Tolan House Historic Site
The Stone-Tolan House Historic Site is the oldest building in the county, built in 1792. For over 200 years, it’s been many things to many people. To Orringh and Elizabeth Stone it was home and work; a farm and tavern. To neighbors, it was a place to gather for a drink in the tavern room and plan the government for their new town of Brighton. To the traveler, it was shelter from the wilderness of early 19th century New York. Tour it today and imagine the family life of the Stone family pioneers and their neighbors who built the community.
Eastman Theater
Welcome to Kodak Hall, a prominent space for music performance. Kodak Hall was first opened in 1922 and features the extravagant décor of the 1920s, making the hall feel tastefully elegant and magnificently adorned in 1920s flair. Primarily, the theater is used for concerts of orchestras, wind, and jazz ensembles as well as chorale. Full-fledged operatic productions take place every spring.
National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House
Start your day by stepping into history at the national historic landmark home of the legendary American civil rights leader, and the site of her famous arrest for voting in 1872. Then visit Susan B. Anthony square to view the “Let’s Have Tea” sculpture, which depicts Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony sitting down for tea. The famous abolitionist and suffragist were close friends who shared the common goals of social justice and civil rights. Now they share a proud place in Rochester's history.
A Brief History of Brighton
The Brighton area's first residents were Native Americans, members of the Seneca tribe of the Iroquois confederacy. Their trails crossed the Genesee country, connecting Lake Ontario with the Genesee River. Settlers coming to the area after the Revolutionary War used these same trails to search out land for purchase. The 1788 Buffalo Creek Treaty eliminated the Seneca's claim to the 2,500,000 acres east of the Genesee. Surveyed into ranges and townships, the heavily forested land was bought by eastern New York and New England farmers who expended a lifetime's energy in clearing the land.
Contemporary Brighton traces back its origins to the late 18th century when Orringh and Elizabeth Stone built a house at the crossroads of two trails that connected Lake Ontario with the region's government seat at the time. The couple started taking in travelers seeking lodging. That building, known as the Stone-Tolan House, is Monroe County's oldest standing structure and is now a historic site visitors can tour.
