Grant Homestead

In 1847, Sidney Grant gave up his role as teacher and moved to Irondequoit, purchasing a farm at what is now 3219 St. Paul Boulevard.  He and his wife, Adaline, had both been teachers.  Sidney had taught at Laurelton the city of Rochester, and Brighton.  Adaline Hayward Grant had graduated from the Rochester Female Academy and taught in both Brighton and Rochester.

Even though they had given up their profession, neither had given up their interest in education.  Their kitchen became a classroom, their students, adults who could not read or write.  The night school class, seated around the Grant's kitchen table learned the 3Rs so that they would not be an embarrassment to their children.

From the first town meeting in Irondequoit in 1839, the establishment of schools was a primary importance.  Frontiersmen who had not had the advantage of schooling were determined to give that advantage to their children, but also to try to learn themselves.

The Grants were also charter members of the Sunday school classes that became the United Congregational Church, now the United Church of Christ.  Sidney Grant also served as a trustee of school district #3.  Mrs. Grant was also President of the Women's Christian Temperance Union.  The picture below was taken in 1876, the Grants, Sidney and Adaline are in the center, Sidney standing and Adaline seated next to him.  Their oldest son, Frank, is on the left, his wife, Eva Dake Grant, next to him, was also from an old pioneer family.  Her father, Charles Dake, was one of Irondequoit's first doctors. On the right was Mate Wilson, a boarder, who was a tailoress in one of the early clothing factories.  The child on the rocking horse was Frank and Eva's son, Pierce.

Frank Grant graduated from the University of Rochester school of medicine and left to practice in California.  He volunteered for a humanitarian mission to Mexico to aid in a smallpox epidemic and unfortunately died there.  Grant's other son, Theodore remained in Irondequoit and like his father and mother was active in civic affairs.   The Grant homestead has undergone several additions since this picture but still remains one of our oldest homes and a tribute to this pioneer family.