History of the Building

The Spencerport Trolley Station was originally built in 1906 as part of initial construction of the Buffalo, Lockport and Rochester Rail Road (an Inter-urban Electric Trolley Service).  Service commenced in 1908.

During the railroad’s life, it fell into administration and re-emerged as the Rochester, Lockport and Buffalo Railroad.

This line ran until 1931 when it closed and the building sat empty on its original location.

In the 1930s, local resident George Ballard moved the building ¼ mile west on to a residential lot, with the plan to use it as a house. Little change was made to the building until the Williams family purchased the property and moved in.

In 2002, after the the Williams patriarch had passed away, local resident, Maxine Davison, bought and donated the building to the Village of Spencerport with the stipulation that the building “be used for the good of the community”.

On May 23, 2005, with the help of many volunteers, the building was moved to its current location on the bank of the Erie Canal.

Opening of the Museum

The Spencerport Depot & Canal Museum opened its doors in 2007 to serve Erie Canal travelers and the local community as a museum, visitor center, and lending library.

The museum houses collections related to the Erie Canal, transportation, communication, and local history on its main level. 

Downstairs, there are restroom facilities for boaters traveling the Erie Canal.

The museum operates with the canal season and is run primarily through the efforts of volunteers.