Historic Preservation Month Property - 3939 East Avenue

Our celebration of Historic Preservation Month in Pittsford continues, featuring a unique, historically designated landmark home each week during May in eNews and on the Town website. This week’s home, located at 3939 East Avenue, is an outstanding variation of early 20th century Colonial Revival style and was designed by a prominent architect.

This stately and elegant home was built in 1909 by Louis J. Marchand, who commissioned noted architect Claude Bragdon to design it. Current owners Stephen and Lauren Wallace purchased it in 2004. At 3,420 square feet in size, 3939 East Avenue is an exceptional example of the larger mansions built as suburban retreats during the early 1900s when access to and from the city was made much easier via the nearby Rochester Syracuse and Eastern trolley line.

The home’s unique architectural features include Ionic columns, a rooftop dormer in the shape of a Palladian window, and a projecting half-round balcony above the entrance door. The interior includes four bedrooms, a library, dining room, living room and a fireplace. The north wing, now enclosed, was originally a columned porch under which carriages could drive to let off passengers. A carriage house original to the property is now a home at One Country Club Drive. Its impressive design earned 3939 East Avenue a feature story in the 1910 issue of The American Architect and Building News. This wonderful property, which began its life as a grand suburban home, continues to reflect the timeless beauty of the early 20th century while encompassing the amenities of the 21st century.

Town of Pittsford residents, if you live in a home or own a building with unique or special architectural character, or that is of historic or aesthetic interest to our community, please consider preserving its integrity for future generations via the historic designation process. Our Design Review and Historic Preservation Board members will be glad to guide you through this simple process. For more information, see our Landmark Designation Guidelines or call the Town of Pittsford at 248-6265. For a Landmark Designation Application form click HERE.