Cobblestone Quest: Road Tours of New York's Historic Buildings [Paperback]

Rich Freeman (Author), Sue Freeman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 18, 2005

17 self-guided tours for observing the history and diversity of unique cobblestone buildings. Historical Secrets Revealed Learn why, during a mere 35-year span in the middle of the 19th century, approximately 700 cobblestone structures were erected within a 65-mile radius of Rochester, New York, and no where else. Many have endured the test of time and stand today as monuments to human ingenuity in using available resources. Learn about this creative building technique and about the lives of the early pioneers who developed it. Go See For Yourself On the tours youÂ’ll view a diversity of cobblestone buildings, including homes, farmhouses, barns, stagecoach taverns, smokehouses, stores, churches, schools, factories, and more. Each cobblestone building is a unique work of folk art, created by local craftsmen. Enjoy the tours by car, motorcycle or bicycle.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A terrific guide to this unusual construction method." -- Donald S. Hall, Rochester, NY

“A terrific guide to this unusual construction method.” --Donald S. Hall, Rochester, NY

About the Author

Rich and Sue Freeman, decided to make their living from what they love—being outdoors. In 1996 they left corporate jobs to spend six months hiking 2,200 miles on the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. That adventure deepened their love of the outdoors and inspired them to share this love by introducing others to the joys of hiking. Since most people don’t have the option (let alone the desire) to undertake a six-month trek, they decided to focus on short hikes, near home. The result was the first edition of Take A Hike! Family Walks in the Rochester Area. They went on to explore hiking, backpacking, bicycling, skiing, and snowshoeing trails, waterfalls, and waterways for paddling throughout central and western New York State. Along the way, they kept discovering unique and beautiful places in this region. Driving to the trails and waterways often took them down back country roads were they saw unusual “potato” houses; to quote an architectural student visiting the area from New York City. Of course, these weren’t potato houses at all. They were cobblestone houses. They not only inspired the architectural student, but they inspired the Freemans to find out more and share their find with others. Cobblestone Quest is the result of that curiosity. This is the Freemans’ 14th guidebook. Rich and Sue have a passion for adventure and inquisitiveness that continues. They have hiked the 500-mile-long Bruce Trail in Ontario, Canada, hiked on the Florida Trail, hiked across northern Spain on the Camino de Santiago Trail and hiked a 500-mile section of the International Appalachian Trail in Quebec, Canada. They have trekked to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. Recently (in addition to exploring New York’s cobblestone buildings), they hiked the tropical forests and volcanic peaks of wild Hawaii and hiked across England. On bicycles they have crossed New York State on the Erie Canalway Trail and pedaled the C&O Canal Trail from Washington D.C. to Cumberland, Maryland. Since beginning their new career writing and publishing guidebooks, the Freemans’ have pared down their living expenses and are enjoying a simpler lifestyle. They now have control of their own destiny and the freedom to head out for a refreshing respite or to follow a new interest when the urge strikes. Still, their life is infinitely more cluttered than when they carried all their worldly needs on their backs for six months on the Appalachian Trail.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Footprint Press, Inc. (July 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1930480199
• ISBN-13: 978-1930480193
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,503,806 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous resource, December 6, 2006

By 

Rod B "Rod" (Penfield, New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cobblestone Quest: Road Tours of New York's Historic Buildings (Paperback)

I live in the Rochester area but it took visiting friends, who brought this book with them, to discover the area's treasures. We spent a wonderful day following one of the trips - the directions were superb, the explanations about each structure were well done - in short - I bought the book, read it, found some more hidden delights! This book is worth every penny!