Houghton College, a small private Christian college, is located near the Genesee River in Allegany County. While most of the buildings are safely built upon a hill at a high-enough elevation to prevent the damage from flooding, there was some damage to a few of the college’s buildings.
Maple Crest. Courtesy of Houghton College.
This photograph of the Genesee River Valley in Houghton was taken next to Maple Crest at the end of Thayer Street. The college buildings were on the hillside and mostly unharmed during the flooding, but the village suffered flooding along the river.
The telephone poles and cables show where the road is submerged by the flooding.
Field of Dreams Looking North. Courtesy of Houghton College.
Looking north in the so-called "field of dreams" near Houghton College. The picture was taken from the future location of the town park, which was built in the Spring of 2019. The single tree seen in the background is known as the “tree of life.”
As seen here, the flood washed away large sections of land and left a jagged edge.
Flood of June 1972: Genesee River at Houghton, New York. Courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey.
In the lower right quarter of this map, a thick dark line marks the flooding of the Genesee River, especially around the cluster of buildings in the hamlet of Houghton (located in the Town of Canadea).
Flood Devastates Southern Tier- Houghton Largely Spared. Milieu: Houghton College Bulletin, Fall, 1972. Courtesy of Houghton College Library.
This 1972 magazine for Houghton College alumni and friends showed the flooding around Houghton College.