Historic landmarks are resources in the important work of placemaking, embodying and communicating the uniqueness of each of the localities we call home. The stately Italianate house at 151 Main Street Village of Brockport, Monroe County, has long been such an icon in the village of Brockport.
Built in 1854, it was the home of successive generations of the Morgan family from 1867 until 1964. In the latter year, however, a fire severely damaged the house, seemingly dashing the desire of the last Morgan sibling Sara Morgan Manning – who lost her life in the fire – that the home “stand forever as a monument to the fine old traditions that are so important to our heritage.”
However, volunteers organizing themselves as the Western Monroe Historical Society in 1965 succeeded in restoring the house, and have fulfilled Sara’s dream for sixty years by maintaining the highly-visible property as a museum with programing that invites people young and old throughout the region to commune with our shared past.
As such, it is an irreplaceable anchor to Brockport’s identity through time.
A fire again caused significant damage to the building in January 2025. Nevertheless, the steadfast work of many area fire departments ensured that the opportunity remains for us to revive this icon so that it continues to serve as a grace and an identity-defining resource to the community.
With a recent organizational name change, the Morgan-Manning House Museum is marshaling all available expertise and funding to restore the house, with its contractor, Struck and Sons, under the guidance of Bero Architecture and Jensen/BRV Engineering, completing extensive stabilization and assessment efforts over the past year.
Still, there is a great amount of work to do to preserve this icon. Visit the the Morgan-Manning House Museum website to learn more about how you can help.
The Landmark Society of Western New York has included the Morgan-Manning House in its 2026 Five to Revive — a list that identifies opportunities for targeted strategic revitalization. The list calls attention to sites across Western New York in need of rehabilitation.
Through this list, the organization hopes to facilitate investment and protect the area’s architectural heritage, by working with owners, developers, investors, and other partners to create connections and reactivate buildings in their communities.
Learn more about the 2026 Five to Revive.
Read more about Historic Preservation in New York State.
Photo of the Morgan-Manning House, ca. 2025, provided by The Landmark Society of Western New York.
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