THE PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL THE LANDMARKER

FALL 2005

2005 UNIVERSITY EAST HOUSE TOUR

On a beautiful early fall day, approxi- Association (WENA) and the Westcott mately 200 people toured a selec- Community Center were also co- tion of fine homes in Berkeley Park, sponsors of the event. PACNY Syracuse’s newest National Register thanks these organizations, all the and City Protected Historic District. volunteers and especially the home- owners who graciously opened their The occasion was the Fifth University homes to the public. East Neighborhood Historic House Tour co-sponsored by PACNY in part- Complete information about the nership with neighborhood organiza- Berkeley Park historic district can be tions. For the second time, PACNY found in the “Neighborhoods” sec- teamed with the South East Univer- tion at the PACNY website: sity Neighborhood Association SyracuseThenAndNow.net (SEUNA) and over fifty volunteers to produce the event. House Tour visitors (from left): Syracuse Eco- The October 2nd house tour showed nomic Development Director, David Michel; off one of the city's finest residential Syracuse Mayor Mathew Driscoll; PACNY Com- neighborhoods, one that combines munication Director, Michael Stanton. the openness of a garden suburb with the close-knit feeling of an ur- ban community ─ the effect propo- nents of the “New Urbanism” strive 2004-2005 PACNY so hard to replicate in newer planned developments. AWARD CEREMONY Berkeley Park is a 40-acre residen- tial subdivision designed in 1911. The Preservation Association of Society of Concord, 910 Madison Most of the houses were constructed Central New York awards bring Street. recognition to owners, builders, during the decade following World War I, and many of Syracuse’s lead- artisans, designers, educators and The 2003 Jasena R. Foley ing architects, including Ward Wel- activists who work to renew the beauty and utility of some of Education Award was given to lington Ward, Dwight Baum, Albert Judith Wellman. Brockway and Gordon Wright, de- Onondaga County's most distinc- tive architecture. signed houses here. Judy Wellman has devoted many At the same time, the awards cele- years to research on the African- The houses on this year’s tour repre- American community of Central brate the success of preservation sent a range of architectural styles New York, particularly on sites re- and its role in the economic, social, built within the design parameters lated to the Underground Railroad and cultural vitality of Central established for the development, and the movement for the abolition New York. including an “English Cottage” de- of slavery. Here is a summary of the honors sign by Gordon Wright and variants She has completed comprehensive awarded at this year’s ceremony of English Colonial Revival houses. research in Oswego County, in held May 22nd, 2005 at the Temple The Westcott East Neighborhood (Continued on page 4)

Fall 2005 Page 1

City OKs Demolition of Sweet Manufacturing Building

The Syracuse Common edge of today's downtown. Ac- in urban neighborhoods, to lar- Council voted unanimously cording to Dennis Connors, cu- ger-scale, mechanized produc- last August to allow the rator of history at the Onondaga tion facilities removed farther demolition of an important Historical Association, at least from the historic down- mid-19th-century industrial part of the Sweet building may town. This was for the sake of building on the city's Near actually date from as early as more space, greater safety, and Westside. 1863. Several individuals in- easier access to water and rail volved in Syracuse's "Industrial transport. In this regard, Sweet The former Sweet Manufactur- Revolution," including William Manufacturing is a transitional ing Building has been given pro- A. Sweet, were associated with building. tected-site status by the Syra- the Sweet Manufacturing Build- Sweet was a pioneer in steel pro- cuse Landmarks Preservation ing. Because of its architectural Board, and the designation was duction in Syracuse. He manu- upheld by the factured guns City Planning and agricul- Commis- tural imple- sion. But the ments and he Council de- made steel at cided to over- the Wyoming ride these as- Street fac- sessments and tory. In addi- to allow level- tion to his in- ing of the vestment in building, which steel, Sweet is scheduled to was also in- take place volved for soon. many years in the Solvay PACNY sup- Process Com- ported the des- pany and ignation of other local in- the building, at The c1870s Sweet Manufacturing Building at the corner of Wyoming and Otisco Streets. It will soon be demolished to create a parking lot for the building to the left. dustries, the northeast probably due to corner of Wyoming and Otisco his business associations with articulation, the building was Streets, as a City of Syracuse William Cogswell. The building probably recognized as an im- Protected Site and regrets the served the next generation of portant one at the time of its Council decision. industrial inventors and entre- construction. But it was not un- preneurs, too; it was used, at The Sweet Manufacturing Build- usual for early factories to have least in part, by the Chase Com- ing is an important surviving some decoration, be constructed pany, an early manufacturer of example of industrial architec- of good materials, and be well- trucks at a time when Syracuse ture from Syracuse's post-Civil- proportioned. War history, when the economy was in the forefront of the new and topography of the city were The Sweet factory was built just automotive industry. Chase transformed through the devel- as American industry was shift- founded his company in 1908, opment of new industrial prod- ing away from a traditional, in- and the building was probably ucts and processes. Much of this dividual-craftsman-based manu- used until 1919. facturing method, often still as- activity took place in the area This building is significant for its west of Onondaga Creek, on the sociated with commercial shops

