53 Main Street

This building is known to have been built sometime between 1813 and 1830. From 1822 to 1846 it was owned by the Wadsworth family. Henry North was the owner from 1846 to 1863 when it again came into the possession of the Wadsworths and remained so until 1868 when it was sold to Mrs. Elizabeth Decker.

Previous to this it had been rented by various people. Mrs. Decker used the building as a millinery shop and residence. She died in 1872 and in 1886 her heirs sold it to Henry H. Curtis. He moved to Batavia and in 1913 the building was sold to Rosario Zanghi. He remodeled it in 1936, giving the work to Benny Contasta of Buffalo. A part of the building was torn down and rebuilt into a “modern” two story structure. A new front was also added at this time. After Mr. Zanghi’s death, the building was inherited by his daughter, Philipa Valvo. During the years that it was owned by the Zanghi-Valvo families, it was occupied variously as a barber shop, dress and gift shop, beauty shop, shoe repair shop, restaurant, photography shop, laundromat and residence. When Jack Carr became the owner in 1965, he operated the restaurant, Pauper Jack’s, here for several years. Will and Louise Wadsworth acquired the property in 1986 and contracted WJR Construction to remodel the building inside and out, making it an architecturally pleasing companion to the other historic structures on Main Street. It was operated as the popular Pictures and Presents for many years.