Cazenovia was first settled in 1793 by a land agent, who made his business selling plots of New York land to settlers traveling west on what is now Route 20. It remains small today, but a popular weekend vacation spot for residents of nearby Syracuse.
It's a legend that modern football began here in the early 1860s, adapted from rugby, and there's a certain gentle timelessness to the town. One of its three inns, the Lincklaen House, used to be a stagecoach stop. Another of the inns is Scottish, appropriately named Brae Loch. The last, the 1890 Brewster, was once the summer home of Benjamin Brewster, partner to John D. Rockefeller. These inns have more than a historical setting and comfortable beds. They have an excellent reputation with fine diners.
The Lorenzo State Historic Site is a massive estate beside the Cazenovia lake. The mansion is fully furnished as it was back in 1807, and the estate grounds (87 acres in total) house not only gardens but a fine carriage collection.
Cazenovia is about 20 miles south of Syracuse via Route 13.