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From the President Samuel D. Gruber, Ph.D. On May 22, the Preservation Associa- historic preservation brings money to tion of Central New York (PACNY) communities and helps keep it there. celebrated National Preservation Month by hosting its Historic Preserva- Right now, we need to be especially tion Awards dinner and ceremony at vigilant, because low property values in Temple Society of Concord. Over 100 Syracuse have been nationally recog- people celebrated many of our commu- nized, triggering a speculative market. nity’s recent preservation achieve- Outside investors may want to maxi- Close-up of front façade ments. As the cover story reports, mize profit at the expense of our his- tory and the integrity of our neighbor- architectural characteristics and PACNY honored a wide array of pro- hoods. Excessive prices for older its historical associations Every jects. This was the first awards cere- mony since 2001. properties may also raise rents in an effort should have been made to already underutilized market and re- find an appropriate adaptive re- It felt good to be among friends, recog- duce the money available for histori- use for the structure. The recent nizing the positive aspects of historic cally appropriate care and repair. We transformations of the former preservation. Although successful pro- should encourage entrepreneurs to Bradley Foundry on Franklin jects are often complex to organize and come to Syracuse, renovate, and build Street (off Franklin Square), difficult to complete, those celebrated – but with a watchful eye. which had been slated for demo- prove that they can be done, and done lition, and of the former Stickley well. On a related topic, while I applaud ’s move back to Furniture Factory in Fayetteville, This is an important lesson to remem- downtown, I do worry that without provide inspiration for the reuse ber. As a community and as an organi- careful design reviews, a shortsighted of the Sweet building, too. With zation, we are too often caught up in rush to capitalize on the new student Syracuse University's redevelop- the crisis of the moment or exhausted market will threaten Armory Square. ment of the former Dunk and by the continuing struggle to protect Because it is not a city-protected dis- Bright warehouse just a few just a few important sites. We may trict, pretty much anything goes vis-à- blocks from the Sweet Building, overlook the positive achievements vis development and building altera- it is too early to say what will be- around us. While we live in a far- tions. come of this Near West Side from-perfect world, we as a commu- neighborhood. nity have dramatically improved treat- The city needs to adopt historic-district ment of our historic sites and use of designation and design guidelines for our older buildings in the past decade. Armory Square before it is too late. At our annual meeting in October, a Millions of dollars invested in historic panel of preservation activists saw the preservation over the last 15 years are PACNY preservation glass as half empty. At the at stake. Although the city was not Board of Directors awards ceremony, we saw the glass as crucial in developing Armory Square, it half full. Both visions are equally true. should take an active role in saving it from food signs, altered facades, and Samuel Gruber, President It is significant that not-for-profit or- more drastic changes. Elizabeth Crawford, Vice President ganizations received the lion’s share of At the same time, the University’s arri- Susan Hamilton, Secretary awards, while the commercial projects honored were developed by companies val may spur development of more Christopher Rauscher, Treasurer with a local audience and dependent retail on S. Salina and adjacent streets. Cynthia Carrington Carter upon community participation. Wouldn’t it be great if movie theaters (originally planned for the downtown Mary Duffin For those whose primary interest is Galleries mall) were also part of this Michael Stanton making money rather than creating new urban mix? Gary Radke community, the protection of our his- Preservation is as much about our fu- Jeff Romano toric resources is still not a priority, even though evidence is mounting that ture as it is about our past.

