Building date: 1847
Original use:
Corner structures:
Mortar application and content:
Types and uses of stones: Irregular rough. Herringbone anywhere
Types and choice of windows:
Structures with similar masonry details: Per-2 Palmer-Mott, Per-3 Conklin-Oliver, Pal-3 East,
Masons who worked on building:
Unique features:
Map views courtesy Google Maps. Address is Google Earth confirmed; 43°13'04.57"N 77°46'59.72"W. Current owner of record, Bennem as of the 2018 Tax Roll.
Town of Parma and Monroe County Maps
Thrall House, 4929 Ridge Road West, Spencerport, was built between 1845 and 1847. It is a splendid example of Greek Revival architecture and is immaculately maintained. A smoke house still stands at the rear of the house. Richard Palmer blog.
"The Cobblestone Houses of Upstate New York", compiled by Dorothy Wells Pease 1941. Research done in collaboration with Hazed B. Jeffery, supplemented with material furnished by Carl F. Schmidt. Reference the third paragraph on page 2.
The Boundary Pusher, Rochester, N.Y., February 10, 2016 Colossal Cobblestone in the Country, 4929 West Ridge Road, Parma, By Christopher Brandt
Stretching over 300 miles, the Erie Canal was a feat of civil engineering unlike any seen before. Along its path many villages and towns grew and prospered. Some such as Rochesterville grew so considerably that they became cities within a mere decade or two.
In the 1820s, a farmer named Ralph Thrall, attracted by the fertile lands of the Genesee region, likely emigrated from his home in Connecticut to the Town of Parma near the village of Spencerport and the canal. He son married, started a family, and established a successful farm on some 140 acres. In 1845, after years of success, he built the substantial Greek Revival style home seen today.
Lovingly cared for by the current family since 1972, the Thrall House is one of about 100 cobblestone structures in the greater Rochester region still standing. The entirety of its 3,320 square feet was built at once, with the finest and most regular stones used for the imposing facade. A generous entry porch provides cover to the vault-like original walnut front board, complete with original hardware and doorbell pull.
Stepping over the broad stone threshold, a grand foyer with soaring ceilings, abundant woodwork, and graceful staircase greets you. Directly ahead, a paneled door with broad Greek moldings leads to the large dining room. To either side are the front parlors, the more formal of which features an original colonnade leading to a smaller sitting room.
In nearly every room light streams in from the large windows onto glowing pine plank floors. The dining room is the first room of the rear wing of the house and is the heart of the home with doors at front to the parlors and foyer, at rear to the pantry/laundry and kitchen, and to the wide, open side porch.
Passing by a large arched alcove and powder room, the kitchen has plentiful storage and access to the original carriage doors, cellar stair, and rear patio. A more recent servant’s stair leads to a partial finished storage room above.
The second floor features five bedrooms, many with generous closets, glowing pine floors, high ceilings, and multiple large windows, and a shared full bath. The two front bedrooms are nearly as gracious as the parlors beneath them. The walk-up attic is vast and showcases the house's heavy-timber internal structure. The basement is tall and dry with beautiful stone walls, updated mechanics, and the original window shutters awaiting reinstallation. A carriage house with loft and original cobblestone smokehouse complete the property.
From its sandstone foundation and corner quoins, to the six-over-six double-hung windows and plentiful original millwork, the Thrall property has aged gracefully.
Richard Palmer blog. Partial transcription of an undated article, "Colossal Cobblestone in the Country", by Christopher Brandt, a cooperative effort of City Newspaper and RochesterCityLiving, a program of the Landmark Society.
Zillow.com realty website documentation with exterior and interior photographs.
- "Cobblestone Masonry", 1966, Carl Schmidt: Name reference, Thrall - Levine House
- Page 63
- "Cobblestone Architecture", 1944, Carl Schmidt: Name reference, Thrall House
- Page 25, Page 52
- Editor's Note: Location shown as Town of Greece; however, "Cobblestone Masonry", Schmidt, 1966 correctly states Town of Parma.
- Editor's Note: Location shown as Town of Greece; however, "Cobblestone Masonry", Schmidt, 1966 correctly states Town of Parma.
- "Cobblestone Landmarks of New York State", 1978, by Olaf William Shelgren, Jr., Cary Lattin, and Robert W. Frasch, Photographs by Gerda Peterich: Name reference, Thrall House
- Pages 50 - 51
- "The Era of Cobblestone Architecture", unpublished manuscript 1972. To access the manuscript content about this structure, see 1. Monroe County, Thrall-LaVigne House. Editor's Note: Is spelling of LaVigne that of Levine or not?
Roudabush incorrectly labeled these images as Davis-King Par-4, 4965 Ridge Rd., instead of Thrall-Levine Par-8 4929 Ridge Rd.
NOTE
 Par-8 Thrall-Levine 5.jpg ¹ Pease Collection 1940-41 |  Par-8 Thrall-Levine 5.jpg ¹ Van Houten Collection 1942 |  Par-8 Thrall-Levine 5.jpg ¹ Van Houten Collection 12/7/1946 |  GP Monroe Parma Par-8 1_1 N.jpg ² 1971 |
 GP Monroe Parma Par-8 2_1 N.jpg ¹ Pease Collection 1940-41 |  Par_8_1.jpg |  Par_8_2.jpg |  Par_8_3.jpg |
 Par_8_4.jpg |  Par_8_5.jpg |  Par-8 Thrall-Levine 5.jpg ¹ |  Par-8 4929 Ridge Rd 1.jpg ³ |
 Par-8 4929 Ridge Rd 2.jpg ³ |  Thrall house 1.jpg 4 |  IMG_0712.jpg 4 |  Thrall house 2.jpg 4 |
 Thrall house 4.jpg 4 |  Thrall house 3.jpg 4 |  Inside 2.jpg 4 |
¹ Image courtesy Cobblestone Museum.
² Photography courtesy Gerda Peterich. Cobblestone Museum.
³ Photography courtesy Martin and Sheila Wolfish.
4 Photography courtesy Richard Palmer.
