Batavia Peace Garden
Hours of Operation
Tours available by appointment. Also open for self-guided tours during daylight hours.
A garden commemorating the War of 1812 and Batavia's significant role in holding back the British after the city of Buffalo burned. Modeled on the International Peace Garden concept, the beautiful flowering strip of land along Tonawanda Creek opened in 2012 and will be a physical reminder of the peace between the U.S. and Canada for the past 200 years.
When nearby Niagara County, including Buffalo, lay in ashes from a British attack, Batavia (located halfway between Rochester and Buffalo, NY) became the rallying point in the War of 1812. Families fleeing the devastation were united and sheltered by local residents. Joseph Ellicott's home became a hospital and officers’ quarters.
The winter invasion by the British caused terrible hardship and great fear, but Batavia’s citizens proved their mettle, refusing to retreat and even amassing a small army. In July of 1814, the American Army succeeded in protecting Western New York, but the legacy of resourcefulness and hospitality in Genesee County remains.
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