Cobblestone Quest: Road Tours of New York's Historic Buildings

by Rich Freeman, Sue Freeman

17 self-guided tours for observing the history and diversity of unique cobblestone buildings. Historical Secrets Revealed Learn why, during a mere 35-year span in the middle of the 19th century, approximately 700 cobblestone structures were erected within a 65-mile radius of Rochester, New York, and no where else. Many have endured the test of time and stand today as monuments to human ingenuity in using available resources. Learn about this creative building technique and about the lives of the early pioneers who developed it. Go See For Yourself On the tours you’ll view a diversity of cobblestone buildings, including homes, farmhouses, barns, stagecoach taverns, smokehouses, stores, churches, schools, factories, and more. Each cobblestone building is a unique work of folk art, created by local craftsmen. Enjoy the tours by car, motorcycle or bicycle.

Genres: Travel, Architecture

Paperback

Published July 18, 2005

Reviews

[Kim Shults · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book.... Gives a surprisingly thorough history and methodology of the cobblestone building. It is a construction method NOT an architectural type. I marveled at their in-depth knowledge until I started studying earlier texts on the subject, most notably "Cobblestone Masonry" by Carl F. Schmidt (1966) and "Preservation and Restoration of Cobblestone Architecture" by Cobblestone Society (1963) and discovered most of the technical information was found in the earlier books. However, the tours are very relevant to today, as they are the most recent listings of still-standing cobblestones. A very concise, easy read and exciting to see the buildings listed on the tour closest to my home. A wonderful job with done highly specialized information.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice reference for any fan of Upstate NY architecture. Interesting tidbits of history surrounding cobblestone structures in this area, though some descriptions are rather thin. Great for spurring interest in a Cobblestone-themed country drive, and a fitting celebration of this old architectural form.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Errors in book, however it is worth the journey and what information is given.