Inside Downtown 2013

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 55:30-8:30pm

11am-4pm

INSIDEDOWNTOWN

TOUR

2 0 1 3 2 0 1 3

Landmark Members

HUGH AND MARY CLARE HAMLIN

2 | INSIDE DOWNTOWN TOUR GUIDE 2013

I would like to welcome you to the 2013 Inside Downtown Tour! This tour embodies preservation. You will see firsthand how adaptive use can transform buildings, neighborhoods and entire communities. Once-vacant buildings are now dynamic resources that house small businesses and homes, create jobs, contribute to our local tax base and solidify investment in a given area. Your visit to this year’s sites will confirm that such buildings are good for the community – and are also interesting, unique and even spectacular spaces. Western New York is fortunate to have so many historic resources re-maining that represent so many opportunities. Creative use, adaptation, is essen-tial to not only save our heritage, but to also encourage further investment in our community. The sites on this year’s tour provide a great example of preserva-tion’s role in enhancing our quality of life. Thank you to all of the sites that graciously agreed to open their doors. Thank you to all our volunteers that make this event possible. And, thank you to all those attending the tour. By attending this tour, you will not only enjoy seeing some great spaces, but you will support The Landmark Society’s important work. Enjoy!

Wayne GoodmanExecutive DirectorThe Landmark Society of Western New York

WELCOME TO INSIDE DOWNTOWN 2013

Anthony Bellomo, ChairpersonCindy Boyer, Landmark Society Director of Public ProgramsCarolyn Haygood, Landmark Society Community Relations AssociateCynthia Howk, Landmark Society Archi-tectural Research Coordinator

Caitlin Meives, Landmark Society Preservation Planner

Tour Photography: David Boyer, Cindy BoyerTour Descriptions written by Cindy Boyer and Cynthia Howk.

TOUR COMMITTEE

TOUR

TICKETSADVANCE TICKETS $22Order online at

www.landmarksociety.org

On sale at

The Landmark Society

133 S. Fitzhugh

M-F, 9 to 4 pm

www.landmarksociety.org

Parkleigh

215 Park Avenue

Order by phone: (585) 546-7029 x11

Landmark members

may purchase discounted tickets directly

from The Landmark Society only

(online, phone or in person.)

Tickets available during the tour

($25, if not sold out)

Nothnagle, Inc. 217 West Main Street

Sales open 30 minutes prior to tour times

Paul M.Whitbeck,

Lawyerwills & trusts

family law • DWIreal estate

The “McKim, Mead & White Skyscraper”The Alliance Building

183 East Main Street

Telephone585 • 454 • 7545

RentRochester.com

• Apartments• Condos• Houses• Lofts

ONLINEANYTIME!

FindYourPlace!

LANDMARKSOCIETY.ORG | 3

THANK YOU TO OUR

SPONSORS

The Landmark Society is partially supported by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Hugh and Mary Clare Hamlin

T I T L E S P O N S O R S

S U P P O R T I N G S P O N S O R S

and the members of The Landmark Society

THANK YOU!Many thanks to the volunteer Site Managers, Site Hosts and all Landmark Volunteers who supported this tour. We couldn’t do it without you!

The Landmark Society is Grateful to the building owners and residents that opened their homes to us, including:

We very much appreciate Rochester Downtown Development Corporation and the “Red Shirts” for being our Friday night on the street ambassadors.

Buckingham PropertiesCravings on MainChristina FelsenDeborah and David GarandKnowlton AssociatesNothnagle, Inc.Law Offices of Pullano & Farrow PLLCPassero AssociatesPike Stained Glass Studios

Robin and Ron PlummerRiverview Rochester, LLC Leslie and Arnie RothschildRochester Art SupplySpoleta Management Services LLC The Traikos GroupBlair Unger and Stephen Rees Zacarah Realty, Inc

NEW TOWN HOMESstarting at $178,023

Spacious 2 bedroom plus den,1 ½ baths, full basement, garage, deck.Just steps from shops and restaurants!

