Livonia Area Preservation & Historical Society

Livonia Area Preservation & Historical Society Livonia Historical Society is a not for profit organization located at 10 Commercial St. in Livonia. The Maurice F.

Sweeney, which is a part of the Livonia Historical Society will be open Saturdays from 10am until 2pm and Sundays from 9am until 1pm.

I hope everyone is doing well, this past winter has been so cold. The Livonia Historical Society is having a Beef Stew ...
03/11/2026

I hope everyone is doing well, this past winter has been so cold. The Livonia Historical Society is having a Beef Stew dinner at the South Livonia Church on Saturday, March 28th from 4pm until sold out. The cost is $12.00 per person. This is take out only and the menu is beef stew, roll, butter, applesauce, and brownie. This fundraiser is to help support the Maurice F. Sweeney Museum. I am attaching a copy of the poster for this event. Please spread the word and I hope we will see you all there and we thank you for your past support.

I have been very Remiss. The Livonia Historical Society had a bake sale on December 20, just before Christmas. The His...
01/03/2026

I have been very Remiss. The Livonia Historical Society had a bake sale on December 20, just before Christmas. The Historical Society would like to thank all of the ladies, gentlemen, members, friends, and everyone for their support. We are starting into a new year and we hope you all have a very happy new year. Thank you again for all your support. Oh, by the way stop into the museum and see what the we history we have and let us know what you would like to see. Thank you again.

11/07/2025

Jacksonville was a thriving community located in Livonia. Joy Lewis, Richmond Town Historian has done through research and will be presenting the history of this village along with pictures. We think that you will find this an interesting step back in our history. We hope you will join us.

Where did the Church Bells in our Livonia Churches? St. Michael’s Church, Livonia CenterLong before the white man locat...
10/16/2025

Where did the Church Bells in our Livonia Churches? St. Michael’s Church, Livonia Center

Long before the white man located in the area around Livonia Center and before the St. Michael’s Church was built, French missionary Fathers celebrated Mass for Indian converts in the Lima and Livonia area. In 1848 John Whalen, B. Colligan, John Meagher, M. Martin, John McGinty, and Daniel Whalen came to Livonia Center (then known as Livonia) as pioneer Catholic families. These families would walk to Lima to attend Mass. Mass was held in the cooper shop of John Brennan’s in Lima.

In that same year (1848) Father O’Connor made Livonia Center his mission and mass was regularly said in the home of John Whalen until a church was built in 1857. After Mass one Sunday in 1857 Father McGuire took charge of establishing the first Catholic Church in Livonia. He held a meeting of the few Catholic families that attended church at the William Ryan Store (which was the Panipinto’s Store and the Livonia Center Post Office). They all decided to build a church and within a few minutes and $150.00 was donated and paid. John Meagher was able to soon have a considerable sum available for this new church. Father McGuire purchased land from Robert H***e, this first location of the catholic church was on the corner of Richmond Mills Road and Federal Road, on the same site as the Livonia Center School District school house and a 35’x40’ cozy church was built.

St. Michael’s Church was moved to its present location in 1875 and enlarged by 20 feet. The St. Michael’s Church was referred to as “The Little White Church on the Hill”.

St. Michael’s closed in 1982. Many priests have been a part of the St. Michael’s Church and for 125 years have been a part of this “Little White Church on the Hill” in Livonia Center.

In 1953 St. Michael’s received approval from the Rochester Diocese James E. Kearney for the purchase of a Schulmerich Carillonic Bell. This was the churches source of music during church services and to its parishioners. St. Michael’s Church did not have a church bell in its steeple.

This was the sky when I got up. It was so pretty.
10/11/2025

This was the sky when I got up. It was so pretty.

I ran across this picture of a house in Livonia. There is no date or address on the picture. Does anyone recognize thi...
09/02/2025

I ran across this picture of a house in Livonia. There is no date or address on the picture. Does anyone recognize this place, address, or any information? Cute house and any information is greatly appreciated. Thank you

Livonia is very fortunate to have many churches in the town. Hemlock has the Methodist Church and the Baptist, South Li...
07/15/2025

Livonia is very fortunate to have many churches in the town. Hemlock has the Methodist Church and the Baptist, South Livonia has the United Church of Christ, Livonia Center has the Presbyterian Church, Lakeville has the United Church of Christ, Livonia has the Livonia Community Church that used to be on Spring Street and is now on Summer Street and on High Street there is also the Livonia Community Church. St. Joseph's Church used to be on Washington Street, a beautiful church, is now St. Matthew's on Richmond Mills Road heading toward Livonia Center. St. Michael's Church was the first catholic church in area and South Lima had the South Lima Presbyterian Church. A person asked me a while back a question on "Where did all the church bells go?" I have been collecting research on all our Livonia Churches and plan on writing information on Facebook about all these churches, but today I am going to write about the Livonia Center Presbyterian Church and its bell. Please feel free to respond with any information you might have, I think this might be fun. Ken Schoonover invited me and my husband to go to the top of the Livonia Center church steeple to see their bell. He explained that in the past the bell was rang everyday at noon and again at 9pm. When a church member passed away the bell rang, the age first, then one stroke if it was a man and two if it was a woman. This bell has in the church since it was built in 1834 and is still rung today. I want to thank Ken for giving us a tour of the church and the bell tower. I am attaching a few pictures of our tour. Please feel free to respond.

Address

10 Commercial Street
Livonia, NY
14487

Opening Hours

Friday 9am - 2pm
Saturday 10am - 2pm

Telephone

+15853464579

Website

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