The History of Vernon project is an effort 7+ years in the making, started by Garrett Law and his father Don Law, to preserve, share and celebrate the history of Vernon. We’ve both been interested in Vernon’s history since we were younger and are members of the Vernon Historical Society.
When a house we lived in on Vernon’s main street, at 41 West Seneca Street, was torn down in 2006, it ignited a more urgent desire to preserve Vernon’s history, and to make that history available to everyone. While that building, built in 1803, is no longer there, its memory will live on through this initiative – as will many others!
This project is being done in collaboration with and to benefit the Vernon Historical Society. While we’re continuously adding more info from our research and archives, there is too much history for any one person or family to capture. Therefore, the goal is a collaborative effort, that everyone with ties to Vernon can contribute to. We’re creating a place to catalog, share and learn from our shared history of Vernon!
Do you have an old photo, memory, object, story or anything related to Vernon’s history that you’d like to record as part of Vernon’s history? Or add something recent, that should become part of Vernon’s historical record for future generations. Either way, please share your artifacts or memories!
The 1803 house on West Seneca Street, shortly before it was razed. Built originally as a tavern/inn serving travelers on the Seneca Turnpike, the major east-west thoroughfare through New York State prior to the Erie Canal.
Following its time as the tavern built and owned by Michael Gay, it was owned by the Dean, Judson, Law and Furer families until 2006. In its early years, it was known as Tammany Hall, an homage to its importance in civic and political affairs of the village.
The upstairs had a spring-supported wooden dance floor and curved ceilings. The basement had a cistern and well. The roof was slate.