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2005 PACNY AWARDS Syracuse. More recently Sean has written of the importance of the city’s new comprehensive plan. “In Syracuse,” he says, “as any longtime resident knows, there’s plenty of regret over 50 years’ worth of often willy-nilly decisions in building-up or tearing down.”

The 2003 Pat Earle Award was given to Time Warner Cable, Syracuse Division for Restora- tion of the New York Central Railroad Station. The New York Central Railroad Station was completed on Erie Judith Wellman Boulevard in 1936. Following con- struction of the I-690 the building Sean Kirst was used for many years by Grey- (Continued from page 1) hound Bus Lines. When Greyhound team had to de-construct what moved out in the 1990s, the build- Greyhound Bus Lines and other Onondaga County (in collaboration ing was boarded up and left vacant. occupants had added to the build- with PACNY), and now is working ing over the years. These included a in both Cayuga and Tompkins Time Warner Cable, Syracuse Divi- steel canopy and glassed-in waiting counties. sion, conceived of, fully funded and room across the front and a false oversaw the restoration, renovation Judy is the director of Historical second floor that cut the train sta- and redevelopment of the former New York Research Associates, tion waiting room in half. railway station for use as the head- professor emerita of history at quarters for News 10 Now, the re- The waiting room’s ornamental SUNY Oswego, and former park gion’s only 24-hour local news plaster drop ceiling, the granite, historian at the Women's Rights channel. The National Historical Park in Seneca architect for the Falls, N.Y. project was a- plus-i design (NYC); with The 2004 Jasena R. Foley Beyer Blinder Education Award was given to Belle (NYC) as Sean Kirst. restoration con- Sean Kirst is metropolitan colum- sultant. Work nist for the Syracuse Post-Standard. on the building In this role, he has appealed to the began in the fall city’s reason on topics like historic of 2001 and preservation and urban planning; took two years. Today the he has stirred our emotions when it The New York Central Railroad Station comes to inappropriate develop- building houses Indiana limestone and yellow brick ment and sprawl. News 10’s offices, studios and tech- nical facilities. exterior were all restored. The One article in 2000, titled brushed aluminum trim through- The project required major environ- “Disregard of Legacies Haunts out the building was either restored mental remediation. Time Warner City,” helped to build the commu- or replaced. Every exterior window had to deal with contaminated soil, nity support that eventually saved was replicated to mimic the original asbestos, and literally tons of pi- the Harriet May Mills House. In metal-clad double-hung windows. 2004, Sean advocated preservation geon dung throughout the build- Time Warner Cable collaborated and rehabilitation for the Hotel ing. Once the site was clean, the

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The Harriet May Mills House is an outstanding example of a building renovated for contemporary use while preserving its historic fea- tures. It also shows how preserva- tion can be a tool for strengthening the community.

