The Asa Ransom House:

A History Close to the Heart of Clarence

By Katherine Guenther

Innkeeper and owner Bob Lenz is no stranger to Clarence history. Before purchasing and remodeling the historic Asa Ransom House on Main Street in Clarence, Lenz operated the Red Mill Inn in Clarence during the 1960s and ‘70s but longed to run an inn of his own.“I first discovered the property by visiting the town park,” explained Lenz, who now owns and operates both a bed and breakfast and a restaurant in the historic home, But before Lenz could open his inn, he first had to convince its former owners to part with the property.
“The couple that lived here was retired. . .” he said, “so I asked them if we could by it, because I wanted to develop an inn and they said, ‘Yes but we won’t move off the property.’ So behind the inn is an old cottage; I built the cottage and they moved back there.”

The building has been through two significant remodels since it was purchased by Lenz. The first remodel, which was completed in 1975 allowed Lenz to add a small restaurant to the building. 
“Then in ’92 we added another wing,” he said, “and we got five rooms in the back.” Keeping the character of a house built in 1853 is a year round job.

The 1853 portion of the home rests on brick walls covered in thick green vines that climb two stories up. The building’s additions reach out to the right and are painted in a cool spring yellow to match the flowers that line the building. 
The inside of the building is equally picturesque. The floor is a dark wood hidden under soft floral rugs that lead to the library. A porcelain white fireplace warms the room where visitors are encouraged to sit for a cup of tea. 
Across the entry way the restaurant sits with two French doors left wide open for guests to walk through. The wall beside the restaurant is decorated in dark wood paneling and framed pictures of historic Clarence and Erie County. 

“We have a painter that comes in every January – spends a whole week here goes around and paints. Even though sometimes it doesn’t look like it needs it,” Lenz said.
“We don’t wait until it looks bad.” He added.

The Asa Ransom house played a huge part in the foundation of the town of Clarence.

“Clarence was established March 11, 1808. We just celebrated our Bicentennial. Clarence is the oldest existing town in Erie County.”  Said Town Historian Mark Woodward. 
“Asa Ransom is considered to be, basically, the founder of Clarence.” 
Asa Ransom was one of the first settlers to open a tavern in what was once wilderness. 
“The Holland Land Company, who owned all of Western New York, needed a stage-coach stop every ten miles so he [Asa Ransom] took them up on the offer and came out and built the first log cabin on the property.” Bob Lenz said. 
“In 1853 it was replaced by this brick building.” He added.


A flyer printed by the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society and written by Oneta M. Baker explained, “In 1799, Joseph Ellicott, agent for the Holland Land Company, offered lots ten miles apart in the area that is now Clarence on the old Buffalo road (Main Street) to ‘any proper men who would build and operate taverns upon them.’”
“The first person to accept this offer was a young silversmith by the name of Asa Ransom,” the article continued. According to the article, the building was one of the first hotels in what would become Erie County.
“Ransom Tavern would act as a restaurant, hotel, and land office for settlers headed west.” Said Mark Woodward. 
“This was after the revolutionary war, and the early nation didn’t have money to pay their revolutionary war soldiers. So a lot of time they would give them a cut of the land to make a farm out in the wilderness – which was this area at that time.”
Asa Ransom also developed the first grist mill in the area. In another publication by the Buffalo Historical Society, The Holland Land Company’s Papers: Reports of Joseph Ellicott, Ellicott explained in a 1802 report to Superior Paul Busti, “Another reason that much militated against the sale and settlement in the lands in O has been the want of a grist mill more convenient than to have to pass the Niagara river into Canada to get . . . grain ground.” (p.201). Asa Ransom was able to erect a grist mill were another settler contracted by the Holland Land Company failed. 
“Mr. Ransom,” Ellicott wrote, “who built a saw mill last season with the aid of a small loan has undertaken the erection of a grist mill at the same place,” (p.201).


Lenz tries to give back to the community by serving Western New York-based food and wines. The restaurant uses cheese from Kutter’s Cheese in Corfu, eggs from Kreher’s egg farm in Clarence and a vast assortment of local wines. “We have 40 New York wines on our list", explained Lenz, “and some restaurants don’t carry any.” In addition to local food, many of the decorations in the inn that give it such a distinct character were found at local antique shops.

“All our tea china came from the antique flea market on Sundays,” Lenz explained, “Because most people don’t appreciate that anymore we’d get it [at] very reasonable [prices] and it fits in with our décor.” Lenz bought one of his greatest finds, a large antique mirror that hangs in the 1853 portion of the building, after he found it hanging from a tree at a local flea market.


The preservation of historical buildings is something Lenz believes to be very important. When asked why, he responded simply: “People like history.”