Thornell Road Elementary School
Mrs. Stevens-Oliver's 4th Grade Class 2019-2020
On the Erie Canal
When the Agate brothers owned the business, it was next to the Erie Canal. The Erie canal was helpful for their business because the canal helped move the grain and the malt by boat. The boats would float over next to the malthouse and unload the grain. At the time, boats were the fastest way to get around, so the canal worked perfectly.
In 1910, the canal widened. You might be wondering why people wanted to widen the canal. It is because there were a lot of boat jams. You've probably heard of a traffic jam, but not a boat jam. A boat jam happened when two large boats going in different directions met each other, but couldn't cross because the canal was not wide enough.
When the canal widened, the Agates' Malt Business was appraised, sold to the State, and torn down to make way for the widened Canal. Afterwards, 80,000 of those bricks were bought by Charles Clark, and were brought to Fairport, NY (on the canal) to be built into three walls of his pharmacy.
Used with permission from the Office of the Pittsford Town Historian.
Used with permission from the Perinton Historical Society.
Agate Warehouse next to the Erie Canal.
Erie Canal being enlarged in 1910.
Pharmacy built from brewery bricks in 1965.
Used with permission from the Office of the Pittsford Town Historian.
Used with permission from the Office of the Greece Town Historian.