A Preservation Merit Award was given to Syracuse Univer- sity, Office of Design and Construction for Restoration of masonry and windows. The Crouse College exterior ma- sonry and window restoration pro- ject at Syracuse University focused on the historical restoration of this The Harriet May Mills House. grand 1889 facility, designed by with the Onondaga Historical As- to house up to 12 women in recov- Archimedes Russell. The building sociation to create a museum at the ery from drug and alcohol addic- is striking for its dramatic, turreted main entrance including artifacts, tion, many of whom are of low- profile on a hilltop location and for photos and information honoring income and some homeless at the its multitude of intricate, Roman- the history of trains in Syracuse time they enter the program. esque-style details carved in red Longmeadow sandstone. and Central New York’s role as a The restoration involved maintain- crossroads of commerce. ing the historic room configu- . rations and The 2004 Pat Earle Award trim details, was given to Syracuse Brick including cas- House for Restoration and ings and doors. Reuse of the Harriet May Where wood- Mills House. work was miss- ing, it was rep- The Harriet May Mills House on licated. The West Genesee Street was built in front porch, the late 1850’s, just a few years be- removed in the fore the Civil War. The Mills Fam- 1970s, was ac- ily were active social reformers. curately recon- The Mills’ friends that found solace structed based at this home are a who’s who of on period pho- the nineteenth century including tographs and Frederick Douglas, Elizabeth Cady Crouse College column traces. Stanton, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, and Lucretia Rehabilitation and restoration were The University has repointed and Mott. done by Crawford & Stearns, Ar- restored the existing masonry and chitects and Preservation Plan- By 2000, the house was severely decorative stone to its original con- ners. B.F. Yenny Construction deteriorated. The west masonry dition. All joints were tooled to the Company was the general contrac- wall was failing, there was no original convex profile; all discol- tor. The project was completed in kitchen or working bathroom, and ored and inappropriate patch ma- 2004 under the direction of G. no one had lived there for over 50 terials were removed and the cop- Richard Kinsella, President of years. per gutters replaced. The project Syracuse Brick House. (Continued on page 6) The house has now been renovated

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were being excavated in Palestine at the turn of the century. For Brunner, classicism was fitting as a Jewish style, and also was appro- priately American in the period following the Chicago Exposition of 1893. The sanctuary of Temple Society of Concord recently underwent an extensive restoration that began with the removal of air- conditioning ducts but in the end required extensive replacement of steel beams in the sanctuary ceil- ing. When the ceiling was closed following the structural work, the congregation chose at considerable expense to replicate in plaster all of the original decoration that was lost or damaged. The sanctuary has been in use for Temple Society of Concord sanctuary almost one hundred years and the

(Continued from page 5) congregation of Temple Society of A Preservation Merit Award Concord expects it to continue to was given to Temple Society of also included the repair, restora- thrive as a religious and civic space Concord for Restoration of for at least another century. tion, and replacement of windows Sanctuary Interior. and window sashes, including re- Temple Society of Concord is one of glazing, weather-stripping, and refinishing both interior and exte- the oldest Jewish congregations in America. Founded in 1839, it dedi- A Preservation Merit Award rior sides of all windows. was given to Fayetteville Free cated its present building at 910 Library for Adaptive Reuse of All stained-glass windows were Madison Street in 1911. cleaned and restored to their origi- the Stickley Furniture Fac- nal luster. Researching the multiple Designed by the noted American tory. layers of paint led to a better under- classicist Arnold Brunner (Alfred E. The Fayetteville Free Library en- standing of Archimedes Russell’s Taylor was the local architect), the gaged Holmes, King, Kallquist & intent for the original building and building is one of best examples of Associates to renovate and restore development of a more authentic the Classical-style synagogue in the the historic Stickley factory build- color scheme. United States. The New York- ing as the library’s new home. based Brunner, one of the most In acknowledging the dedication of celebrated ar- the University to protect and pre- chitects of his serve this important building, day, was also PACNY recognizes the leadership the most fa- and staff of the Office of Design and mous American Construction and the College of synagogue ar- Visual and Performing Arts, as well chitect of his as the specialized talents of Klepper generation. In Hahn and Hyatt, Crawford & his later syna- Stearns, Mesick Cohen Wilson gogues, such as Baker, Lari Construction, John G. Temple Con- Cooke & Associates, Jerome Durr cord, Brunner Studio, and Heather and Little. found inspira- tion in the ruins of ancient syna- gogues that Fayetteville Free Library

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Work was completed in 2003. the movie pal- The Board of the Library and the ace, whose inte- architects met the challenge of rior had re- transforming the former manufac- mained un- turing building by inserting a touched since a 19,000-square-foot public library renovation in facility within the 72,000-square- the late 1950s. foot building. The structure’s large The marquee size and its mostly open plan al- has now been lowed the creation of distinct areas restored, the to serve different audiences and Palace sign rep- different needs. The redesign keeps licated, a cafe the spaces as open and simple as added next to possible and retains much of the the theater, and original building’s structural fabric. state-of-the-art equipment has been installed.