NYS Affordable Housing Corp.GRANTS OF UP

TO $35,000*Available for first time home buyers

*Income and other restrictions apply

OPEN HOUSE 11AM-1PM

9/28 & 9/29 and 10/5 & 10/6

WWW.ULREDC.ORG585-454-5710


The Inside Downtown Tour incorporates

urban environments where folks are

creating exciting spaces to live and work.

We visit re-purposed spaces, renovated

homes, lovingly preserved places, and

newly built sites that are designed with

sensitivity to the overall built environ-

ment. Basically, we get you “in” on the

latest urban living trends.

Tour Neighborhood. This year we’re

getting you inside places in the Cascade

District. We toured some of the buildings

there seven years ago. A lot has changed,

and there are quite a few “brand new”

old buildings experiencing new life. The

“Plus” is because there are two projects

a little outside the District that we just

couldn’t resist: The Academy Building on

Fitzhugh Street, and the newly opened

lofts at 44 Exchange.

Neighborhood history: What do paper

boxes, pianos, soda syrups, dead bodies,

horse carriages, and nerdy eyeglasses

have in common? They were all either

made or stored in the Cascade District.

The Knowlton Building manufactured

machinery that made paper boxes. A

busy piano factory was in the area, as

well as several stables housing carriages

and horses. Soda syrups were concoct-

ed in the Bridge Square Lofts building.

The “nerdy eyeglasses” are the Art-

Rim Clubman style, created by ArtCraft

Optical in the 1940’s and still fashion-

able today. And the dead bodies? The

City Morgue was built here in 1901, and

continued operation for 60 years. All of

these spaces now have new life as work

places and homes.

100 years ago the neighborhood was sur-

rounded by transportation routes – major

railroad lines, the Erie Canal (where

Broad Street runs today) and “the road

to Buffalo” – aka Main Street. No wonder

it was a flourishing area for manufactur-

ing and warehousing, people and goods

could be easily moved. It’s still bordered

by transportation routes: today it’s West

Main Street, Plymouth Avenue, the Inner

Loop, and Route 490.

The Bridge in Bridge Square? The Cas-

cade District has another name – it is the

Bridge Square Historic District, listed in

the National Register of Historic Places.

The District is not named in honor of the

490 overpass that borders the western

end of the area. The Erie Canal used to

cross just about where 490 is today – a

lift bridge enabled Main Street traffic to

get over the canal, and was raised up to

let taller boats pass through – yes, just

like the bridge in Fairport.

Living or Working Here While those

routes mean to the current residents is

ease of travel pretty much anyplace they

want to get to. But who wants to leave,

when you have lofts with expansive spac-

es, spectacular city views, and congenial

neighbors? The repurposed buildings

here were among the first to incorporate

a celebration of the original materials,

rather than hiding them in imitation of a

suburban interior. Brick, exposed beams,

and other remnants of earlier days in-

sure residents and visitors enjoy a place

with a unique character.

A few of the buildings on the tour have

been adapted for mixed use – a com-

bination of apartment lofts and com-

mercial offices; notably Bridge Square

Lofts, The Knowlton Building, and The

Daily Record Building. This makes very

efficient use of the structures – with

most of the commercial spaces busy

during the day, and the private homes

occupied mostly in the evening.

Cindy Boyer

Director of Public Programs

The Landmark Society of Western New York

INSIDE DOWNTOWN TOUR 2013

NEIGHBORHOOD INFORMATION

11 Centre Drive - the Daily Record Building.


You might not know much about us. Or, maybe you’ve come on the house tour, seen our website or our magazine Landmarks, or noticed a quote from one of us in the newspaper when building preservation is-sues come up. But you’re still not sure – so here are the Frequently Asked Questions, answered at last!

