Fairport
Fairport is a village located in the town of Perinton which is part of Monroe County, New York. Fairport is a suburb 9 miles east of Rochester. It is also known as the "Crown Jewel of the Erie Canal". In 2005 it was named as one of Money Magazine's "Best Places to Live." The total population of Fairport is 5,353 as of the 2010 census.
In the 19th century industry moved into Fairport including Deland Chemical (baking soda), Cobb Preserving (the predecessor to American Can) and the Trescott Company (fruit grading and packing systems). Deland Chemical later became Fairport Vinegar Works - makers of Certo brand pectin used to jell foodstuffs.
In the early 20th century the Erie Canal was expanded and renamed the Barge Canal. (It reverted to its original name in 1992) Barge transportation rapidly declined as automobiles and trucks became popular. The town began to expand away from the canal. Currently, the Erie Canal is used mainly for recreation.
Fairport acquired its name in the mid-19th century from a traveler on the Erie Canal who was overheard at Mallett's Tavern referring to the village as a fair port. In an ironic twist, local legend has it that the same visitor vociferously complained the next morning that the Millstone Block Hotel had bedbugs and he stormed out of Fairport never to return. The name, however, stuck.
In 2005, Money Magazine and CNN/Money ranked Fairport as #62 on their "Best Places to Live" list.
In 2008, Relocate America included Fairport in their "Top 100 Places To Live" list.
