Venue Information

The City of Rochester has a rich historical heritage that began shortly before the village was formed when the real growth in the area began with the formation of the Western Knitting Mill.

The property was first used as a milling operation back in 1844. However this original building was destroyed by a fire in 1867. A second, three-story building operated on the site until it too was destroyed by a fire in 1882.

Construction on the present building began in 1896. The local paper reported that the undertaking was a huge project that involved all the Villagers who donated stones and participated using their own shovels during the groundbreaking. Construction was reported to cost a whopping $10,000. The original building was U-shaped with the opening facing South where sheep were brought in for shearing. It was filled in sometime in the early 1900s.