McCabe Lumberyard

McCabe Lumberyard

Before the Village Plaza in Spencerport became home to a succession of grocery stores it was home to J. B. McCabe & Son Lumberyard.

Ogden was a heavily forested area when the first settlers arrived in 1802. As the population began to grow and trees were cleared it became necessary to establish lumberyards in order to turn raw wood into smooth planks that could be used to build homes, furniture, boats, and more. Several lumberyards would exist in Spencerport in the 19^th and 20^th century, including McCabe’s.

John B. McCabe, a contractor and builder, moved from Ridge Road to Spencerport in 1889 to continue his business. By 1892, he started dealing in builders’ supplies and leased some of the land between Slayton Ave. and the Canal. When John’s son, Lawrence, joined him in 1902 he purchased the land, built many sheds, and opened his lumberyard. Later his younger son, Clifford, would join them and they created the J.B. McCabe & Son partnership. After John’s death in 1928, the lumber yard continued to operate as a business till 1948 when it was sold to Henry Rutland, who made it into Spencerport Lumber Company.

J.B. McCabe in his office

Between 1905 and 1918 New York State was busy enlarging the Erie Canal into the present day Barge Canal. McCabe Lumber Yard would provide materials for its construction and was also awarded contracts in Spencerport and Holley to build temporary terminal warehouses used during its construction. The McCabe’s would also build many of the homes in the Village of Spencerport. They built primarily on West Avenue and were also responsible for building the Masonic Temple, several school houses, and many local barns. 

Since the time of McCabe Lumberyard, the Village Plaza has transformed significantly to include places to shop and eat. This transformation reflects the transformation of Spencerport from a bustling canal town that was a port for shipping goods and raw materials to a quaint suburb of Rochester offering shopping and restaurants and lots of wonderful resources to travelers and tourists along the canal.