The preserva- A Preservation Merit Award tion merit The Pratt House was given to Michael Heagerty for Renovation of the Palace award is given to 2004. Theater. Michael Heagerty in recognition of his efforts to bring back a historic

Syracuse neighborhood theater, one of few remaining today, and to pre- A Preservation Merit Award was given to Historic Oakwood serve his family’s tradition of pro- Cemetery Association for Res- viding entertainment services to the toration of the Sabey Mauso- community. leum. During the Labor Day storm of

1998, hundreds of trees and monu- A Preservation Merit Award ments in Syracuse’s Oakwood was given to The Fulton His- Cemetery were severely damaged torical Society for Restoration or destroyed. The Historic Oak- of the Pratt House. wood Cemetery Preservation Asso- The John Wells Pratt House in Ful- ciation (HOCPA) hired Cayuga ton, built in 1863, is a fine example of residential Italianate-style archi- tecture. It is home to the Friends of History in Fulton, Inc, and houses permanent and changing exhibits on Fulton's history, industry, and people. The Palace Theater With widespread community sup- port, Friends of History raised close Michael Heagerty, third-generation to $300,00 to sensitively restore owner of the Eastwood neighbor- many aspects of the house, includ- hood’s cinema, began a major reno- ing the original metal roof and vation for the Palace Theater a year wood windows (with interior shut- ago. The building was constructed ters), rebuilding of the cupola, ma- by Michael’s grandfather, Alfred sonry work, chimney work, paint- DiBella, between 1922 and 1924, ing and stripping of the exterior, and following his death was oper- and the rebuilding of the porch ated by his daughter, Frances foundation including new front DiBella. When Michael’s aunt steps. Work took place from Sep- passed away last year, he took over tember 2003 through the spring of The Sabey mausoleum

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Of High Victorian Italianate style, pearance, relieving the plain four the rectory’s exterior features a walls without destroying the origi- cupola on an almost-flat roof, two nal architectural idea. This award bays, ornate window surrounds, is being presented for restoration and a second-story porch over the of the Forman House’s wrap- entrance. Instead of being demol- around porch, which required re- ished for a parking lot, the hand- moval of an old concrete deck that some building was purchased by was part of an earlier remodeling. Ted Limpert, Joseph Cote and M. Joanne Van Dyke, who have now begun to restore it for their law The Harley J. McKee Award The Forman House offices. was given to Rose Viviano for (Continued from page 7) Stained-Glass Craftsmanship.

Tree Service for three intense days Rose Viviano has been a stained- A Tender Loving Care Award of tree trimming and removals. For glass artist for 20 years. A native of was given to The Zen Center two spring seasons, HOCPA hired Syracuse, she graduated from Hen- of Syracuse Hoen-ji for Resto- ninger High School in 1970 with a Gravina Landscaping to plant over ration of the Forman House. 50 trees all over the cemetery. Regents Diploma, received a Fine The three-story Joshua Forman Arts diploma from the Art Institute During the fall of 2003, the Historic House, now owned by the Zen of Boston, and later completed Oakwood Cemetery Preser- post-graduate courses in vation Association engaged Save this Date: PACNY’s 2006 Awards Dinner glass painting and struc- Viau Construction Com- will be Sunday, May 21, 2006. tural stained glass from the pany to carry out the diffi- Boston Museum School of cult restoration of the Sabey PACNY welcomes nominations for the 2006 Fine Arts. Mausoleum. Under the di- Preservation Awards rection of Tom Viau, the Her restoration clients have included the Landmark monument was mostly disassem- Center, sits at 266 W. Seneca Turn- Theater, county buildings in the bled and rebuilt. On several occa- pike. It was originally built in 1810 villages of Montour Falls and Se- sions during restoration, it nearly in the Federal style for Joshua For- neca Falls, and numerous Central collapsed, as its condition was man, first president of the Village New York churches. Among the much worse inside than was of Syracuse. Also a state assembly- latter are an 1897 rose window for thought. Over the years, vegetation man, Forman championed the Syracuse’s Calvary United Meth- had infiltrated the failing mortar creation of the Erie Canal. Along odist Church, a 100-year-old bap- joints. This, coupled with freeze- with his part- thaw cycles, severely compromised ners and his the mausoleum. Great care and skill family mem- returned Sabey to strength and bers, he devel- beauty for generations to come. oped the Valley as a residential area. A Tender Loving Care Award A later owner was given to 214 State Street, in 1851 added a LLC for Restoration of the wide front Former St. John the Evangel- porch and a ist Rectory. center bay di- Recently the former Rectory of St. viding it. The John the Evangelist Roman Catholic bay’s large Church was vacated by church offi- doors lead out cials and at risk of drastic transfor- to the porch on mation or demolition. The build- either side. This ing, at 214 N. State Street, was de- wooden addi- signed by Archimedes Russell and tion added to built in 1874. the house’s ap- Former St. John the Evangelist Rectory

