Historic Sites

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Lake Crest House

Historic Site #:12-153   (Exists)   Type: D Town:Sodus
Site Name:Lake Crest HouseGPS Coordinates:43.273102, -76.986931
Address:7589 North Ontario Street Sodus Point New York across the street from the Lighthouse Museum
Description:
This grand old Victorian – style house was built in the 1800’s. It went by a few different names, one of which was the Lake Crest House. From the old photo below , taken in the early 1900’s you can see the narrow little dirt road with horse-drawn carriage coming around the corner here.


🔊Audio: Tour Sound Bite
 
Photo from Edith FarringtonPhoto from Historic Sodus Point web site
Photo from Historic Sodus Point web site
 
Historic narrative:

This grand old Victorian – style house was built in the 1800’s. It went by a few different names, one of which was the Lake Crest House. From the old photo above , taken in the early 1900’s you can see the narrow little dirt road with horse-drawn carriage coming around the corner here.

Remember the old Lighthouse set back a bit on the East side and there were quite a few other houses here then and we are quite sure that the land , the bluff , went out further.
 
In 1901, this was the home of Miss A. E. MacKenzie. So now it was often referred to as the MacKenzie House.
 
From Great Sodus Bay p. 85 by Rosa Fox, she relays the following information:
 
Lake Crest was the estate of Anne Elizabeth MacKenzie (1822-1904). Anne’s brother John T. MacKenzie donated to the Presbyterian mission. She was heir to his great fortune. Following her brother’s example, Anne bequeathed her home to the Presbyterian Church Foreign Mission as an education center for returning missionaries. With all close relatives deceased, Anne’s cousins contested her will, challenging that she was not of her right mind. Her brief obituary in the Arcadian Weekly Gazette on November 20, 1904, convey that “she was a very eccentric character, possessed of considerable means.” One of Anne’s peculiarities was that she owned a parrot that said naughty words. After nearly six years of appellate court proceedings, the final verdict in 1910 ruled in favor of the Presbyterian Church. Around 1934, Lake Crest became a popular dinner and picnic site for large groups and a guesthouse for private individuals; it was managed by the DoVille family.
 
 
In 1919, we know it was an establishment run by another lady by the name of Julia A. Nicholoy. She was the proprietor of this one over-looking the Lake and another in Rochester called “The Fitzhugh” on S. Fitzhugh St. She offered board and rooms by the day or week.

For more information about the Lake Crest House, Click this link: http://historicsoduspoint.com/buildings/lake-crest/



References:

Historic Sodus Point Lake Crest web page

Great Sodus Bay p. 85