Most of the material in our History section is derived from 98 Acres …the story of Meadowbrook, compiled and written for the 70th anniversary of the Meadowbrook Neighborhood Association by Meadowbrook resident Robyn Schaefer in October, 2001.

The Early History of Brighton
A brief sketch of the early history of Upstate New York, our broader “neighborhood.”  More…

A Tale of Two Abners
Abner B. Buckland was an early Rochester settler and he built a brick home that still stands on Winton Road. In time the Buckland Farm, comprising 98 acres of land that is now Meadowbrook, became the property of his grandson Abner M. Buckland and his wife and children. In 1926 Abner M., then being upwards of 70 years old, sold the Buckland Farm to the Kodak Employees Realty Corporation and Meadowbrook as we know it was born.  More…

Location, Location, Location: The Selling of Meadowbrook
This section traces the development of Brighton and the rise in the 1920s of the Kodak Employees Realty Corporation to address a severe housing shortage. The Realty Corporation bought the Meadowbrook Tract with a unique vision, and the planning and preparation for this neighborhood displayed the same attention to detail that can be observed in its architecture.  More…

Racial Covenants in Meadowbrook
Sadly, the deed of every home in the original Meadowbrook tract was encumbered with a discriminatory covenant that excluded Blacks and created an environment that fostered discrimination against other minorities as well. This section details the role that racial covenants played in creating patterns of housing segregation in Rochester that persist to this day. Although covenants of this kind have long-since been outlawed, they remain a part of our recorded deeds. In 2020, a group of Meadowbrook residents began an initiative they called “CORD” — Confronting our Racist Deeds — to revoke that covenant, replace it with anti-discriminatory language, and create a curriculum that would help Brighton students understand this painful piece of our history. This section is summarized on a Fast FAQs page.

A Trip Through Meadowbrook
An attractive promotional booklet entitled “A Trip Through Meadowbrook” described a young and growing neighborhood. This is a must-read!  More…

The Meadowbrook Neighborhood Association
The story of Meadowbrook is intimately tied to that of the Meadowbrook Neighborhood Association. Read the story of the Meadowbrook Association here.  More…

Why Is It Called The Dandelion?
Our neighborhood newsletter, the “Meadowbrook Dandelion” has been well-loved by Meadowbrook residents since its first publication in 1933.  More…

Black Friday
On September 21, 1951, two Meadowbrook children were among the casualties in the “Brighton Blast,” a natural gas explosion that destroyed fifteen homes in our neighborhood.  More…

South Meadowbrook (a.k.a. The Danburys)
Twenty years after the first houses were built in our neighborhood, homes were built on Danbury Circle North and Danbury Circle South to meet the growing demand for homes of great quality. This is the story of South Meadowbrook.  More…

Who’s Who in Meadowbrook Past and Present
Over the years, Meadowbrook has been home to a variety of outstanding individuals. Get to know some of them here.   More…

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Robyn Schaefer thanked the following people, who each contributed to the material in this section:

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Bibliography

Cumpston, Mrs. Edward H.  “The Building of Brighton.”

Keople, Raymond C.  “This Is My Home — A Chronological Story of Brighton, Monroe County, New York.” December 1956

Schmitt, Mrs. Margaret C., and Mrs. Katherine W. Thompson.  “Landmarks of Brighton.” July 1964

Smith, Marlowe G.  “The History of Clover Hills”

Other Resources

Democrat and Chronicle and The Times Union newspapers from 1952 on film at Rundell Library

The George Eastman House museum archives

The Kodak Magazine, issues from the 1930’s

The Landmark Society library and resource center

Early issues of the Meadowbrook Dandelion