The Samuel Center was built as St. John’s Catholic Church in 1899.  Running along the front of the building is NYS 31.  The water to the left is the Owasco River, a tributary of the Seneca River.   

Below is a CSNY archival photo of the church from the far side of the Owasco taken in 1956.  Note the stone arch in the opposite bank. It is a remnant of an 1819 aqueduct that took that first Erie Canal over the Owasco.  The church sits on the alignment of the first Erie Canal, the “Clinton’s Ditch,” in use until being replaced by a more northerly and straighter route, a portion of which is now visible at Heritage Park. Where the altar once stood was directly above the towpath, a connection that the parishioners must have realized when they built the church in 1899. 

Below is a postcard image showing the state of the aqueduct around 1905, soon after the church had been built.  For a detailed report on state of the remaining arch of the aqueduct and proposed steps to ensure its stability, click on the image below.

The report was presented at the Canal Society Winter Symposium in March 2024 by its author Dr. Francis E. Griggs Jr.  

The Winter Symposium program for March 2025 is currently being planned.   You will find the program and registration information here once