
1872 map shows the house on the portion of the A. Hopson Estate (in green) that crossed the southern boundary of the Village of Pittsford, NY.

Earliest known photo of Hopson-Parker House. Undated.




The House
The oldest part of the house, which is known to historians as the Hopson-Parker House, was erected in about 1840. It sits on a knoll in the northern portion of the 53 acres then owned by farmer Alvin Hopson. An exterior cobblestone wall from the original, smaller structure is visible in the basement.
In July 1869 Hopson died when his wagon was struck by a locomotive while he was delivering a shipment of grain to the Pittsford railroad yard.
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When his wife Elizabeth died five years later, the house became the property of the Hopson's daughter Sarah and her husband Henry A. Parker. (The 1872 map shows an H.A. Parker as owner of the adjoining property to the south of the Hopson estate.) The house remained in the ownership of successive generations of the Parker family until 1966 when it and the surrounding land were sold to home builders Stenger and Erdle. At the time of the sale, the property was described as "dilapidated and decaying" with only "one light bulb in the house" and "chickens living upstairs."
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Though the property's potential may have been difficult for some to imagine, Dr. G. Porter Perham recognized the beauty of this classic, vernacular, Greek Revival farmhouse. He purchased the property and began renovations with the old tinsmith’s shop that was attached to the rear of the house. He made that space into his office. At the time Dr. Perham was an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester in addition maintaining a private practice.
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Most walls of the house were stripped to the studs and some interior walls were removed. For much of its life, the house was apparently a duplex. Pittsford Directories of the 1930's list retiree Albert and wife Emily Parker residing at number 97 South Main Street while their son Gordon, tinsmith, and his wife Marjorie lived at number 99. Today there is no 97 South Main.
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Perham's interior renovations retained many original features including the front stairway, wide plank floors, and some distinctive window and door moldings featuring an eared architrave design. Where replacements were required, Perham's taste and attention to detail are evident throughout.
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On the exterior, a small front porch was carefully restored and so today the view of the home from South Main remains faithful to its mid-nineteenth century appearance.
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A 1969 publication by Historic Pittsford notes that the Perham restoration "... brought back the beauty of the former Parker homestead...." In the same publication architectural historian Paul Malo comments, "the Greek Revival dwelling at 99 South Main Street is distinguished by its wide frieze and exaggerated, boxed cornice. The eyebrow windows in the one and one-half story wing are also notable features of the period and style."*
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* Architecture Worth Saving in Pittsford Elegant Village by Paul Malo (1969)
Before (1967) and After (2010): Front Hall and Parlor/Dining Room

1969, After renovations and before Fletcher Steele's garden design.