Rushton Place, 1 Main St., Canton, was once an automobile, drive-in garage and gas station.

BY PAUL MITCHELLNorth Country This Week

CANTON – Historic Rushton Place in Canton is for sale but the long-time anchor tenant is here to stay.

Gray & Gray and Associates CPAs, P.C., have been in business at 1 Main Street since the completion of the major renovation project in the Fall of 2010.

“Gray & Gray is not leaving, relocating or closing,” stated John J. Gray Jr., founder and managing partner. “Gray & Gray is still alive and well.”

Gray is the co-owner of Rushton Place with Heritage Homes owner Richard Maginn of Massena.

“It’s time for both of us,” Gray said. 

The building has been on the market for a little more than one month.

Gray and Maginn purchased the former Gray Lane building in 2009. The renovation project took about a year to complete. The building features five condominiums upstairs and three commercial units downstairs. 

The sale of the building does not include the second floor condos that have been purchased privately.

The property also has nine underground parking spaces, something Gray said is unique to St. Lawrence County.

One of the downstairs units once served as the office of Johnson Newspapers and more recently was rented by the New York Power Authority during their Smart Path transmission line project project completed last year.

According to the Rushton Place website, This building, formerly known as the Gray Lane building, was built in 1918 and originally housed a blacksmith shop. In 1928 the building was utilized as an automobile, drive-in garage and gas station. In 1954, the building was converted to a bowling alley which was in use until a few years before it was sold to Gray and Maginn.

Gray noted the building was restored to its original historical architectural appearance.

Joining Gray & Gray with long-term leases is Northern Area Health Education Center, Inc. (NAHEC).

Inquiries may be made to jjgjrcpa@gmail.com .