Our History

Settled in 1794

About Lyons Falls

In 1794 French refugees settled in High Falls (now Lyons Falls), where the Moose and Black rivers meet to crash over rocks seventy feet high. These were Royalist who fled France because of the Revolution. The harsh cold climate and isolation were too much for the pampered aristocrats accustomed to the mild weather of France and they soon left.

The first permanent settlement in the region of Lyons Falls was Lyonsdale, founded by Caleb Lyon. He settled in Lyonsdale in 1823, where he built a bridge in 1829 and a grist mill in 1830. He was elected to the New York Assembly in 1824, where he initiated the project to construct the Black River Canal which would go from Lyons Falls to join the Erie Canal at Rome. (Taken from the History of Lyons Falls by Clarence L. Fisher.)

The Black River Canal

The Black River Canal is one of the most influential aspects of Lyons Falls’ history. The story of the canal began in 1836, when the construction of a canal was authorized to be built from the Black River to Boonville. The canal would be continued from Boonville south to Rome and north to Lyons Falls. The contract for the canal from Rome to Boonville was signed in November of 1837 and would be 14 miles in length. The canal started toward Lyons Falls ini 1838. The canal was finally competed in 1855. It had six aqueducts, twelve waste-weirs, eighteen culverts, thirty-six road bridges, forty farm bridges, three tow bridges, and two dams, and stretched about ninty-five miles. Within thirty-five miles, there were 109 locks, a world record. The canal brought a lot of industry to Northern New York, including Lyons Falls. Hazel C. Drew wrote about the influence the Canal had on the Village of Lyons Falls in her book, Tales From Little Lewis.

Historic Places

The Forest Presbyterian Church, Gould Mansion Complex, and The Pines are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Forest Presbyterian Church was built in 1894 and is a one-story, brown stained, eclectic, pitched roof building with a front-facing gable, a unique square bell tower with flared eaves, and a porte cochere. The church is in the Shingle Style with Gothic elements. Also on the property is the two story, American Foursquare manse, dated to 1902, and a 19th-century barn. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

Gould Mansion is a historic home and national historic district located at Lyons Falls in Lewis County, New York. The district includes three contributing structures: the main house, carriage house and barn, and office building that served as headquarters for the Gould Paper Company. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

“The Pines” is a historic home and related dependencies located at Lyons Falls in Lewis County, New York. The main house was built about 1860 and is a timber-frame, flat-roofed, vernacular Italianate style residence. It consists of a two-story, five-bay main block with 2 two-story wings.

Also on the property are a maple sap boiling house / woodshed (c. 1930); carriage house / garage (c. 1880); main barn (c. 1890); woodshed (ca. 1890); and workshop / shed (c. 1910). It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.

Lyons Falls History Association

The Lyons Falls History Association, formed in 2005, is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of Lyons Falls and the surrounding area. Initially operating out of a small museum in the Falls Pharmacy, the Association later relocated to a donated home on Laura Street in 2013. This home, previously owned by the Storms-Bailey family, has been transformed into a museum to honor the family and the history of the region. The Association collects and organizes local photographs, documents, and books, and holds regular meetings and field trips. The museum is open by appointment and every Tuesday during the summer from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

visit lyonsfallshistory.org