History
Glover Perrin, his family, and his six siblings and their families settled in the same area, which became known as Perinton when it was officially established by the New York State Legislature on May 26, 1812. Other settlers soon followed, as word of the area's good farming traveled back east. Between 1800 and 1814, the Perinton census showed a growth in population from 71 to 821 people.

From the 1850s to the 1950s, Perinton's history was primarily Fairport's history. The village was not only an active canal port, but also developed into a booming industrial town, echoing a trend that was occurring nationwide. As a result of the availability of cheap and easy transportation, which by the 1850s included the railroad as well as the canal, companies like the DeLand Chemical Company and the Cobb Preserving Company grew and thrived. DeLand Chemical produced saleratus, known today as baking soda, which it marketed nation-wide. It was eventually succeeded by the Fairport Vinegar Works, which developed pectin, sold as Certo, used in the jelling process. Cobb Preserving, the forerunner of the American Can Company, was one of the first companies to perfect the use of the open-top sanitary can, thereby greatly increasing the safe use of factory-canned goods. The Trescott Company developed fruit grading and packing systems that revolutionized the wholesale grocery business. Taylor's Oil of Life and Crystal Rock Mineral Water, catering to the late nineteenth century demand for cure-all "patent medicines," were both produced in Perinton and shipped across the country.
Schools, churches, and cemeteries were organized to serve the growing community. Services, including a fire department, a public library, street lighting, and parks, enhanced the life of the town and village. The philanthropy of the early industrialists like the DeLands, Taylors, and Potters contributed to many of those services. In addition, residential areas, with homes built in a variety of architectural styles, were built around the thriving village center.
The town, outside the village of Fairport, remained essentially rural until the 1950s. Maps of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries show many family farms with names like Sunnycrest Farm and White Brook Farm. It was not until the suburban boom of the 1950s and 60s that the farms began to gradually disappear. Today, although farms still exist in Perinton, that former farmland supports not only suburban subdivisions, but also office and industrial parks, and an impressive number of parks and open spaces. An Historic Preservation Ordinance, passed by the town of Perinton in 1987, exists to protect the town's historic areas and buildings. The Village of Fairport has also changed significantly over the last 100 years. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the old canal town buildings were torn down and replaced with the new Village Landing and Packett's Landing complexes. The new buildings do, however, maintain the ambiance of a canal village, and allow Fairport to capitalize on the recreational aspects of the canal that have superseded its commercial use. The community looks to the future with the goals of maintaining reasonable growth and preserving both its rural and canal town heritage.
Written by Jean Keplinger: Town Historian
For more information on the Town of Perinton see the articles listed on the sidebar or go to: Historian