The Bickford Home in Macedon, which went up for sale last year, after housing veterans for 40 years, was purchased in December, 2022 by Laurie Leenhouts of Macedon.

The Leenhouts name is very well known around Wayne County, and Laurie’s father and his twin brother, Norman and Nelson Leenhouts were the developers of  Gananda, after the original designers of the planned community went bankrupt.

With real estate in her blood, Laurie was curious about the sale of the Bickford Home and its caretaker’s house on the property in Macedon.

Without a clear plan of what she would do with the property, Laurie just felt it ought to be preserved as a well known and beloved site in the original Macedon Village.

Laurie attends the First Baptist Church of Macedon, and often admired the Bickford Home property.

When it went up for sale, and   knowing if the property would be affordable for her, she made inquiries and, in the end, purchased the land, and both buildings.

It is not certain what the home will ultimately be used for...it could be a residence, although Laurie has a home on Erie St. in Macedon.

The Bickford House, as it was known, was named for Lyman Bickford (co-founder of the Bickford and Huffman Drill Works). His partner, Henry Huffman actually  built the house at 56 Main Street. It has also, over the years, been the home of the Kirk Home Sanitarium, purchased by Mr. Kirkpatrick in 1890, who made numerous improvement including the front porch and Porte Cochere. Dr. Rodenburg purchased the home in 1904, making it into a nursing home, Marvin Sharp purchased it in 1956 and it was for a short time a Restuarant and guest house.

In 1968, Marshall Sharp sold the home to Phillip Schumacher. Mr. Schumacher, and subsequently his son Peter and grandson Peter Jr. ran the residence as a home for disabled veterans until last year.