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tism window for Mexico’s First Even more importantly, JAE United Methodist Church, and altar helped organize many administra- windows for Nedrow’s Church of tive aspects of PACNY, including the Good Shepherd Among the the move into our new home on Onondaga. North Salina Street.

The Wilma T. Auer Award was given to Former PACNY Presi- dent, Jae Evangelisti. Jae Evangelisti is president of Evangelisti Enterprises, Inc. He joined PACNY’s board in 1996 and served as Vice-President following the sale of the Parke Avery Jae Evangelisti House. Jae then served as President from 2000 to 2004. PACNY thanks Jae for his service to the organization, and for guid- During those eight years PACNY ing us through some of our most carried out many important re- challenging years. search initiatives, including historic district designation for the Berkeley Park neighborhood and documen- tation of Underground Railroad Sites in Onondaga County. Good Shepherd window, Plymouth Church

Brockway House on University Hill demolished

Albert L. Brockway was and the Farm Machinery chairman of Syracuse’s Building. first Planning Commis- Other Brockway commissions sion in 1918, producing include: Syracuse Medical the city’s first compre- College (now Peck Hall) on hensive plan in 1919. He East Genesee St.; a major ad- designed this house for dition to Archimedes Russell’s himself and his family, Central High School down- completing it in 1912. town; and the 1898 Bank of Brockway was born in Utica Syracuse in Hanover Square. in 1865, attended the Poly- One of his best known works technic Institute in Brooklyn, is the William Nottingham then studied architecture at Residence at 701 Walnut Ave- L'École des Beaux Arts in nue — better known now as Paris. Remains of the 1912 Brockway house, 403 Comstock, during demolition. the Chancellor's residence. From 1893-95 he served as chitect. While there he developed an In the 93 years since the Brockway Professor of Architecture at Syracuse ambitious plan to expand the State Fair house was constructed, it has been a University, where he revised the cur- Grounds, for which he received a per- private home, a university living center, riculum to more closely follow that of sonal award from Governor Roosevelt. a sorority house and, most recently, a L'École des Beaux Arts. He designed three buildings at the Fair fraternity house. From 1913 to 1914 he was construction Grounds under his plan: the Horticul- SU demolished the house to make way architect with the New York State Ar- ture Building, the Pure Foods Building for a new 350 space parking garage.

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Redevelopment of the O.M. Edwards Buildings

