Those serving on the board of directors are expected to:

• Actively participate on at least one committee either as an ad hoc member, or as liaison.
• Take initiative and provide leadership.
• Share expertise with the association, including advice, contacts and/or other resources.
• Be accessible by phone and/or E-mail to other directors as needed.
• Contribute multiple hours per month in carrying out the activities of the association.
• Fulfill their commitments to the association within agreed upon deadlines.
• Work for the good of the community without regard to any financial or monetary gain.
• Hold in confidence any information given to them in their capacity as a director.
• Be loyal to the association.

🤔 Learn more about the Board of Directors’ Expectations

ℹ️ If you are interested and would like more information, please contact the office at chna@cornhill.org, and one of the current board members will get back to you.

👉 We would like to have a full slate of candidates by the end of July for voting in late summer.

The neighborhood needs you to keep Corn Hill the wonderful community we all treasure. Now is the time to consider serving Corn Hill in this important capacity.

Since the program began in mid-September, the Security Committee has been monitoring the activity logs of the patrol officers, community feedback and overall crime statistics in our community. Before deciding to extend the pilot program, a survey of neighbors was conducted. Consistent with past surveys, respondents ranked Safety & Crime Prevention as the #1 priority for the neighborhood association and 87% of respondents appreciated the Safety & Service Patrol program overall. In the 7 months since the Patrol program began, Corn Hill has seen a reduction of 68% in level 1 crimes, a larger decrease than nearby neighborhoods.

Your Support can help continue this impactful initiative

The Corn Hill Neighbors’ Association is proud to be able to largely fund this new safety program, but we need resident support to ensure that this program can continue to serve Corn Hill for as long as it’s needed. With your contribution we can keep the Safety and Service Patrol in action and provide the necessary resources during times when crime tends to rise and scale back when things are quieter.  Follow the link below to learn more about the Safety & Service Patrol program and how you can help support this impactful initiative.

In the late 18th century, large tracts of land were purchased by various land agents and investors along the western bank of the Genesee River in the area we know as Corn Hill. These tracts carried names such as Hubbell, Cornhill, Greig, Caledonia and Troup and they help to explain where some of the Corn Hill Street names came from. But digging deeper into street name origins uncovers all kinds of fascinating information regarding changing street routes and names in Corn Hill’s 200-year history! Adams Street was named after the 6th President of the United States – John Quincy Adams. His first nomination for the presidency came from Rochester, NY; through the efforts of Thurlow Weed, who was then the associate editor of the The Rochester Telegraph. Adams visited Rochester in July of 1843, and gave a public address at the courthouse. The section of Adams St. from old Sophia St. (Plymouth Avenue), down to Exchange, was once called Lafayette Street, after the famed French General Lafayette, who visited Rochester in June 1825 as part of the celebration of America’s 50 years of independence. The entire length of the street reclaimed the name ‘Adams’ in 1900, when the Executive Board of the City determined that all continuous roads should bear the same name.

Clarissa Street had several names over the years, starting as High Street, then Caledonia Street and ultimately Clarissa Street….

Fitzhugh Street was named after Colonel William F. Fitzhugh, a wealthy Maryland landowner, who along with Charles Carroll and Nathaniel Rochester, purchased the 100 Acre Tract in 1802 which became the seed of Rochesterville. Fitzhugh never lived in Rochester, but settled in Livingston County around 1810. He is buried in Groveland, Livingston County. Although a slave owner himself, his youngest daughter, Ann Carroll, married the well-known abolitionist Gerritt Smith of Petersboro, NY. Plymouth Avenue at one time, was a contiguous road that ran right through Corn Hill – from downtown through Avery Mall, Frederick Douglass St. and Lunsford Circle Park into the PLEX neighborhood. On an 1827 Platt map however, the north end of the current Plymouth Avenue was named Hart Street, after another one of Nathaniel Rochester’s land partners, the middle section of Plymouth from Main to Troup was named Sophia Street, after Nathaniel Rochester’s wife, and the southern end of Plymouth from Troup on was named Caledonia Street to reflect the heritage of its Scottish residents. At some point, the whole stretch of this road took on the name Sophia St. Then in 1854, when the Plymouth Congregational Church was built at the junction of Troup and Sophia, the entire length of the street was renamed Plymouth Avenue.

The current Clarissa Street also had several names and sections. It began as a short road which, in 1827, only extended from Main St. (then Buffalo St) to Troup St. and was called High Street. As the city grew, High Street continued south to connect to Sophia (Plymouth) and in 1868, the entire street was renamed Caledonia Street, acknowledging a resurgence of Scottish settlement – the same name the southern end of Plymouth Avenue once had! The southernmost curve of the street which extended to the bridge across the Genesee was known as Clarissa Street – which was named after early investor John Grieg’s daughter.

In 1927, the entire length of the roadway was named Clarissa. Atkinson Street was most likely named after William Atkinson, an early, prosperous miller. In 1817, Atkinson acquired a site on the east bank of the Genesee River, where he constructed his Yellow Mill – the first on the Johnson Race. Along with Hervey Ely who built a frame mill adjoining Atkinson’s, they shipped the very first barrels of flour eastward on the canal to Little Falls. Atkinson was one of the first wardens of the new St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on the east side of the river, and was a founder of the Monroe County Bible Society. His wife – Elizabeth Ford Atkinson – was the proprietor of Rochester Female Academy on Fitzhugh and Spring Sts. She was also a member of the Rochester Female Charitable Society formed in 1822, whose members met in the Atkinson home to lay the groundwork for the Rochester Orphan Asylum on Hubbell Park. Elizabeth outlived her husband and married the revivalist Charles G. Finney. She and William are buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery.
Troup Street was named after Robert Troup, an appointed land agent for Sir William Pultney and London Associates of the large tract of land that was part of the Phelps and Gorham Purchase. Troup was also a New York attorney who had been an aide to General Gates during the Revolutionary War. Washington Street was named by Nathaniel Rochester in affectionate memory of Washington County, Maryland – where he had been a prominent resident and where he left behind many friends. Greig Street was named for John Greig, an early Scottish land investor. Glasgow Street and Edinburgh Street also were named in recognition of the settler’s Scottish heritage.

Livingston Park was named for pioneer miller James K. Livingston, who became the president of the Bank of Monroe and served as village sheriff in 1828. The Park was established around 1830 as Rochester’s most exclusive street, housing the city’s first “aristocracy”. Livingston built one of its first great mansions, which still stands today at the Genesee Country Village and Museum. The street was a private parkway whose gates were locked every evening and on Sundays. Other residents included early civic leader Frederick Bachus, Thomas Hyatt – Consul to Japan for President Buchanan, Horatio Fenn – one of Rochester’s first dentists, and Henry E. Rochester, youngest son of Nathaniel Rochester.

Some other interesting street name changes – from the very early 1827 Platt Map of Rochesterville….

• Tremont Street was once called Clay Street
• Santiago Street, which originally ran from Exchange St. to Caledonia St. was once called Thorn Alley Exchange, south of the Ford Street Bridge, was once called Mansion Avenue
• Goldsmith Place was once called Greenwood Place
• Beaver Street was once called Plum Alley
• Edinburgh Street was once called Hill Street
• Glasgow Street was once called Ely Street

Henry’s association with the Landmark Society, with Corn Hill Navigation, and with Mt. Hope Cemetery illustrates the depth of his involvement in the city of Rochester, providing invaluable connections for the Corn Hill neighborhood. Henry has served on the Board of Directors of the Corn Hill Neighbors Association as well as provided Festival support.

Henry has been a strong advocate for the West River Wall Project, and the Riverfront as a tremendous neighborhood asset. He advocated for a kayak launch, supports Corn Hill Navigation, and spearheaded the Adirondack chair and concrete table project on the river-pad. It was Henry who engaged the assistance of students from Edison Tech’s carpentry program to custom build and paint additional chairs for the riverfront.

Henry has also volunteered his time and financial support for the establishment of the Butterfly Garden on the River and he assists the Beautification Committee in its maintenance, as well as been a faithful PAC-TAC patroller for many years. And all of his neighbors on the Crescent at Plymouth and Exchange can vouch for what a wonderful friend and helpful neighbor he has been! A neighbor like Henry is a true gem and for these many reasons, Henry was chosen to receive the 2024 Corn Hill Neighborhood Volunteer of the Year Award. Congratulations Henry!

