History Happened Here
— The Business District —
1789-1820's When Canandaigua was founded in 1789, Downtown served as the location at the land office for the Phelps-Gorham Purchase. The Downtown also served as a commercial center for new settlers and as a stopover for travelers in stagecoaches or on horses. By the 1820s, a corduroy or log roadway was built and Canandaigua's Downtown became a residential and commercial center of the community.
1820- 1860'sThe Erie Canal opened in 1825 and since Canandaigua was not directly connected to it, economic growth slowed. Steamboat service began in 1827 and railroads in 1836 serving our local community, but did not spur major business growth until later in the century. By the 1860's, Canandaigua's Downtown thrived as a commercial center for the community.
1860-1930'sWhen the Civil War ended in 1865, major railroad construction and the increase in the use of steamboats allowed the Canandaigua area to grow and develop industrially. Downtown became the center of the cultural life of the community with two churches, firemen's conventions, Ontario County Fair celebrations, circuses, concerts, carnivals and even a tightrope walker. Canandaigua established a Chamber of Commerce in 1909 and was incorporated as a city in 1913. By the 1930's Canandaigua's Downtown had become the economic and cultural center of the area.
1950's-1970As the steamboat, railroad, and trolley era faded around the 1930's the major means of transportation became the automobile and the truck. Downtown was physically changed when a center median and a two lane highway was created in the 1950's. Downtown stores and businesses served city and area residents as well as providing a place for cultural and social events. By the 1970's, Canandaigua's Downtown remained the community's center destination point.
1970's-presentWhen Eastview Mall in Victor, New York was built in 1971, Downtown Canandaigua began to experience the decline of its importance as a shopping destination stop. Citizens and city government joined together to form the Historic District to keep Downtown economically healthy. The city succeeded in keeping most of its 19th century buildings intact. In 1992, the Business Improvement District was created. Today, Canandaigua's Downtown is a destination with a mixture of commercial and financial institutions as well as specialty shops, restaurants and art galleries.
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