INSIDE INSIDE DOWN DOWN TOWN TOWN
TOUR
TOUR
2018
2018
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5TH
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5TH 5 :30PM-8:30PM 5: 30P M - 8: 30P M
SATURDAY, SATURDAY,OCTOBER OCTOBER6TH 6TH 1111 AM-4PM AM - 4P M
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY BY PROUDLY SPONSORED
WELCOME
WELCOME TO THE LANDMARK SOCIETY OF WESTERN NEW YORK’S 2018 INSIDE DOWNTOWN TOUR! We are concluding an amazing year of events as we close out our 80th Anniversary year. We’ve had concerts, dance performances, specialized tours and more. The Inside Downtown Tour is the penultimate event for this year of celebration. Come on the tour and view apartments, businesses and gathering spaces developed in the cradle of Rochester – High Falls. The fifteenth year for IDT is an opportunity to see how our incredibly significant historic architecture is being utilized for smart economic and social growth. You’ll walk through the most modern of spaces designed with a respectful nod to the past. We highlight the financers, realtors, developers and community leaders who have partnered with us and passionately lead such a downtown renaissance. As modern preservationists, we place
But – what about future revitalization? There is so much more to be done, and that is why the success of our 80th Anniversary fund raising campaign is vital. We’re in the closing months of the campaign, and encourage you to contact me or any staff member to
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 as well as the residents that opened their spaces to us, including: Bryce and Doyle Craftsmanship
Made on State
Buckingham Commons
Millrace Design
Buckingham Properties
Monroe Community College
City of Rochester, Office of the City Historian
Stantec
Eastman Kodak Company Metro Falls Development, LLC Jacquie Alberga Germanow Gallery LiveTiles Lofts at 208 Louelle Design Studio
Tel-Tru Manufacturing Company Webster Properties, LLC WXXI Zacarah Realty, Inc. Thank you to our Sponsors ... And the members of The
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learn more about the projects targeted for campaign support. We’d love to have your participation.
importance on historic structures and aim to safeguard them, while encouraging new economically viable uses. We at the Landmark Society have been stalwarts for downtown revitalization for many decades. We continue to play a leading role in advocating for the adaptive use of our historic resources. Repurposing historic buildings makes positive impacts on community development and economic growth, but it also creates a dynamic and exciting downtown that is both attractive and competitive.
Landmark Society!
As always, thank you to the residents, building managers, and businesses who have generously agreed to open their doors for tour goers. Thank you to all our volunteers as well as the tour goers. By attending this tour, you will not only enjoy seeing some great spaces, but you will support The Landmark Society’s important work. Finally, thank you to our tour partners and sponsors. It is this team effort that makes such a tour possible. Wayne Goodman Executive Director, The Landmark Society of Western New York
TOUR COMMITTEE Chairperson: Randy Morgenstern, Morgenstern Group Christopher Brandt, Bero Architecture Cindy Boyer, Landmark Society Director of Public Programs Carolyn Haygood, Landmark Society Community Relations Associate Cynthia Howk, Landmark Society Architectural Research Coordinator Tour Descriptions: Christopher Brandt, Cindy Boyer and Cynthia Howk
TOUR MAP ON PAGE 15
THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR VALUED SPONSORS! TITLE SPONSOR
TOUR
TICKETS UBS proudly sponsors The Landmark Society’s Inside Downtown Tour High Falls and Beyond
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5TH 5:30 to 8:30 pm
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6TH 11 am to 4 pm
ADVANCE TICKETS $29
Must be purchased by Thursday, October 4th. Order online at www.landmarksociety.org On sale at The Landmark Society 133 S. Fitzhugh Street M-F, 9 to 4 pm Parkleigh 215 Park Avenue Order by phone (585) 546-7029 x11
PUT THE SMART PHONE AWAY, PLEASE! Please respect the privacy of the tenants and businesses. NO PHOTOGRAPHY PERMITTED inside any of the tour stops.
THANK YOU!
Landmark members may purchase discounted tickets directly from The Landmark Society only (online, phone or in person.) Tickets Days of the Tour ($35, if not sold out) Monroe Community College’s Downtown Campus, 321 State Street (Enter on Morrie Silver Way) Tickets on sale 30 minutes before tour start times LANDMARKSOCIETY.ORG | 3
LANDMARK SOCIETY
FAQ’S
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 issues 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 everything 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’re closing out our 80th Anniversary Campaign this year! We’re older than the country-wide organization, the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Rochester has a great history of supporting historic preservation.
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. We even have a group called the YUPs – Young Urban Professionals who have all sorts of cool activities, including a Bikes, Beer and Buildings scavenger event.
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 operating the Stone-Tolan House Historic Site and the historic Ellwanger Garden. We offer a host of other events besides the Inside Downtown Tour to inform and delight participants.
Wow. Does it really make a difference?
Yes! Abandonment of architectural treasures 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 neighborhoods. 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
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identify and protect the next wave of historic resources of the recent past, as well as advocating for tax credits. 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 environment affects our quality of life.
How can I find out more?
Visit our website at www. landmarksociety.org ; sign up for our weekly emailed newsletter, or – join us! We’d love to have you as part of the team at whatever level works for you. Inspire. Encourage. Advocate. JOIN. Make a positive impact. Proceeds of this event (and all of our activities) 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.
TheLandmarkSociety landmarksociety landmarksociety
Don’t forget to get your free raffle entry pick it up at tour headquarters! Win tickets to our June House and Garden Tour and more!
ABOUT THE
NEIGHBORHOOD The Tour will take us to High Falls and adjacent neighborhoods. You might think of this region as the cradle of Rochester, since it’s the area that nurtured a village, transforming it into a city. You will see the ancestral “roots” of buildings that served industrial purposes and now house loft apartments, high tech companies and more. Our city grew from a 100-acre parcel west of the falls of the Genesee River, acquired in 1803 by three speculators from the south, Colonel Nathaniel Rochester, William Fitzhugh and Charles Carroll. We might have stayed a village except for two factors: the canal and the waterfalls.
products out to a wider market and settlers in to our city. Thanks to the abundant waterpower and access to both the river and the canal, Rochester began a period of incredibly rapid growth in the 1820s, earning it the nickname “Young Lion of the West.” The area now known as High Falls continued to be a center of commerce, as flour mills in the early 19th century gave way to manufacturing and other industries through the 1850s.
The waterfalls on the Genesee River provided a plentiful power source. Once the Erie Canal was completed in 1825, our town had a way to get
Today, new uses are bringing life to the former industrial buildings in and around High Falls. This area, once humming with the activity of dozens of mills and
factories, has reinvented itself as a center for high tech industries, design and architectural firms, and other creative workers. On the tour, you’ll explore the newest and most interesting residential and commercial spaces in the High Falls area and adjacent neighborhoods with amazing adaptively reused buildings.
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INSIDE DOWNTOWN TOUR 2018
TOUR STOPS
PLEASE NOTE: YOU MAY VISIT THE STOPS IN ANY ORDER. THE TOUR STOP NUMBERS ARE FOR REFERENCE TO THE MAP.
Tour Stop #1 Monroe Community College’s Downtown Campus Headquarters plus tours of select areas
321 State Street enter at Morrie Silver Way door.
Year Built: 1939/1946; Renovated in 2017 Architect: Gordon and Kaelber, 2017 Renovation: LaBella Associates Architectural Style: Originally Streamline Moderne, renovated in International Style You’ll enjoy knowing: Monroe Community College’s Downtown Campus opened in 2017. What was once four adjoining buildings as part of Eastman Kodak’s Corporate Headquarters have now been totally renovated and interconnected, with the appearance of a single structure. Sections of floors were removed to make room for an open campus “spine” – a stairway in the middle of the nowconnected structures, that goes up to the third floor. A guiding principle in the $78 million project was achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. MCC achieved the second highest allowed, certified as a LEED Gold facility. Throughout the tour, you’ll see displays on the sustainable practices used in the renovation and in the daily life of the building. Don’t miss on the inside: A peek at the criminal justice program’s Loss Prevention Lab, a chance to see the "collaboratories” - open spaces with whiteboards and LCD monitors — where students work together, and a look at one of the four newly installed green roofs. At almost 22,000 square feet, the roof
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MCC entrance on Morrie Silver Way
system is capable of capturing 13,000 gallons of rainwater during a single rain event, reducing MCC storm water pollution and protecting local waterways. The amount of rainwater it can collect is the equivalent of an aboveground swimming pool.
Tour Stop #2 Kodak Tower Commons
The roof system—a complex layering of sedum blend and succulent plants rooted in 4 inches of growing media—will also help offset the urban heat island effect and reduce the energy used to cool and heat the campus.
Architectural Style: Neo-Classical
Also at this stop: Ticket sales, 321 Café open for food purchases, and rest rooms.
343 State Street Year Built: 1914 / 1930 Architect: McKim Mead and White / Gordon and Kaelber
Look on the exterior: The top three floors, large pyramidal roof, and cupola that define the crown of the tower were built on top the existing sixteen story tower in 1930 extending it 110 feet to a total height of 340 feet, successfully
overtaking the 260-foot-tall Genesee Valley Trust Tower (Times Square Building) completed only a few months earlier that year. The large roof and cupola are clad in copper and conceal a water tower once used for the fireprotection of the building. The signature red neon sign was salvaged from the 1914 Tower and incorporated into the design of the 1930 addition. The continuous vertical pilasters running the height of the building are typical of early skyscrapers in that they express the internal skeletal steel structure. You’ll enjoy knowing: The recent expanded nighttime lighting of the tower’s crown beyond just the red neon sign is in keeping with the original lighting scheme, designed in 1931 to incorporate different colors and lighting arrangements to commemorate special events, the first of which was Mr. Eastman’s 77th birthday on July 12, 1931. Adjacent to the High Falls Historical District and steps from Frontier Field, and Monroe Community College’s Downtown Campus, Kodak Tower Commons, featuring Kodak’s Corporate Headquarters, has evolved into a multi-tenanted facility with available space and shared amenities for real estate leasing opportunities. Don’t miss on the inside: You will tour the first two floors of the building. When you enter into Kodak’s corporate headquarters through the main entrance, areas visited include the 2nd Floor Executive Board Room area, the President’s Room and the Experience Kodak room. You’ll also see more recent upgrades to Kodak’s Main Lobby. Two short films will play in the first floor little theatre for your enjoyment. Several displays throughout the first two floors exhibit primary building features and amenities located throughout the one million square foot building, including images capturing the essence of the iconic 19th Floor, which originally contained Mr. Eastman’s office, boardroom, and a movie theatre. CONTINUES ON PAGE 8 LANDMARKSOCIETY.ORG | 7
TOUR STOPS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
Tour Stop #3
Bryce & Doyle Craftsmanship
19 Jay Street
Kitchen and bath showroom plus a private loft apartment Year Built: c. 1900 Architect: Not determined Architectural Style: Early 21st-century commercial Look on the exterior: New cladding, windows and a lively palette of colors have transformed this two-story building for contemporary use as both a commercial space and in-town loft apartment. While the original brick construction remains intact, new design elements bring this historic property into the 21st century. You’ll enjoy knowing: This two-story building is located in one the of city’s oldest neighborhoods, which dates from the first decades of the 19th century. In 1812, brothers Matthew and Francis Brown from Rome, NY purchased 200 acres on the high bank along the west side of the Genesee River, where they established the new settlement of “Frankfort.” A village green (Brown’s Square Park) was laid out, surrounded by a grid pattern of streets and service alleys. In 1817, “Frankfort” settlement was incorporated into the Village of Rochesterville. Located next to 19 Jay St., Frankfort Street (formerly Frankfort Alley) is a reminder of that early era. A residential district for most of the 19th century, Jay Street transitioned to a commercial area by the early 1900s. The building at #19 is most remembered as the home of Gruttadauria’s Bakery, which opened in 1914 and operated here until 2004. During the first decades of the twentieth century, thousands of immigrants from southern Europe arrived in America. The Brown’s Square and Lake/Lyell areas became home
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Bryce & Doyle Craftsmanship to many of the newly arrived Italian residents. Here, on Jay St., Salvatore Gruttadauria and his wife established their bakery. Trained in Caltanisetta, Italy as a master pastry chef, Gruttadauria operated the bakery on the first floor, while his family resided on second floor. The bakery continued as a Jay St. landmark for 90 years, before moving to its current location on W. Ridge Rd. in Greece. The present owner, Bryce & Doyle Craftsmanship acquired the building in 2004 and completely transformed it for their showroom and an upstairs loft apartment over by 2009. This is one of many new businesses whose creative renovations of historic buildings in the State/Jay neighborhood are transforming this highly visible commercial area. Don’t miss on the inside: The former bakery interior has been completely redesigned to showcase the design expertise of Bryce & Doyle Craftsmanship. The first-showroom highlights examples of the exceptional craftsmanship found in their projects, including four kitchen displays, a laundry room/mud room, two bathrooms, a bar, and a room with all custom cabinetry. A dramatic open staircase leads upstairs to the spacious, contemporary apartment. Here, original partition walls were
removed to create a large living space with cathedral ceiling, light-filled interior, roof deck and remarkable views of the downtown skyline.
Tour Stop #4 Made on State 510 State Street
use entrance facing State through courtyard Year Built: 1950s Architect: Not determined Architectural Style: Early 21st-century commercial Look on the exterior: The vibrant appearance of the present building is the result of a creative renovation of nearly an entire city block of interconnected structures, now designed to provide economically sustainable, usable spaces for creative entrepreneurs to expand their craft. A lively color scheme and imaginative design make this a handsome addition to the neighborhood. You’ll enjoy knowing: One of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, this area on the west bank of the river was known as
Made on State “Frankfort,” when the Brown brother’s laid out their original settlement here in 1812. In 1817, when “Rochesterville” was officially incorporated as a village, Frankfort was included in that new municipality. “State Street” was originally named “Carroll Street,” in honor of Col. Nathaniel Rochester’s business partner. A subsequent dispute with city government, however, resulted in a change, and “State St.” became the name of this major roadway. This area of State St. has seen dramatic changes over the past 200 years, with the advent of new industries, commercial buildings and a railroad: the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railroad (known as the “Hojack line”). Their passenger depot at 434 State St. was located in the renovated Whitney mansion from the 1880s until the early 20thcentury, when it was demolished. Here, at 510 State St., previous commercial buildings included the “Cochrane Block,” a brick structure owned by J.C. Cochrane, who had owned this lot since the 1850s. The Cochrane Block was demolished after 1926. The present buildings were constructed in the 1950s. Don’t miss on the inside: The interior features the studios and offices of working
234 Mill Street after renovation
artists and creative professionals. Each of the businesses has their own studio space with shared common areas for exchanging ideas about current or future projects. The unique interior campus layout puts career artists in close proximity to one another, which allows for easier collaborations to exchange of skills and services. The following studios will be open for tour goers: Airigami, Blue Toucan, Creative Framing, Editions Printing, Hive Creative Works, HouseTwelve Media, MYDARNDEST, Noodlehead Studios, and Skill Hoarder.
Tour Stop #5 234 Mill Street Louelle Design Studio/Millrace Design, plus private loft apt Year Built: 1880 Architect: not determined Architectural Style: 19th century Industrial, with later Second Empire embellishments Please Note: Steep steps. To tour this building, after visiting Louelle Design on the first floor you will climb steep steps to the 2nd floor and Millrace Design, then steep steps to the 3rd floor to visit the apartment.
234 Mill Street before renovation
Look on the exterior: This building is notable for its mansard roof, its brick corbels, and its projecting pressed metal cornice. Details such as these, combined with the building’s storefront and its unassuming scale, give it the appearance of a commercial building, yet this was originally a saw factory. CONTINUES ON PAGE 10 LANDMARKSOCIETY.ORG | 9
TOUR STOPS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 You’ll enjoy knowing: This is a fine example of the creative reuse of a 19thcentury industrial building. The High Falls/Brown’s Race area, Rochester’s original industrial district, was the site of a number of large mills, foundries, and factories, but nestled among those substantial buildings were others that housed more modest enterprises. This building was the Huther Saw Factory. The building was sensitively rehabilitated in 1991 to accommodate an office on each of the first two stories and a one-of-akind apartment on the third. The current owners are renovating the building directly behind for a new residence, which will be joined to this structure. Don’t miss on the inside: The first floor houses Louelle Studio, specializing in hand made stationary. Millrace Design is on the second floor. On the third floor is one of the first residential units in High Falls: an expansive loft apartment with unparalleled views of the Pont de Rennes Bridge. The apartment features quirky details such as industrial-style sliding doors to separate the kitchen, living room, and bedroom, as well as the exposed beams and brick that are the hallmarks of loft apartment style.
Tour Stop #6 Lofts at 208
208 Mill Street
please enter at Furnace Street door Year Built: circa 1826 with later additions Architectural Style: early 19th century industrial Look on the exterior: Note the first three floors made of courses of gray rubble stone. If you look up at the top two floors, you’ll see a different material, where additional floors were added at a later date. Also see the metal star shaped elements above two of the windows on the first and second floor, indicating where the iron power shaft entered the building.
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208 Mill Street You’ll enjoy knowing: This is the first building to be constructed in Brown’s Race. Originally, it was a two-story structure built in 1826 of courses of gray rubble stone. The first occupant was the Selye Fire Engine Company, which manufactured early pumpstyle fire engines. To power the manufacturing equipment, Selye tapped into the power produced by the giant water wheel in the Triphammer Mill across the raceway from the Selye building. Remnants of the gears and shafts are still visible in the open works of the demolished Triphammer Mill. As more manufacturing space was needed, the additional floors were added to the building. The upper stories were constructed of squarehewn stone laid in horizontal courses. When hand-pump fire engines went
out of business, the five-story building housed lantern manufacturing, then shoe-pattern production, and finally an office equipment company, before becoming unsuitable as a manufactory and standing vacant. By this time, it had become known as the Parazin Office Equipment Building. Don’t miss on the inside: This massive five-story building, however early industrial it appears in design and construction, has an impressive presence on Mill Street and is remarkably suited to adaptive use for residential and commercial space. The building has an amazing 126 large double-hung windows, now energyefficient, that fill the interior with light, each one of which opens for fresh air. It has 10-foot ceilings to make interior
spaces particularly spacious. And the ingenious layout design of residential apartments and commercial spaces permits each of the six apartments in the building to have windows on three sides, a feature rarely found in restorations of historic buildings. On the tour you’ll see a one-bedroom apartment with 1000 square feet, and hallway art gallery. The apartments, besides having windows on three sides, have rich Brazilian cherrywood floors, as well as cherry sills in the deeply set windows. Remember that the walls of this building are two feet thick. Special soundproofing isolates sound in all of the units. Also note the granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Each apartment has separate AC and heating equipment, as well as laundry washer/dryer.
Tour Stop #7
61 Commercial Street- east entrance LiveTiles Please note, LiveTiles is providing complimentary light refreshments Friday night, while supplies last.
Tour Stop #8
61 Commercial Street – west entrance Stantec
Stantec Year Built: 1890 Architect: Unknown Architectural Style: Romanesque Look on the exterior: This largely utilitarian building truly embodies the architectural mantra of “form follows function”. The heavy brick walls atop the random ashlar medina sandstone foundation are composed in a repeating rhythm of broad corbelled pilasters between large oversized window openings. The corbelled pilasters correspond with the bearing points of the oversized clear span truss roof structure. The oversized windows provide ample daylight to the interior spaces that originally housed industrial work areas for electrical
power production, machine shop, and mechanical repairs, and the tall arched openings were the original doorways to the space inside. You’ll enjoy knowing: This building was constructed in 1890 by the newly established Rochester Railway Company, which sought to convert our then horse drawn streetcar system to a fully electric one. It was purpose designed as the powerhouse and repair shop for the new electric streetcars. A large repair and machine shop occupied the south portion of the building fronting Mill Street. The western section of the building was divided into two segments CONTINUES ON PAGE 12
ALSO IN THE TOUR AREA High Falls Interpretive Center and Museum, 74 Browns Race. Saturday only, open 10 am to 4 pm. Free admission. Located in the City of Rochester’s beautifully refurbished 19th-century Waterworks Building. Visitors begin their tour at the base of a simulated glacier and move through exhibits of various stages in the city’s development into the 20th century. River Romance Activities -Check the website for activities in the tour area, including a vow renewal ceremony for over 100 people on the Pont de Rennes pedestrian bridge, 7 pm Friday night. www.cityofrochester.gov/ROCtheRiverway
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TOUR STOPS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 with the north segment containing a 150’ smoke stack and massive coalfired steam boiler, and the south segment along the embankment of the train tracks containing over a dozen large steam engines and electric generators, and later an early industrial scale battery system. Don’t miss on the inside: The original three-part division of the building can be deciphered by the soaring wood and steel roof trusses that have been left exposed throughout the building. Each truss’s shape and construction is specific to its intended use from accommodating a ventilation clerestory to providing a clear span of over 100’. Two floors of modern office space were carefully inserted into the vast open spaces of the powerhouse to take advantage of the ceiling height while not fully obscuring the building’s original grand scale.
Tour Stop #9
280 State Street WXXI Please Note: Your visit here will consist of a 20-minute tour. Friday’s tours start at 6 pm, 7 pm and 8 pm. Saturday’s tours start at 12 noon, 1 pm, 2 pm and 3 pm. Year Built: 1973/1992 Architect: 1973: SWBR; 1992 structure: Handler/Grosso Architects Architectural Style: Simplified Brutalism Look on the exterior: The lower, 2-story building is the original structure, with the 1992 five-story addition joined by an atrium.
You’ll enjoy knowing: WXXI, which broadcasts five television stations and four radio stations in the Rochester region, has been located on State Street for over 45 years. The site had been occupied by a gas station from the late 1930’s until Kodak donated the property to the Rochester Area Educational Television Association in the early 1970’s. At Stop 7: LiveTiles is one of the When the Rochester Area Educational newest companies in town, and they Television Association moved to this site have committed to expanding here in the 1970s, it operated WXXI-TV and and bringing hundreds of jobs to WXXI-FM. Now called simply WXXI, the the Rochester area. They develop organization provides a wide variety of “intelligent workplace software services reflecting today’s many media empowers you to create modern choices: digital television, podcasts, and intranet experiences tailored to your on-demand programming are some of unique needs and enhanced by AI.” the newest offerings, complementing the They have completely renovated the original television and radio stations. interior to include many employeefriendly benefits, including a coffee Interesting factoid: On this site in the 1870’s bar, kitchen, and recreation area. the Martin Briggs Foundry dedicated a portion of their industrial building to an At Stop 8: Stantec is an international amateur opera house. Mr. Briggs was an design company, offering a wide opera fan, and undoubtedly would have range of services from architectural loved the Metropolitan Opera broadcasts on and interior design to landscape Saturday afternoon. architecture to urban planning and much more. You’ll tour two floors in Don’t miss on the inside: Your tour will this section of the building. Be sure include a look at radio stations, TV studios, to note the historic photos of the Master Control area, even the enclosed building’s construction in 1890, as courtyard garden and - the truck bay! This part of the lobby display. is undoubtedly the only building in Rochester
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with an original work by an internationally renowned artist on its truck bay walls. The late, celebrated artist Ramón Santiago was once asked by his friend Gap Mangione to produce set pieces for a series of performance programs WXXI was producing on emerging artists. As he was waiting for welding to cool and paint to dry, Santiago used spray paint to decorate the truck bay wall with a portrait in his inimitable style.
Tour Stop #10
85 Allen Street Buckingham Commons Please note: Accessing the roof-top deck require climbing two flights of stairs. Year Built: 1896 Architectural style: Turn of the century industrial Look on the exterior: The structure is a typical turn-of-the-century brick manufactory with 10 bays on the front and back façades and four bays on the side elevations. No matter which of the four sides you look at, it’s easy to see that half of the wall space is filled with windows, making for abundantly lighted interiors, a necessary feature in its early years when interior electric lights were rare. With an exterior painted in two shades of yellow umber, the massive structure is a bright landmark on Plymouth Avenue. The painted brick is historically accurate, as the bricks are soft and this protects their exterior from weathering. You’ll enjoy knowing: The structure was built for the Pullman Manufacturing Company who made window sash balances: “The oldest and largest sash balance works in the world.” 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 of Buckingham Properties purchased the
Tour Stop #11
408 St Paul Street (easy access by walking across Pont de Rennes pedestrian bridge) Tel- Tru Manufacturing and Jacquie Germanow Gallery Please note: open Saturday October 6th only Year Built: 1896 (on façade); rear section of building – c. 1879 Architect: Not determined Buckingham Commons building and renovated it into residential and commercial spaces. it has been pretty much fully occupied since it first opened. There are 36 apartments in the building, all with industrial-sized windows and dramatic views. The one-bedroom loft apartments range in size from 730 to 1,010 square feet. Don’t miss on the inside: You’ll tour two apartments, each with a different view and layout. The original yellow timbers and red brick remain an integral part of the building’s interior. Weather permitting; the thing to not miss is the roof-top deck, with the best view of Rochester and Frontier Field.
Architectural Style: Late 19th-century Romanesque Revival with Second Empire roof Look on the exterior: Note exceptional quality of the construction, with its stone foundation, sills, lintels and water table. The principal entrance features a handsome arch with keystone and molded brick detailing. You’ll enjoy knowing: This is one of the few remaining, late 19th-century industrial buildings in this neighborhood, a vibrant community next to the area first known as “Dublin,” for its Irish residents, then later “Mount Allegro,“ for its Italian residents. Industries in the St. Paul corridor included breweries, clothing manufacturing, and, even, cigar making. The industrial buildings at 408 St. Paul were originally constructed for one of Rochester’s premier industries, the Vogt Manufacturing Company, which made trimmings for the clothing, and, later, the carriage/automobile industry. Albrecht Vogt, a manufacturer of ladies dress
trimmings, moved his business into the brick building on the rear of this lot about 1879. He expanded his business to include coffin and carriage trimmings and lace, and, in 1896, he had the present building erected on the front of the lot. With the success of the company, Vogt built an elegant mansion at 566 East Avenue (converted to the Century Club in 1913; now the Spa at the Strathallan). The Vogt Co. remained here until 1930, when they moved to a larger manufacturing complex in the 14621 neighborhood. In 1930, the property was acquired by the Germanow-Simon Company, which continues here, today. During subsequent decades, the company has expanded its product line, which focuses on the manufacture of precision components for medical devices, thermometers and pressure gauges. Don’t miss on the inside: Visitors will see the impressive results of the $4 million renovation which has been recently completed in the Tel-Tru complex. The fascinating history of the Germanow-Simon and Tel-Tru companies is featured in extensive historic exhibits on the main floor. On the top floor, you won’t want to miss the expansive art gallery of renowned artist Jacquie Alberga Germanow.
HUNGRY/THIRSTY? Complimentary light refreshments Friday night at LiveTiles, 61 Commercial Street, west entrance (Tour Stop #7) Show your ticket at Fifth Frame, 155 St Paul Street for $2 four ounce tasters, or 20% off food when you purchase a full size beer. Open from 7 am to midnight each tour day, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Show your ticket at The Spirit Room, 139 State Street for $1 off food or drinks. Open 5 pm on Friday, and opening especially for the tour at 11 am on Saturday for lunch! 321 Café at MCC Downtown Campus (tour headquarters) will be open during all tour hours with sandwiches, salads, and grill items available for purchase. LANDMARKSOCIETY.ORG | 13
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TOUR
MAP
SEE PAGE 3 FOR
TOUR TICKET AND CONTACT INFORMATION
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