What is The Landmark Society?We are a private, nonprofit, membership based organization that has been affecting Rochester’s community since 1937. Private means we are not funded directly by the government, nonprofit means that every-thing we earn goes to support our advocacy and education activities, and membership based means member dues provide a major portion of our revenue.

1937 – Are you really that old?Yes! We are closing out a fantastic year of celebrations during this 75th year. Mark your calendars for a really great party – our Diamond Jubilee Celebration on Novem-ber 17th! Join us to celebrate our past and future successes!

Can Anyone Join?Yes – we welcome and depend on all sorts of members, from those who want to get involved hands on, to those who are simply happy to support our mission and preservation activities with their member-ship dollars.

Mission?Our mission is to protect the unique architectural heritage of our region and promote preservation and planning

practices that foster healthy, livable, and sustainable communities.

How do you do that?(taking a deep breath:)We help to foster adaptive reuse of older buildings, host an annual preservation conference, advise homeowners about rehabilitation, conduct historic resource surveys and publish award winning publications. We train and inform local government on urban planning and design strategies, and we champion the value of embodied energy in a green environment. We are stewards of over 37 properties via covenants as well as operat-ing the Stone-Tolan House Historic Site and the historic Ellwanger Garden. We offer a host of other events besides the house tour to inform and delight participants.

Wow. Does it really make a difference?Yes! Abandonment of architectural trea-sures is all too common in many places, but here in Rochester we helped achieve the preservation of East Avenue, Mt. Hope, Corn Hill and many other beautiful neigh-borhoods. We even successfully lobbied in the 1960’s to change inappropriate zoning and helped create upstate New York’s first ordinance protecting historic buildings. Now, we identify and protect the next wave of historic resources of the recent past, as well as advocating for tax credits.

We’re also active in working with less traditional “landmarks.” This year our African-American Landmarks Task Force is identifying places and spaces important to the African-American local experience, to

encourage investment and revitalization of community pride in those areas.

We work to help our community understand that historic preservation is planning, not freezing buildings in a past time zone. It’s about wise use of resources, improving the local economy and community identity, and enjoying and understanding how our envi-ronment affects our quality of life.

How can you possibly do all of that?Dedication, determination – and support from Landmark Society volunteers, mem-bers and the community at large!

How can I find out more? Visit our website at www.landmarksociety.org ; sign up for our semi-weekly emailed newsletter, or – join us! We’d love to have you as part of the team at whatever level works for you.

If you join before the Inside Downtown Tour, you can get $17 tour tickets (advance ticket price only, must be purchased from The Land-mark Society) - a savings of $5 per ticket.

Inspire. Encourage. Advocate. JOIN. Make a positive impact.Proceeds of this event (and all of our ac-tivities) support our mission to protect the unique architectural heritage of our region and promote preservation and planning practices that foster healthy, livable, and sustainable communities.

Because EVERYONE deserves to live in a vital, interesting, green community.

LANDMARK SOCIETY

FAQ’S

A free raffle for ticket holders, for a Landmark Society Deluxe Gift Package including a household membership, Historic New York book, Erie Canal Legacy book, and two tickets to the Diamond Jubilee Gala!RAFFLE!


You may visit tour stops in any order. Tour

Stop numbers are for reference to the map

on the tour ticket.

Tour Headquarters, #1217 West Main Street Nothnagle, Inc

Year Built: 1880s-1910s

Look on the exterior: This group of three,

contiguous buildings features differ-

ent types of brick, window design, and

renovations that span a 100-year period.

The latest renovation added the dramatic

glass wall and entrance on the east side

of the building.

You’ll enjoy knowing: Before Nothnagle

started the repurposing of this building

in 2009, it had been empty for a decade.

They opened in 2011, providing a vital an-

chor to this section of downtown Roches-

ter. These buildings originally over looked

the Erie Canal (now Broad Street).

Don’t Miss on the inside: The expansive

atrium, and the original materials still

visible in some of the office areas.

