Preston-Gaylord Cobblestone Farmhouse

The Preston–Gaylord Cobblestone Farmhouse, historically known as the Maxwell Creek Inn, is a historic cobblestone farmstead located at 7563 Lake Road in Sodus, Wayne County, New York. Built between 1845 and 1846, the property is considered an example of late-period cobblestone architecture in western New York. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.^[2]

The property operated as the Maxwell Creek Inn bed and breakfast during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It returned to use as a private residence following its sale in 2021.^[3]

The farmhouse was constructed by mason William Swales as a residence for his daughter Elizabeth Swales Preston and her husband, John Preston.^[3] Swales purchased approximately 1,000 acres along the southern shore of Lake Ontario in 1838 to establish a fruit farm.^[4] The property remained in the Preston and later Gaylord families for nearly 150 years.^[5] Swales purchased approximately 1,000 acres along the southern shore of Lake Ontario in 1838 to establish a fruit farm. The property remained in the Preston and later Gaylord families for nearly 150 years.^[6]

The site includes the remains of a grist mill built in 1794 by John Maxwell. In the early 19th century, the surrounding area was known as Maxwell Bay, a small Lake Ontario port where grain was traded and processed.^[7]

According to family oral histories and local historical sources, members of the Swales, Preston, and Gaylord families were abolitionists, and the house is associated with activity related to the Underground Railroad.^[8] The property’s proximity to Lake Ontario and Maxwell Bay has been cited as a potential route for freedom seekers traveling to British North America (now Canada). Accounts describe a concealed space behind a fireplace in the keeping room that was reportedly used to shelter individuals in transit.^[9]

As with many Underground Railroad sites, documentation relies in part on oral tradition.

The farmhouse is a 1½-story cobblestone dwelling consisting of a main block and rear wing.^[10] It is constructed of uniform, water-rounded lake stones gathered from the shores of Lake Ontario, reflecting mid-19th-century masonry techniques.

Architectural historian Carl F. Schmidt documented the structure in his survey of cobblestone buildings in New York State.^[11]

Features include:

• Stones laid nine courses to two quoin heights
• Horizontally tooled mortar joints with decorative V-jointed profiles
• Two-foot-thick foundation walls
• Interior masonry partitions

The windows contain early glass with visible irregularities, and interior casings are flared to increase light penetration.

A two-story cobblestone carriage house, constructed circa 1845, stands behind the main residence and is listed as a contributing structure.^[12] Unlike the primary house, it is built with larger, more varied fieldstones. The property also contains stone ruins associated with the 1794 grist mill.

The farmhouse operated as the Maxwell Creek Inn bed and breakfast during the late 20th century and early 21st century. After its sale in December 2021, the inn closed and the structure returned to private residential use.