Cobblestones Revisited
The article, “Is That A Potato House?” by Sue Freeman which appeared in the Winter 2005 Issue was nothing short of wonderful.
I, too, have had the good fortune of being a Finger Lakes native. I was born in Wayne and my grandparents had farms in Penn Yan and Dundee.
For many years, I was a sales rep and a lot of my territory was in the heart of the Finger Lakes. I, too, was fascinated with the Cobblestone homes and buildings, which brings me to an observation that the author may have missed.
There are buildings of this type quite a bit farther than the 65-mile radius of Rochester mentioned in the article. On Church Street in Cortland there is a church of Cobblestone structure, and as far away as the lakes are, you’ll find these buildings. The fist-size stones are predominant all around the shores and up on the banks of all the lakes.
My late father related that when he was young and in his teens, he went with another chap to visit some friends in Hammondsport, from his home in Dundee. While there, these friends took him and his pal to a cave that was well hidden in one of the huge ravines that are all around the village. Where it is, I have no idea, but he did say that it was a large cavern and they could not see the end of it with their flashlight.
The treasures in the Finger Lakes area are unsurpassed anywhere on earth, and I thank you again for your wonderful article about the Cobblestone buildings.
– Bob Tripp, Arkport, New York
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(To read the original article by Sue Freeman and to read other letters from our readers, visit our website at www.LifeInTheFingerLakes.com.)
