The first settlers were the Tupper brothers in 1805. The community began in 1808 as "Walnut Falls". Also known as "Moore's Hills," the name was changed to "Forestville" in 1820. The village was incorporated in 1848.
The "Bell Tower" at the high school is the oldest standing brick structure in the north county. The Bell Tower landmark was re-constructed in the early 2000s by Forestville Central School. A barn or carriage house located at 29 Lodi Street is the oldest standing wooden structure in northern Chautauqua County.
Passages that mention Forestville, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Chautauqua County, New York1875 · page 413Read the page →
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In 1808, he opened a bush road from the Erie road to the falls of Walnut creek, at Forestville, and built the first saw-mill at that place, below the falls. In 1809, he removed his family in, and erected the first grist-mill in Forestville, and finished it the next spring. He is said to have built the first house in that village. He was captain of a company in the war of 18 12. After the burning of Buffalo he became disheartened, and declared he would not live in a state that had so disgraced itself; and in February following, [1814,] he removed with his family to Hamilton Co., O., where he died Dec, 18 17,
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In 1823, a post route was established from Perry, Genesee county, through Perrysburg, Nashville, and Forestville to Fredonia, the mail to be carried on horseback, once in two weeks. A post-office named Hanover, was established at Forestville, May 15, 1823, Albert H. Camp, postmaster. Unfortunately for the inhabitants around Kensington, the name of Hanover drew to Forestville nearly all the mail designed for them ; and the name of Hanover post-office was changed to Forestville, Oct. 15, 1823. On the 2 2d of March, 1824, it was again changed to Hanover; and in 1853 it again took
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Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Forestville, 1808 to 1900
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