Philanthropy is an important part of the Corn Hill Neighbors Association’s mission. Throughout our more than four decades of service to the Corn Hill community, thousands of dollars in grants, scholarships, and emergency relief funding have been given to a wide variety of organizations, individuals, and causes. Since 2000, the Philanthropy Committee has donated over $210,000.

Beyond the dedicated efforts of the Philanthropy Committee, other CHNA projects, including food drives and holiday toy collections, have also contributed philanthropic assistance to the residents of Corn Hill and the greater Rochester area.

When awarding grants, the Philanthropy Committee considers the alignment of the application’s needs with our Philanthropy Strategic Goals. 

What are the CHNA Philanthropy Committee Strategic Goals?

• Increasing diverse neighborhood engagement
• Preserving and repairing neighborhood structures
• Funding of the annual Tysean Williams scholarship 
• Supporting not-for-profit organizations serving the neighborhood 

What types of grants have been awarded in the past? 

• Tysean Williams scholarship 
• Funds to support neighborhood block parties, organizational and community events
• Scholarships to attend youth sports camps
• Purchase everyday and holiday needs for at-risk families
• Sports equipment for the rec center
• Grant matching for local organizations
• Repairs for building structures
• Typical grant amounts: $300 to $1,500

How do you submit a Grant Application?

1. Complete an Online Grant Application by clicking HERE
2. Or visit the Philanthropy Committee page for a downloadable application.

How will you be notified if your application has been received and approved?

• You will be notified via email of the receipt of your application.
• Based upon your project’s funding deadline, you will be notified via email and/or phone call from the Philanthropy Chair. 

When are grant applications awarded?

• Applications are either awarded quarterly or based on need.

We look forward to hearing from you and learning more about your needs and how together we can continue to enrich the Rochester community.

Sincerely

Judy Simser – Philanthropy Chair

Register today for 6-week basketball & soccer programs for boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 7. This program will be fun, engaging, and focus on basic movement, coordination, and very simple skills. At this age our primary goals are developing a love for the game while building motor skills, and encouraging teamwork.

BASKETBALL:

Click here to register for ages 4/5 – Micro Basketball @ Adams St. R-Center
Click here to register for ages 6/7 – Micro Basketball @ Adams St. R-Center

SOCCER:

Click here to register for ages 4/5 – Micro Soccer @ Adams St. R-Center
Click here to register for ages 6/7 – Micro Soccer @ Adams St. R-Center

PURPOSE OF THIS SCHOLARSHIP: To provide financial assistance to a graduating high school senior who lives within the City of Rochester. 

APPLICATION CRITERIA: 

• Applicant must be a High School Senior in the Rochester City School District. 
• Applicant must be a City of Rochester resident.
• Applicant must have a G.P.A. of 2.5 or higher.
• Applicant must be accepted into a post-secondary program (two or four-year college, vocational or technical school, full or part-time). Scholarship funds will be distributed upon confirmation of enrollment in a post-secondary program. 
• Applicant must provide a transcript from their high school and at least 2 letters of reference.

Essay Question: Please write an essay of 250 to 500 words, typed, describing what you see as the systemic causes of violence in your world, and within yourself. Applicant agrees to permit publication of his/her winning essay in the Corn Hill Gazette. 

Applicants: please carefully review and complete the information on this application. Attach your essay, your sealed official transcript, two sealed letters of reference, and a copy of any acceptance letters from your post-secondary schools. 

Applications must be submitted by April 30, 2025

Applications may be submitted electronically to CHNA@cornhill.org or mailed to:

Corn Hill Neighbors Association
Tysean Williams Memorial Scholarship
133 South Fitzhugh Street
Rochester, NY 14608

Our partners in the RPD have asked the CHNA to distribute the linked survey regarding the opioid crisis in our communities.

The City of Rochester Opioid Survey and extended information:

Here is the City of Rochester’s Opioid Website that includes the link to the survey: CityofRochester.gov/OpioidCrisis

Thanks to the Social Committee, Holiday House Tour Committee, and other volunteers, the tree was raised and decorated for all to enjoy as Corn Hill continues this beautiful Christmas tradition.

We invite you to stop by and add your own ornament – either one you bring or one you choose from the box of ornaments at the Gazebo. 

We NEED your input!

The CHNA Security Committee seeks additional feedback from all neighbors, including homeowners, renters, and property owners. This quick survey will help the committee develop its budget and plans for the year ahead.