National Register of Historic Places

Letchworth State Park

Genesse Falls, Wyoming County, New York
Listed
November 4, 2005
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
03000718

About this property

Letchworth State Park is a 14,427-acre (5,838 ha) New York State Park located in Livingston and Wyoming Counties in western Upstate New York. The park is roughly 17 miles (27 km) long, following the course of the Genesee River as it flows north through a deep gorge and over several large waterfalls. It is located 35 miles (56 km) southwest of Rochester and 60 miles (97 km) southeast of Buffalo, and spans portions of the Livingston County towns of Leicester, Mount Morris and Portage, as well as the Wyoming County towns of Castile and Genesee Falls. In 1859, Buffalo industrialist William Pryor Letchworth (1823–1910) began purchasing land near the Middle Falls, and started construction of his Glen Iris Estate. In 1906 he bequeathed the 1,000-acre (4 km2) estate to New York, which soon after became the core of the newly created Letchworth State Park. The park prominently features three large waterfalls – the Upper, Middle, and Lower Falls – on the Genesee River, which flows within a deep gorge that winds through the park. The rock walls of the gorge, which rise up to 550 feet (170 m) in places, prompted the area's reputation as the "Grand Canyon of the East".

Location

Genesse Falls, Wyoming County, New York
42.58587, -78.04248

Categories

AGRICULTUREARCHITECTUREARTCONSERVATIONHISTORIC - ABORIGINALENGINEERINGENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONEXPLORATION/SETTLEMENTLANDSCAPE ARCHITECTUREMILITARY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
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Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Nearby Historic Sites

First Universalist Church of Portageville
Industrial
1.2 mi
Edgerley
Industrial
3.7 mi
G.A.R. Memorial Hall
Industrial
3.7 mi
Union Block
Industrial
5.1 mi
First Free Will Baptist Church of Pike
Industrial
6.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Letchworth State Park listed on the National Register?

Letchworth State Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 4, 2005.

What type of historic resource is Letchworth State Park?

Letchworth State Park is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Letchworth State Park?

The period of significance for Letchworth State Park is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Letchworth State Park?

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