In an era when so many developers credit for the rehabilitation of historic lin Properties to find an equity tax are insensitive to the preservation of buildings. Interior as well as exterior credit investor. That investment, our historic buildings and land- work is eligible. All work must meet along with the Empire Zone benefits, scapes, it is a pleasure to work with the Secretary of the Interior’s preser- and a grant from the Syracuse one who is not only sensitive but ac- vation standards and be approved by Neighborhood Initiative closed the tually seeks National Register status the State Preservation Office and the gap. Thus saving, and making once for his properties. , thus guaran- again viable, the O.M. Edwards Build- teeing that the distinguishing fea- ing. Doug Sutherland of Franklin Proper- tures are preserved. ties, LLC understands the economic The building qualified for the Na- advantages of federal tax credits and In Syracuse, market rate housing tional Register under both Criterion has used them to good advantage in suffers from what is called the A, for its association with the turn-of- the redevelopment the-century industrial of the O.M. Edwards growth of the city of factory building, the Syracuse, and under handsome, five-story Criterion C, for its ar- brick landmark at chitectural signifi- the corner of Plum cance. and Solar Streets in The building is a signifi- Franklin Square. cant example of early Now known as The 20th century industrial Lofts at Franklin architecture in Syra- Square, the mixed- cuse. Built in two ma- use development will jor phases, the building contain 90 loft apart- illustrates the shift in ments and approxi- technology from the mately 30,000 standard mill construc- square feet of office tion techniques of the and commercial late 19th century, space when com- which were used in the plete. The first 40 initial 1906 section, to apartments were Photo: Bruce MacKnght the widespread accep- completed last sum- tance and use of reinforced concrete. mer and are currently rented. An “18/12 rule”. To be financially vi- additional 50 will be ready for occu- able, downtown development needs Both the original building and the pancy in the next few months. Suth- to bring in $18/sq. foot, but down- 1927 addition are attributed to archi- erland stated that without the His- town residential development gener- tect Gordon Almond Wright (1866- toric Tax Credits to fill the financing ates, on average, only $12/sq. foot, 1950), a well-known Syracuse archi- gap, the project couldn’t have hap- with the average one thousand tect who graduated from Syracuse pened. square foot apartment bringing in University’s School of Architecture $800 -$1,200/month. The redevel- and served on its faculty from 1892 In 2001, Doug Sutherland pursued opment of the O.M. Edwards building through 1894. An accomplished de- National Register Listing for the is a $13 ½ million project. Given the signer, he designed numerous grand- building, thereby qualifying for the expected income that the redevel- scale buildings, including churches, Historic Preservation Tax Credit. The oped building could generate, only schools, and hospitals in Central New credit is available to owners of his- $8 million in private financing was York. Wright’s involvement helps to toric commercial, office, industrial, or available for the project. The $2 mil- account for the remarkable unity of rental residential buildings. The Tax lion Historic Tax Credit allowed Frank- design exhibited in the building’s Reform Act of 1986 allows a 20% tax