Tour Stop #2242 West Main Street Bridge Square Lofts and Passero Associates

Year Built: c.1900

Look on the exterior: Once greatly

altered, the original windows have been

restored on the exterior. Also note the

handsome Syrian (round) arched entrance

on the Cascade Street elevation. This

building was originally next to the Erie

Canal and its W. Main Street lift bridge,

which is reflected in the new name of the

building and the surrounding “Bridge

Square Historic District.”

You’ll enjoy knowing: Many of you may

recall this building as the Josh Lofton

High School. The building originally

housed the J. Hungerford Smith Compa-

ny, which produced flavored syrups and

soda fountain products. Today it’s been

redeveloped by Passero and Associates,

who insisted on design criteria with a fo-

cus on energy conservation and a healthy

workplace for its employees. Paints used

inside the building contain no harmful

chemicals, insulation of outside walls is

made from soy, reclaimed wood was used

throughout the building and lighting in

perimeter offices is operated on sensors

to conserve energy. More than 75 percent

of the waste from demolition was sent

to recycling facilities and a considerable

amount of material from the interior of

the building was salvaged.

Don’t Miss on the inside: This building is

listed in the National Register of His-

toric Places and its recent renovation

has taken full advantage of the original

industrial design with tall, open spaces

now adapted for both apartments and

offices living wall in Passero’s , roof deck

weather permitting

Tour Stop #369 Cascade DriveThe Knowlton Building

Year Built: 1895

Look on the exterior: You will see the

name “Knowlton” and the date of the

building up in the pointed gable, at the

very top of the building’s façade.

You’ll enjoy knowing: Originally housed the

M.D. Knowlton Paper and Box Company, it’s

typical of the late 19th century manufactur-

ing structures, with rows of very large win-

INSIDE DOWNTOWN TOUR 2013

TOUR STOPS

(above) Bridge Square Lofts. PHOTO BY DON CORCORAN

(right) The Cascade District.


dows. It wasn’t to provide the workers with

a view, but to illuminate the work spaces

with as much natural light as possible.

Don’t miss on the inside: You’ll visit the

Law Offices of Pullano and Farrow, as

well as a private loft residence. Don’t

leave without seeing the unusual “brick

art” on the first floor.

Not a stop but worth a look: Note the

Italian Renaissance style brick build-

ing at 70 Cascade Drive, across from

the Knowlton Building. This handsome

structure served as the City Morgue

from 1901 until the early 1960’s.

Tour Stop #411 Centre DriveDaily Record Building

Year Built: 1904

Look on the exterior: The building is six

bays wide on Cascade Drive and nine bays

11 Centre Drive - the Daily Record Building.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 8

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• UNPARALLELED SKYLINE VIEWS

Is downtown living for you?THE INSIDE DOWNTOWN TOUR on Oct 4 & 5

is a great opportunity to get a glimpse into downtown living.You can also search anytime for downtown lofts & apartments on

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on Centre Park, which is the side where

you’ll find the entrance. Pilasters dividing

the bays continue above the roofline, and

the cornice is decorated with a dentil motif

in brick.

You’ll enjoy knowing: The Daily Record

historic sign is a reminder of when the

newspaper occupied 12,000 square feet

for 30 years, before moving to its current

location Four Corners location in 2008.

Buckingham Properties retained the sign

when they developed the building into

mixed use commercial and residential.

Don’t Miss on the inside: Please note you

must climb 2.5 stories to reach the apart-

ment – but we think you will find it well

worth your effort when you see this spec-

tacular living space. Note how installation

of varying floor levels has been used to

differentiate use of space without putting

up dividing walls, maintaining an open flow

throughout the home.

Tour Stop #5 85 Allen Street Buckingham Commons

Year Built: 1904

About this building: Built for the Pull-

man Manufacturing Company “The oldest

and largest sash balance works in the

world” the company moved in 1911, and

the building housed a number of other

tenants. In the 1930’s the ArtCraft Optical

company moved in, manufacturing high

quality eyeglass frames here for over 60

years. Both companies are still alive and

well in the Rochester area.

