Program

NYS Historic

Subject

House, People

Location

16 Shethar St, Hammondsport, NY 14840, USA

Lat/Long

42.409673, -77.220787

Grant Recipient

Village of Hammondsport

Charles D. Champlin, a leading organizer of the Pleasant Valley Wine Company and one of its largest producers, lived in this house. The company was formed in 1860. By 1865 Champlin’s vineyard was 50 acres, among the largest. He was an early adopter of the current method of trellising. This would make for healthier vines by keeping them off the ground and providing room for them to spread out for maximum sun exposure. The success of Champlin’s company encouraged further winery development in the Finger Lakes region.

Charles Champlin died at the age of 47 in New York City on January 8, 1875. An article from the January 18, 1875 edition of The Courier highlights his accomplishments and reads in part:

In 1855 and 1856 grape culture attracted his attention, and to him more than any other individual is Pleasant Valley indebted for the success of this comparatively new and profitable industry. In 1860 he was the projector and principal organizer of the Pleasant Valley Wine Company, which under his skillful management has become the largest and most successful establishment of the kind in the country, as is known the world over for the excellence of its products.

As of 2021, the Champlin House operated as a bed & breakfast establishment called the Historic Champlin House Bed and Breakfast Inn.

Links

• Historic Champlin House Bed and Breakfast Inn