• Abelard Reynolds
     
    Abelard Reynolds:

     

    • Was born on October 2, 1785 at a place called Quaker Hill, near Red Hook, NY.
    • In 1812, purchased lots (23 and 24) on the north side of what became East Main Street and built the first frame house west of the Genesee River.
    • Moved his family to Rochester in 1813.
    • Was the first saddle-maker, the first magistrate, and the first inn-keeper on the “one-hundred acre tract.”
    • Became the first Postmaster of the incorporated city of Rochester in 1812, appointed by Colonel Nathaniel Rochester.
    • Moved his house in 1828 to build the Reynolds Arcade on Main Street: a multi-storied brick building 56 feet deep with 86 rooms and 14 cellars. 
    • Was one of the founders of Rochester’s first public library.
    • Was a member of the Masonic order and a Prelate of the Knights Templar.
    • Was a member of the first Board of Education.
    • Died on December 19, 1878 in Rochester, NY.