History

Brighton's first subdivision is known as "Home Acres"

The Southern Parkway/Eastland/Westland neighborhood has its origin in one of the town's earliest families, the Cobbs (i.e. Cobb's Hill). Gideon Cobb arrived from Vermont shortly before the war of 1812. He prospered as a farmer and a brick maker. In 1871, his son William sold almost 129 acres of land to George Ellwanger and Patrick Barry. The land become part of the cultivated "Ellwanger and Barry" Mount Hope Nursery and was for many years the largest horticultural establishment in the world.

In 1911, the Ellwanger and Barry Realty Company sold the 129-acre parcel that would become Home Acres to Charles F. Garfield, a real estate developer who immediately formed the Home Acres Company. Garfield laid out a unique neighborhood plan with covered streets, parks, sidewalks, street lights and Brighton's first sewer district and other modern utilities. He outlined the tract with rows of poplar trees and planted elms in front of each lot. He designed a lamppost, curved beach stone walls, and pillars on the gateways of each of the four entrances. The Home Acres Garden Club planted colorful flowers in front of the entrance walls.

The first house was built in 1911 at 29 Southern Parkway. In 1924, as the tract became more developed, a Home Acres Community Club was formed, and the Club organized snow, garbage, ash removal, and tree trimming as well as other conveniences for Home Acres residents. In 1956, the City proposed to built an I-490 expressway exit through the Highland, Monroe, and Southern Parkway intersection. To have a formal presence in order to more effectively oppose the devastating proposal, the Home Acres Association was incorporated. Ultimately, the expressway exit was located elsewhere and the Board remained incorporated.

In 1958-1964, the Home Acres tract lost all its trees to the Dutch elm tree disease. A variety of trees were planted to avoid such a terrible loss of street trees in the future.

In 1969, the City planned a huge shopping mall between Westfall, Elmwood, and Clinton avenues. Home Acres and other Brighton neighborhood groups immediately took action against the mall proposal. Brighton officials seemed to be inclined to grant rezoning from residential to commercial space to increase tax revenues. Yet, the organized opposition groups were overwhelmingly strong and the mall proposal was defeated. Years later, the senior housing center St. Johns Meadows was built in a park-like design at this location.

The Home Acres community made several efforts to beautify the neighborhood while keeping its historical appeal. In 1976, Rochester General & Electric (RGE) decided that Home Acres antique street lampposts had to be rewired and replaced with fiberglass poles and yellow lights. The Home Acres Board of Directors refused to allow the removal and RGE dropped the matter.

More than twenty years later, in 1997, RGE came back again and insisted on replacements. In response Home Acres Light Committee was quickly formed and found a company which could design concrete lampposts and fixtures that matched the antique posts needing replacing.

In 1973, the Brighton Zoning Board changed the parcels on Monroe from the corner of Southern Parkway to Twelve Corners into commercial space. Seven homes on Monroe Avenue were Home Acres residents. Although the Home Acres Association tried to stop this development, it was too costly to pursue the matter. Six out of the seven houses are now offices.

In 1962, the Home Acres Board was concerned about the disintegrating sidewalks in Home Acres, but according to records, it was the responsibility of each homeowner to repair their sidewalk. Although homeowners were obligated to fix their sidewalks, nobody enforced the repairs and so many sidewalks continued to deteriorate.

Finally, in 1986, the sidewalks were in such terrible state that the town formed a sidewalk improvement district and citations were sent out to Home Acres neighbors who had to repair their sidewalks. Sidewalk repairs started in every street, but many neighbors refused to comply and the town decided to form a consolidated sidewalk district that included all Brighton neighborhoods with sidewalks.

Many efforts were also made to repair the slowly deteriorating masonry work on the gateway-wall structures. In 2001, a Neighborhood Improvement District was formed to save the walls, the first of its kind in New York State. Fifty-eight percent of Home Acres residents signed a petition and the restoration of the Home Acres entry walls started three years later in 2004.

The Home Acres Directory lists the street addresses, first and last names, and telephone number of all residents. Email addresses, emergency numbers, and useful town telephone numbers are also listed. The Directory, which is printed once a year, is an essential booklet and is distributed only to due-paying members. In 2007, the Home Acres first launched its own website.

Inside: Home Acres is a desirable place because it is rich with traditions. Residents receive the Home Acres Herald, published three times annual and enjoy a variety neighborhood events. Some of these include: a Memorial Day parade, a garage sale, summer barbeque, Halloween party, Holiday Auction, and winter ice skating party. For a more detailed account of Home Acres' history, please contact the President for a 16 page hard copy booklet.