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exterior, in spite of the use of funda- sented an even longer and more mentally different structural systems impressive façade along Plum New & Renewing in the two sections. Street, unified in its basic geometry PACNY Members and use of materials, while expres- The original building was constructed Sponsor memberships sive of two very different underlying with load-bearing brick perimeter Elizabeth & Randy Crawford structural systems. Few industrial walls and multi-story wooden post- Erie Canal Museum buildings of this scale, quality, or Sam Gruber & Judith Meighan and-beam floor supports. By the architectural interest remain in Syra- Allen & Tess Kosoff 1920s, poured-in-place concrete con- cuse. Donald Meinig struction had replaced standard mill Michael Stanton & Fiona Chew construction. In the late 19th and The 1927 building was rehabilitated Eleanor Theodore Jay B. & Yolanda T Wright early 20th centuries, engineers be- first. Office space was created on gan experimenting with reinforced the first floor, with apartments Family memberships concrete in an effort to reduce con- above. The large expanses of indus- Doug & Joan Armstrong struction costs, eliminate combusti- trial metal-frame windows provided George Curry ble building materials, and Lawrence David & Marion Wilson J. Francois Gabriel & Laura Martin create efficient structural Richard & Dona Flaherty systems that allowed for Daisy and Martin Fried more open floor space Alex & Charlotte Holstein and greater window area. Richard & Carol Hovey Bruce & Terrie King In the first two decades of Eugene & Christine Lozner Kathy & Brian Madigan the 20th century, con- Giancarlo & Annamaria Moneti crete floor slabs sup- Anne Munly & Ted Brown ported by mushroom col- John & Jean Murray umns were efficiently Paul & Linda Pflanz Dale & Ann Tussing used in large-scale indus- Judtih Wellman trial projects in Minneapo- Maryann & George Winters lis, Chicago, Buffalo, and Photo: Bruce MacKnght Individual, Student & Senior New York to create fireproof memberships floor systems of tremendous bearing abundant natural light in the apart- Richard Applebaum Katherine Moran strength. Load-bearing walls were John Auwaeter ments, and the exposed brick walls Helen Osgood no longer required, and additional Barbara Balisado Carmella Mantaro created a warm, rich backdrop for areas of glass could be substituted, Helene Ballantyne Donald Mawhinney the living spaces. The tax credits Helen Barry Nancy McCarty providing better natural illumination. helped Sutherland to retain these Liz Beebe Margaret Muller Jane Begley Jeffrey Romano wonderful architectural features. Introduced in Syracuse in 1910, rein- Dean Biancavilla Paul Root forced concrete’s superiority was The factory building, which at its Elizabeth Burton Judy Schmid widely accepted in commercial and peak housed 450 employees, now Mary Duffin Hillery Schneiderman Ricard Ellinwood industrial architecture after 1920. In provides housing for young profes- Sharon Sherman Ann Endries Shanty Shoemaker 1927, when Wright was asked to sionals making Syracuse their home. Jane Feld Bonnie Shoultz effectively double the size of the After standing empty for 17 years, John J. Finn, Jr. Jamieson Steele 1906 O.M. Edwards Building, rein- this impressive building is once Walley Francis Charles Tremper Bob Gardino Marilyn Zaleon forced concrete was a logical choice. again full of life. Gerald Grant Floor slabs supported by mushroom Cynthia Hamel Syracuse has a huge inventory of columns allowed for larger structural Jeanne Hammer significant buildings that present an bays and greater window area. Mary Louise Hartenstein development opportunity in our city. Marian Hayes Wright reflected these proportions in Sutherland suggests that Syracu- Josephine Heilman the construction of exterior curtain Miranda Hine sans must get beyond thinking of walls, but to his credit, retained the Shirley Hubble preservation as an impediment and Susan Keeter use of brick and a similar system of start using it as a strategic asset. Noreen Lannon pilasters and recessed spandrels to Harry B. Lewis smooth the transition from the old to Cynthia Carrington Carter Henry Luttinger the new. The resulting building pre-

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V ISIT OUR W EBSITE AT RENEW YOUR PACNY MEMBERSHIP TODAY Senior $20 W WW. PACNY. NET Senior (60+)Student $20 $20.00

StudentIndividual 30 $20.00 THE PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION OF CENTRAL NEW YORK IndividualFamily $40 $30.00 Family $40.00 419 N. Salina Street Sponsor $100 Syracuse, NY 13203 Sponsor Patron $500 $100.00 Phone: 315-475-0119 PatronBenefactor $1,000$500.00 Fax: 315-474-2347 Clip and mail with contribution Email: [email protected] Benefactor $1,000.00 Please make your tax deductible check or money order Name: payable to: PACNY, 419 N. Salina Street, Syracuse, Since 1974, PACNY has been Central New Address:NY, 13203 York's strongest advocate for preservation and reuse of our architectural heritage. Phone:Name PACNY has led efforts to save historic Email:Address resources throughout the region including Your Name New or Renew- □New □ Renewing Hanover Square, Armory Square, Hawley- ing MemberAddress Green, Sedgwick, and the Landmark Make your tax deductible contribution check payable to the Preservation Association of Central New York Theater — all have been threatened with (PACNY). Mail your contribution to: destruction. PACNY, 419 N. Salina St., Syracuse, N.Y. 13203 Email Become a member of PACNY today — Email

help us preserve the irreplaceable.

Email: [email protected] [email protected] Email:

(315) 475-0119 475-0119 (315)

Syracuse, NY 13203 13203 NY Syracuse,

419 N. Salina Street Street Salina N. 419 Preservation Association of Central New York York New Central of Association Preservation

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