In 2005 developer Larry Glazer purchased

the building and renovated it into residen-

tial and commercial spaces, and it has

been pretty much fully occupied since.

Look on the exterior: You’ll see that the brick

exterior is actually painted – which is histori-

cally accurate, as the bricks are soft and this

protects their exterior from weathering.

You’ll enjoy knowing: Some apartments

on the 7th floor have charred marks on

their ceiling from a fire many decades ago

The large, open factory spaces have been

creatively adapted for residents and office

workers, alike.

Don’t miss on the inside: Weather permit-

ting, the thing to not miss is the roof-top

deck, with the best view in Rochester and

overlooking Frontier Field.

Tour Stop #6Your refreshment and shopping stop!

158 West Main Street Cravings on Main

150 West Main StreetRochester Art Supply

“Cravings on Main” invites you to stop

in for complimentary light refreshments

during tour hours. “Cravings” has been

a downtown mainstay for 12 years. They

normally offer breakfast and lunch

weekdays, and catering around the clock.

Complimentary refreshments are for tick-

et holders only, while supplies last. You

may also purchase items from their menu

of delicious and imaginative sandwiches,

salads and more!

Rochester Art Supply is a unique local

business with over 50 years of fami-

ly-owned service. The store is housed in a

building that is over 100 years old- com-

plete with original tin ceilings and brick

walls. The retail store serves the local

area, but their online store at ‘fineart-

store.com’ has a huge global customer

base. In addition to sales, they also

manufacture encaustic art supplies –

TOUR STOPS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

85 Allen Street - Buckingham Commons.

New This Year! A reception of complimentary light refresh-ments (while supplies last) for ticket holders at Cravings on Main, 158 West Main Street. Their menu of delicious sal-ads, sandwiches and more will also be available for purchase.RECEPTION!


pigmented wax, the oldest known form

of easel painting. Encaustics are expe-

riencing resurgence in popularity as a

“green” medium. They’ve extended their

store hours to be open during the tour

– stop in and enjoy their wares – they’ve

got something for the dabbler as well as

the professional artist. See if you can

hear Lester, the store’s friendly resident

ghost (decades ago, the building was

Lester’s Hardware)- and enjoy the creak

of the great vintage wooden floor!

Tour Stop #7North Plymouth Terrace

Year Built: 2013

These custom rowhouses are new

construction, just opening this year. The

structures were built with appropri-

ate choice of materials, as well as the

scale of the homes. The brick façade is

a wonderful compliment to the historic

surroundings in the neighborhood.

The rowhouses are owner occupied,

which adds to a mix of living options in

the area since many of the other sites

are rental units.. Greywood Custom

Homes will have a furnished home open

for your enjoyment.

13 South Fitzhugh - The Academy Building.

Live/Work at

Nestled in the heart of the Neighborhood of the Arts

Don’t miss this chance to get in on Rochester’s Hot Spot!

Unique Retail Shops & Top Notch Restaurants!NEW

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Locally Owned - Professional Advice

Keep the charm & architecturalcharacter of your historical building

CONTINUES ON PAGE 10


Tour Stop #813 South FitzhughThe Academy Building

Year Built: 1872 (date in front gable)

Designed by noted architect Andrew Jack-

son Warner

Look on the exterior: Look for High Victo-

rian Gothic Revival details – steeply pitched

roof, vertical pointed elements, combined

with Second Empire influenced mansard

roof. Not how the use of different stone

materials, rather than paint, provide color

detail on the façade.

You’ll enjoy knowing: The Academy Build-

ing was constructed on the site of the first

school building in Rochester, and served

the Rochester School District for many

years – first as a high school and later as

home to the administrative offices.

Don’t miss on the inside: The owner is

generously opening many spaces in the

building, please plan on at least 30 minutes

to visit this site.

Each apartment is unique, with original

architectural features preserved in many of

them. Be on the lookout for a few “clues”

that tell you how some areas were utilized

when the Free Academy served as a school.

Tour Stop #917 South Fitzhugh StreetThe Episcopal Church of St. Luke and St. Simon Cyrene

“Two Saints” church will be open and host-

ed by congregation members during our

tour hours. There will be a special treat

on Saturday during the tour: at 12 noon the

church will hold its annual “Blessing of the

Animals” service. It will take place in front

of the church, weather permitting.

Year Built: The cornerstone was laid in

1824, making this the oldest public building

in continual use in Rochester.

Look at the exterior: The church was

designed by architect Josiah R. Brady of

New York City, one of the early propo-

nents of what came to be known as the

Gothic Revival. The building is actually

styled after a New England Meeting

House, but with many Gothic features,

including the tower of 90 feet, pointed

windows and arches throughout the

building, and other features.

You’ll enjoy knowing: Col. Nathaniel

Rochester, founder of our city, worshiped

in this very building, which was restored to

its pre-Civil War appearance in the 1960s.

Note the side galleries and decorative

“faux” painting on the columns, which

resembles marble. The triple-tiered altar

is unique in western New York.

Tour Stop #10 44 Exchange Boulevard

Year Built: 1959

Architect: Carl Traver of Rochester

Look on the exterior: A sleek Internation-

al–style building, its silver exterior was

originally highlighted with cranberry-col-

ored, horizontal panels. The windows were

originally designed to open from a central

pivot (they’re now hinged). Originally, the

building was only two-stories, but an addi-

tional two stories were added later.

You’ll enjoy knowing: This building is lo-

cated on the former north bank of the Erie

Canal (now Broad St.), which was drained

44 Exchange Boulevard.

TOUR STOPS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9


by 1920. The building is one of the young-

est structures to be listed in the National

Register of Historic Places. The windows

can actually be opened and were specially

designed to look like the original 1959 sash,

but with better insulating feature.

Don’t miss on the inside: The colorful glass

wall tiles by the elevators – now restored,

they were previously hidden under later lay-

ers of wall panels. There is a different color

scheme for these tiles on each floor. Note

the “ribbon windows” in every apartment,

which allow for great views of the skyline

and surrounding buildings.

ALSO OPEN DURING THE TOUR:Pike Stained Glass Studio is hosting an open house tour during

Inside Downtown. They’re outside the tour

area but well worth the trip to see a 3rd

generation leaded glass studio that cre-

ates and repairs stained and leaded glass

windows. Pike has created windows for

hundreds of churches over its more than

100 year history.

Location: 180 St Paul Street (Near corner

of Andrews Street) in the SMITH GORMLEY

BUILDING, the third building on the left from

the inner loop. It is a six story, red brick

building with a sandstone façade. Use the side

entrance facing Andrews Street, take elevator

or stairs to the second floor to suite 203.

Parking in studio neighborhood: On street

parking only

TOUR

MAP

217 West Main St. – Nothnagle, Inc. TOUR HEADQUARTERS242 West Main St. – Bridge Square Lofts and Passero Assoc.69 Cascade Dr. – The Knowlton Building11 Centre Park. – Daily Record Bldg. Please note: apartment at this location requires climbing 2 flights to access.

85 Allen St. – Buckingham Commons“Your refreshment and shopping stop!” 158 West Main St. – Cravings on Main: complimentary light refreshments, food for purchase. 150 West Main St. – Rochester Art Supply: browse amazing art materials in a vintage store setting.

North Plymouth Terrace

13 South Fitzhugh – The Academy Building. Please note: many spaces open in the building, allow at least 30 minutes. 17 South Fitzhugh – St. Luke’s and St. Simon Cyrene’s Episcopal Church. Please note: 12 noon on Saturday the annual Blessing of the Animals

service will be held.

44 Exchange St.

Parking

7

8

9

10

1

2

3

4

5

6


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A program of The Landmark Society of Western New York

Inside Downtown 2013

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