OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Pictured is 21 Pearl St. in Forestville, the first home built in the town of Hanover. The home is set to be placed on the National Historic Register.

FORESTVILLE — A special place in local history will be recognized later this month in the heart of this hamlet.

The first home in the Town of Hanover — 21 Pearl St., Forestville — is set to be placed on the National Historic Register. A celebration at the home has been scheduled for Monday, July 21 at 4 p.m., featuring the unveiling of a commemorative plaque and a celebration of the home’s legacy within the proposed Center-Pearl Historic District.

The Hanover Town Board and its History Center organized the event, alongside Nancy Adams Fry and her husband, Merv Fry, on behalf of Imagine Forestville. The ceremony will feature remarks by Town Historian Vince Martonis, who will unveil the commemorative plaque, as well as Town of Hanover Supervisor Lou Pelletter and Imagine Forestville President Aimee Rogers. Guests are invited to tour the first floor of the home and enjoy a light reception following the dedication. All are welcome to enjoy the festivities.

Imagine Forestville began working on establishing a historic district several years ago. Extensive research was done, including surveys of the entire former village of Forestville. During the pandemic, Merv Fry and Nancy Adams Fry dedicated time to provide the necessary information at the state and national levels.

Nancy Adams Fry said Imagine Forestville was excited to discover the deep history of the region tied to the Erie Railroad. Completed in the mid-19th century, the Erie Railroad connected the entire state, from New York City to Dunkirk. A stop even existed in Forestville, which led to significant development in the village. The railroad brought new prosperity, connecting Forestville to regional and national markets, and sparked a building boom that gave rise to the elegant homes and thriving businesses along Center and Pearl Streets.

“You could walk down the street in Forestville, get on a train, and end up in New York City,” Adams Fry said. “This completely changed the village. It meant that there suddenly was a way to get good from the farms into the cities. It really established prosperity.”

The proposed Center-Pearl Historic District, currently under review for official historic designation, is a living reminder of the village’s golden era. The district includes 22 homes stretching from the heart of Center Street to 1 Pearl St. These homes, including 21 Pearl St., stand as a testament to the architectural beauty and community spirit that flourished during Forestville’s railroad era.

The historic 21 Pearl St. home was built in 1870 by Levi and Frances Pierce. It was celebrated by the local newspaper as “a palatial residence” with conveniences ahead of its time. Levi Pierce, a prominent merchant and civic leader, embodied the spirit of this railroad-fueled boom, founding the Levi Pierce Hose Company and helping construct Forestville’s first firehouse — both key features of the Center-Pearl District.

From 1955 to 2010, 21 Pearl St. was owned by Judge Lee Towne and Muriel Adams, who continued the tradition of civic responsibility and community engagement. The house became a gathering place for literary pursuits, local celebrations, and important community events, reflecting the enduring legacy of the district. While the home has been modernized — now with electricity and running water on each floor — it still has the same aesthetic features as back when it was built.

The recognition of 21 Pearl St. on the National Historic Register highlights the

importance of preserving Forestville’s unique architectural and cultural heritage, rooted in the prosperity brought by the railroad. The Center-Pearl Historic District is described by the New York State Historic Preservation Office as “an increasingly rare time capsule of a very particular era of development in Western New York railroad towns”.

Imagine Forestville recently submitted its final application to the New York State Historic Preservation Office for the establishment of a historic district. Adams Fry believes the application will be reviewed later this year at the state level before moving on to the federal level. “We’ve got all our fingers crossed that it moves forward,” Adams Fry said.

Dedicating a plaque in honor of the home was viewed as a way to garner attention at the state and national level for the proposed historic district. The efforts by Imagine Forestville are just the latest example of the deep sense of community pride felt in the region.

“We’re really thrilled,” Adams Fry said of the progress made so far. “One of the joys of Imagine Forestville is the sense of community. We’re rebuilding after Forestville’s dissolution as a village.”

Adams Fry explained Imagine Forestville has turned the dissolution of the village into an opportunity to broaden its reach as a community.

“What really happened is that the barriers fell between who is in the village and who was outside of the village,” Adams Fry said. “… The sense of belonging that people have for the village has been unleashed in the last few years, and that sense of belonging is accompanied by a sense of pride in what we’ve got, and that we haven’t lost.”

For more information about the upcoming event, contact the Hanover History Center at (716) 208-1013.