Brown's Race - Rochester
This is a shot of the replicated Brown's Race in the Brown's Race Historical District which links shops and restaurants. Now a bit of history: Brown's Race was a power canal which was constructed in 1815. The brothers Matthew and Francis Brown invested $3,872 to build a power canal. The plan was to divert water from above the High Falls and channel it along the raceway from which spillways would funnel water from the race into waiting mills. The raceway diverted water from a point 500 feet south of the High Falls. It was 1,221 feet long, ( later extended ), 30-feet wide and five-and-a-half-feet deep, all hand dug. Workers were paid 62 cents per day, plus lunch. Even before the race was completed, a cotton mill was constructed at the location which was once called Brown's Island (north side of Commercial Street and east of the remaining raceway). Mill lots between the race and the gorge had the right to a certain amount of water from the race. All the buildings on the east side of the race were reached via foot bridges; overhead shafts transmitted power to the west side of the race and the buildings which fronted on Mill Street. As many as 17 mills would use water from the Brown's race, grinding enough wheat that Rochester would become the flour capital of America. Eventually the race was covered by a wooden plank roadway. In 1991-92 portions of the original Brown's Race were uncovered; concrete planks delineate the original width of the raceway. They do have water filling this raceway but none was in there yet at the time we stopped by. Today a street called Brown's Race follows the old raceway. Located on Browns Race Street in Rochester, NY.
Brown's Race - Rochester
This is a shot of the replicated Brown's Race in the Brown's Race Historical District which links shops and restaurants. Now a bit of history: Brown's Race was a power canal which was constructed in 1815. The brothers Matthew and Francis Brown invested $3,872 to build a power canal. The plan was to divert water from above the High Falls and channel it along the raceway from which spillways would funnel water from the race into waiting mills. The raceway diverted water from a point 500 feet south of the High Falls. It was 1,221 feet long, ( later extended ), 30-feet wide and five-and-a-half-feet deep, all hand dug. Workers were paid 62 cents per day, plus lunch. Even before the race was completed, a cotton mill was constructed at the location which was once called Brown's Island (north side of Commercial Street and east of the remaining raceway). Mill lots between the race and the gorge had the right to a certain amount of water from the race. All the buildings on the east side of the race were reached via foot bridges; overhead shafts transmitted power to the west side of the race and the buildings which fronted on Mill Street. As many as 17 mills would use water from the Brown's race, grinding enough wheat that Rochester would become the flour capital of America. Eventually the race was covered by a wooden plank roadway. In 1991-92 portions of the original Brown's Race were uncovered; concrete planks delineate the original width of the raceway. They do have water filling this raceway but none was in there yet at the time we stopped by. Today a street called Brown's Race follows the old raceway. Located on Browns Race Street in Rochester, NY.