CRAWFORD & STEARNS ARCHITECTS AND PRESERVATION PLANNERS May 12, 2007 Mr. Don Radke, Chairman Syracuse Landmarks Preservation Board City Hall Commons 201 East Washington Street Syracuse, New York 13202 Re: 105 S. Townsend Street (Buildings #1 and #3) Syracuse, New York Dear Don: At the request of the Syracuse Landmarks Preservation Board I visited this property on May 3, 2007 for the purpose of assessing the significance and integrity of the buildings' exteriors relative to their eligibility for Protected Site status. Limited photographs were taken and are provided as an attachment. The interior of the buildings are not being considered as part of this review. This property contains two of four structures included in a single request for demolition. That application references these four collectively as 105-109 S. Townsend Street. However, what is described as building #4 is actually 115 S. Townsend and is referred to as such in this report. For the purposes of review three separate properties should be considered, and separately These are: Buildings #1 and #3: 105 S. Townsend St. Building #2: 109 S. Townsend St. Building #4: 115 S. Townsend St. Building Location: Buildings #1 and #3 are located in the northwest corner of Block 53, at the southeast corner of the intersection of E. Water Street and S. Townsend Street (formerly Grape Street). Building #1 is located at the corner itself and extends eastward along E. Water Street while Building #3 is just south of it. (See Figures 1 and 2) Architectural Character & Integrity: Building #1 consists of the office portion on the west end and the machine shop portion extending eastward from it. Both portions are two stories tall constructed in the Italianate Commercial Style with brick exterior walls, corbelled brick entablatures with broad spaced pairs of stylized bracketing, and articulated round top brick window heads. The window and door sills are local limestone as is the water table band. The brick facades have been painted many times and this may have been the original treatment since it was common practice in the 1860s when the building was constructed. The corners of the office portion are rounded, recessed from the primary building faces, and this is reflected in the cornice as well. The roof overhangs and the cornices are wood with Randall T. Crawford, AIA / Carl D. Stearns, AIA / Ted Bartlett, Sr Assoc / Elizabeth L. Crawford, Sr Assoc 134 Walton Street • Armory Square • Syracuse, New York • 13202 • 315/471-2162 • FAX 315/471-2965 Page 2 SLPB: 105 S. Townsend Street May 12, 2007 regularly spaced console brackets. On top of the office roof is a wood framed cupola, a rare survivor of the period. Although the windows (presumed to have existed as part of the original construction) have been covered over the cornice, consoles, and overall massing of the cupola remain. At the first floor of the office portion the lower parts of the windows have been enlarged and combined by the insertion of steel beams to create display windows. Entry doors are located at the southwest, northwest, and northeast rounded corners. The original windows, several of which survive in the machine shop portion, were wood, double hung, 12 over 12 light units The other windows have been covered over with various materials or infilled and it couldn't be determined how many actually remain. The second floor of the machine shop portion was at some time reinforced by placing steel beams running north to south underneath it. These beams extend through the exterior wall and are supported by exposed steel wide flange columns. These alterations may have occurred in the early 1920s when a Nash dealership occupied the building. I was in the building several years ago and recall a concrete ramp running from the first floor up to the second floor of this wing, presumably for automobiles. The westernmost second floor window at the north facade of the machine shop portion has been modified to become a doorway and from it an early 20th century metal fire escape descends to grade. Additional alterations have been made to other parts of the east wing including the construction of larger masonry openings for garage doors. A brick addition was constructed at the eastern end of the original machine shop early in the 20th century. Building #3 is located southeast of Building #1. It is one story, though it appears as though it may have been taller at one time. The exterior walls are common red brick and painted similar to Building #1, but this structure is far more utilitarian in design and detailing. The windows are arc-topped with two course rowlock headers and rock-faced limestone sills. Most openings have been infilled with concrete block or other materials. Contemporary garage doors have been inserted into non-historic masonry openings. The western end of Building #3 appears to have been completely reconstructed as though the building was shortened in length or the original wall failed. The mortar pattern at the east end suggests that it was built up against a pre-existing structure that was removed later. The roof is a shallow gable form with a roll asphalt covering. Context: Building #1 is located at almost the northern end of a string of surprisingly intact, mostly mid to late 19th century structures extending along the east side of S. Townsend Street from the Hamilton White House at Genesee Street on the southern end to the Smith Restaurant building north of Building #1. (See Photos 4a, 4b.) This collection includes the National Register-listed home of one of the city's most prominent early citizens (Hamilton White), Park Central Presbyterian Church, a modest but important one and one half story house representative of mid-century Syracuse, and Brown's Place (reputedly an historic house of ill repute) in addition to the buildings included in this report. Furthermore, as the Smith Restaurant building and 105 S. Townsend extend eastward along E. Water Street they define by themselves nearly a half block of authentic 19th century architectural character. These buildings should be actively considered for designation as a local Historic District and Building #1 would be a critical component of this district. Randall T. Crawford, AIA / Carl D. Stearns, AIA / Ted Bartlett, Sr Assoc / Elizabeth L. Crawford, Sr Assoc 134 Walton Street • Armory Square • Syracuse, New York • 13202 • 315/471-2162 • FAX 315/471-2965 Page 3 SLPB: 105 S. Townsend Street May 12, 2007 History & Historic Significance: Dennis Connors of the Onondaga Historical Association has prepared an extensive report (attached) on these properties describing their history and their significant relationship to the development of the city of Syracuse. Protected Site Designation For this property to be eligible for designation as a Protected Site under the City of Syracuse Zoning Ordinance, Part C, Section VI, Article 8, at least one of the following criteria must be met: (1) Association with persons or events of historic significance to the city, region, state or nation; Building #1 is strongly associated with important early businessmen and inventors such as Emory Wilson Mills, Huntington B. Crouse, and Jesse L. Hinds whose prominence is directly connected with the development of manufacturing that made Syracuse one of the most important cities in New York. Building #3 may be similarly associated, but its history is unclear. (2) Illustrative of historic growth and development of the city, region, state or nation; This building was constructed during a period of strong economic development in the city. During the late 1860s the Larned Building, the S. A. and K. Building, the Gridley Building, and numerous other well known landmarks were constructed. The businesses that were located in this building had, and some still have, national significance and they reflect the exuberant development of manufacturing locally during the 19th century. Building #3 appears to have been constructed much later than Building #1, was a secondary part of the complex, and is much less illustrative of the growth and development noted. (3) In the case of structures embodying distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction or representing the work of a master, or possessing unique architectural and artistic qualities, or representing a significant and distinguishable entity whose component may lack individual distinction; Building #1 is unusually well designed for a manufacturing structure, possibly because the westernmost portion was used for administrative functions and sought to present a more sophisticated facade to the community. The detailing, including treatments such as the recessed round corners and the cupola, elevate this building well above more common structures of the period. It should be noted that in spite of relatively minor alterations over time the building is surprisingly intact. Building #3 illustrates a far more utilitarian construction and has been substantially altered from its original form. (4) In the case of districts, possessing a unique overall quality of architectural scale, texture, form and visual homogeneity even though certain structures within the district may lack individual distinction; The collection of structures extending from the Smith Restaurant building south to at least Brown's Place and probably further south to the Hamilton White House is unusually intact. It provides a broad view of some of the city's most representative 19th century architecture and should be actively considered for designation as a National Register Historic District in addition to a local historic district. