Buildings by Samuel Gruber

A publication of the Preservation Association of Central New York Fall 2002 12 buildings By SamuelGruber Four years ago, The Landmarker includ- ed a list of endangered buildings and sites in Onondaga County. Several of the historic structures on that list have since been demolish~d, including the Onondaga Inside: County Poorhouse .The state of and the former East By Michael A. Stanton preservation in Syracuse First The new Onondaga County Settlement Central New York, Presbyterian Church. Plan is an ambitious effort intended to do Page 8 The future of most nothing less then reverse the course of other structures on development in Onondaga County. that list remains uncertain, even some that Although the plan was completed in have recently been saved like the former 200 I, copies of the final report have only Jewish War Veterans' Post at East Genesee been made available to the public during and Westcott streets in Syracuse. the last few months. In its introduction, With this issue of The Landmarker, we the Settlement Plan notes that "in its long offer a new list of endangered buildings, history, Onondaga County has experienced this time focused within the city of only two models of growth: the traditional Saving Mizpah Tower for the long Syracuse. It includes some structures from neighborhood and suburban sprawl. The the earlier list, plus several new ones, term requires commitment from the Onondaga County Settlement Plan repre- including such venerable landmarks as the community like the support that sents the determination of the county and Hotel Syracuse. restored the Landmark Theater. its citizens. ..to limit suburban sprawl in I. North Salina Street National skills to the manufacture of domestic favor of the traditional neighborhood Register Historic District. Syracuse. goods. The area developed as a commer- model of growth." North Salina Street, at one time called cial and small manufacturing center, The plan was developed over a two- Cooper Street, was the original route of encouraged by paved streets and sidewalks year period by the Florida fInn of Duany, transportation and trade between the vil- and a street railway. Italian immigrants Plater-Zyberk and Co. Andres Duany and lages of Syracuse and Salina. By mid-cen- who came to Syracuse in the 1880s helped his wife, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, are best tury, the North Side was being built up by build the West Shore Railroad and settled known as the creative force behind New German immigrants who made barrels and in the predominantly German area, trans- Urbanism, a national movement that has vats for salt production and North Salina forming it into a neighborhood exhibiting lead to the creation of neo-traditional Street developed as the center of their com- the influences of both immigrant groups. developments like Seaside in Florida and munity. After the salt industry declined in Today, the life of the street has declined the Kentlands in Maryland. These devel- the 1860s, following the Civil War, German artisans transferred their carpentry See DANGER, Page6 See SETTLEMENT, Page 9 PACNY wants to thank these new and renewing members: Senior/student members ($20) Kathy, Kelly & JamiesonSteele L o IZ Beeb eo Joe & Claire Sturr The Preservation Association of Iane BegI ey Mr. & Mrs Jay Bo Wnght Central New York Inc. (PACNY) is Carol Bickart Sponsors ($100) a not-for-profit advocacy organiza- Minna Buck Doug and Joan Armstrong tion dedicated to the preservation of Heather Carrington Mrso William PoCrane the historic resources of Central New York. PACNY's primary focus Marion SoChester Beth & Randy Crawford ($200 donation) is directed towards issues pertaining Seymour Dushay Samuel Gruber & Judith Meighan ($200 to the resources of Onondaga Bob Gardino donation) County and the Greater Syracuse Allen Kosoff Alex & Charlotte Holstein area. Founded in 1974, PACNY's Harry Bo Lewis Mr. & Mrso Harry Co Jewell primary goal is to illuminate the CamIella Mantaro Mro & Mrso Do Wo Meinig ($350 donation) positive value of historic preservation for Central New York, in large James I. Simonis Katherine Moran part by preserving the past as a liv- Eo Stanford Mro Christopher Rauscher ing part of our community. PACNY Carole Wenthen Michael Stanton & Fiona Chew is a membership organization with a Eleanor Young Mrs. Robert Wo Taylor volunteer Board of Directors. Individual members ($30) Eleanor Theodore Board of Directors Joanne Arany Patrons ($500) J.A. Evangelisti Jr., President Barbara Balisado I oAo Evangelisti & Peg Chestnut Elizabeth Crawford, Vice-President Stephen Buechner Judith Wellman ($900) Susan Hamilton, Secretary Dennis Connors Lifetime members Christopher Rauscher, Treasurer George Curry ($20) Michael A. Stanton, Mary Duffin Mrs.M ars hRoy aaronII BW. Bell Martha Frey Communications Director G d B O Members: Samuel Gmber, Douglas Stephen George oronncer t h o Henry W o Brown Annstrong, Mary Duffin Susan Hamilton o o Mr. & M rs. O..ynumW B Mary Louise ~artensteln Philli R. Chase Margaret Hastlngs I h P Contact information o on D leo tz Mike Kawa 419 N. Salina St. .o M ana.o H Farr ChristIne Lancette Syracuse, N. Y. 13203 Io hn H ancoc k Phone: (315) 475-0119 Noreen Lannon Anne Mun Iy Theodore Hancock Fax: (315) 474-2347 o O' N . Vlnce & Nancy el1 Mrso Van W. Hancock E-mail: [email protected] F o rancls H ares Online: www.pacny.net Jeff Romano Conrad Schuerch Thomas K enned y Mr & Mr I h K o .s. osep Ing Ir. Family Members ($40) John Marsellus Cynthia Carrington Carter C.Jo Melvin Mr. & Mrs John Endries Dodge Monteleone Michael & Grace Flusche Iva Nichols Wally & Lauri Francis Frank Orso Martin & Daisy Fried Brian Prusik Richard & Carol Hovey Corina & Kenneth Sargent Alice & Francis Morigi George Sarkas Linda & Paul Pflanz FoC, Soule Gary & Nancy Radke Robert Taylor Mr. & Mrso Bruce G. Soden LoL. Witherill For information on how to join, see Page 16. The Landmarker 2 Fall 2002 Beginning in the late 18405, Mary Robinson, an African American laundress born in Schenectady, bought these two houses on Catherine Street near Burnet Avenue. They remained in the Robinson family unti11968. By Judith Wellman Thirteen of the sites are located in Syracuse dent" of the Underground Railroad and 12 in Onondaga County. .William "Jerry" Henry, whose daring Everyone knows about upstate New At least two of these sites will be nomi- escape in 1851 forged a coalition of local York's importance to the Underground nated to the National Register of Historic African-American and European- Railroad. Auburn has Harriet Tubman. Places. Several others will be part of a tour American abolitionists that sustained the Rochester has Frederick Douglass. developed by Angela Bone-Owens of Freedom Trail until the Civil War Related story: Syracuse has Cultural Ventures with money from Until now, however, we have known .Survey of Harriet Jermain Loguen. UpDowntowners. very little about the large number of less Tubman home con- Now, thanks to a As Eber Pettit noted in 1879, Syracuse visible supporters of the Freedom Trail, nor tinues, Page 4 recent $9,000 grant was the "great central depot" of the have we consistently documented sites that to PACNY from Underground Railroad. We have always still exist to help us tell this story. This sur- Preserve New York that is administered known many of the major players: vey has led to several conclusions: through the Preservation League of New .The Rev. Jermain Loguen, minister of .While local work was sometimes York State, Syracuse and Onondaga the A.M.E. Zion Church, and Caroline very secret, by the late 1850s, County have become national and state- Loguen, whose home at 293 East Genesee Underground Railroad supporters worked wide leaders in documenting local sites Street was the major Syracuse depot in the very openly in Syracuse. relating to the Freedom Trail. late 1850s .While many freedom seekers went to Using a model developed in Oswego .The Rev. Samuel J. May, minister of Canada, many others settled in Syracuse - County, Judith Wellman of Historical New the Church of the Messiah (now May especially on the Near East side -and York Research Associates and Milton Memorial Church) whose congregation, Onondaga County. Many of them, such as Semett of Syracuse University's African- along with that of Plymouth the Rev. Jermain Loguen and James Baker, American Studies Department directed a Congregational, was one of the main sup- took leadership roles in organizing resis- survey that revealed twenty-four standing porters of the Underground Railroad tance to slavery. structures and several potential archeologi- .Charles Wheaton, hardware store .The Freedom Trail involved African cal sites related to the Freedom Trail, abo- owner, sometimes called the local "presi- See FREEDOM, Page 4 litionism and African-American life. The Landmarker 3 Fall 2002 By Beth Crawford recommendations for subsequent efforts. Local landscape architect Paul Fritz of Environmental Design A significant portion of Harriet Tubman 's life was spent in & Research, Inc., Syracuse, is providing preliminary evaluation of Auburn and Cayuga County. Through her activities with the the overall site and will be assisting with program development Underground Railroad in the 1850s, she became acquainted with and long-range planning. Crawford & Steams' work to date sevcral prominent Auburn residents including William H. Seward includes graphic and photographic documentation of the structures and Martha Coffm Wright, Lucretia Mott's sister. The Tubman and the preparation of base condition drawings. Preliminary property on South Street in Auburn and the research, including interviews with elderly Thompson A.M.E. Zion Church were des- neighbors, has provided direction for the ignated National Historic Landmarks in next stage of investigation. 2000. Communication with known Tubman In 1859 Harriet acquired seven acres of scholars from around the county has result- land on South Street in the town of ed in the sharing of significant amounts of Fleming, just south of the Auburn city line, building and site-related information and relocated her parents there from St.

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