Toganenwood Estate Barn Weddings

Our History

Welcome to Toganenwood Estate, a historic and picturesque destination nestled in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. Our property's rich history dates back to the late 18th Century, with roots tracing back to the French Revolution. In 1791, Charles Williamson arrived from Scotland as an agent of Lord Pultney to develop and sell a tract of land, extending from Bath to Lake Ontario. Henry Towar, his sub-agent for the area South of Lyons, selected a site along the Canandaigua Outlet for his 'seat of administration, ' clearing land in 1832 for a small house and farm, as well as a grist mill, sawmill, and distillery to accommodate pioneer settlers in the area. He named it Alloway, after his native Alloa, Scotland, which was also the home of Robert Burns. Legend has it that the dauphin, Louis Philippe, later king of France, stayed at the Towar farm for a period during his exile. Henry Towar died in 1846, and in 1847, the farm was sold to Robert Ennis, his wife, and seven children. They enlarged the homestead to fit their large family and in 1852 added the large barn. For more than a century, through four generations of the Ennises, the farm was a highly successful operation, having added a fine orchard and the first Guernsey herd in the township. In 1852, the Ennis boys took a break from their farming chores on the Estate to moonlight building the historic Erie Canal. In fact, they laid several Erie Canal limestone blocks as a stoop near the main entrance to the Greek Revival house! In the 1800's, the double-staired stoop was used to let passengers off carriages. The high section was where ladies would exit, stairs on the left were used to hitch horses to the hitching post in front of the house, and stairs to the right were used to bring luggage up to the Estate from the carriage. This historic treasure was designated a farm of merit in 1954 by Governor Thomas Dewey and one of the 'Century Farms of the Empire State' in 1985.