Albion (New York)

Albion has a nice sampling of well-preserved historic buildings and monuments for a town its size.

In 1824, when Orleans County was split from Genesee County, the tiny hamlets of Albion and nearby Gaines were the two candidates for county seat. But the Erie Canal, which opened in 1825, routed through Albion, not Gaines, so Albion was chosen as the seat of the new county's government.

The nearest bigger city is Rochester.

• 🌍 Historic Courthouse Square, Rte 98 at Park Ave, ☏ +1 585 589-4174. The center of the village is signified by the expansive green lawn fronting the magnificent Greek Revival county courthouse (modeled after the one in Lyons 70 miles to the east). Surrounding the courthouse are a number of historic buildings, including seven different Christian churches. The enormous steeple on the Gothic-style First Presbyterian Church makes it the tallest building in the county. (updated May 2020)
• 🌍 Mount Albion Cemetery, 14925 Rte 31. "Mount Albion" isn't much of a mountain, but rather a glacial drumlin. The sandstone Soldiers and Sailors Monument sits atop it, though, and climbing up into its 58-foot tower provides some of the best views in the county—maybe even all the way to Toronto if you have a clear day and a good imagination. (updated May 2020)

• 🌍 Lorenzo's Mexican Products, 158 Hamilton St., ☏ +1 585 637-6327. M-Th 1PM-9PM, F noon-9PM, Sa-Su 11AM-9PM. Tucked away on a side street off the main drag in a low-profile location across from a semi-truck parking lot is where you'll find this gathering place for the local community of Mexican farm workers. Lorenzo's is best known as a taquería with a bare-bones menu of tacos (available in orders of five), burritos, quesadillas, sopes, and tortas. This is Mexican food at its most authentic: ground beef and chicken as taco fillings are eschewed in favor of tongue, tripe, and cabeza, and the dishes of hot sauce they serve alongside your food are definitely not for the faint of heart. Get your drinks (principally Jarritos and Mexican Coke) from the attached food market, which otherwise stocks a range of imported groceries that's equally as authentic if a good deal more modest than at Monte Alban in Medina: canned goods, snacks, staples such as sugar and cornmeal, and a small selection of produce. (updated Oct 2018)

• Albion is in Rochester's 585 area code, and most landline numbers are in the 589 exchange. The ZIP code is 14411.

Albion receives radio and television broadcasts from both Buffalo and Rochester—and sometimes even Toronto if the weather is good. The Batavia Daily News is the closest thing to a local daily newspaper; the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle does deliver to Albion but no longer has the resources to cover Orleans County news.

• Visitors to Albion with an interest in history shouldn't hesitate to take a trip a few miles north to Childs, where several historic buildings have been preserved as part of the Cobblestone Society Museum.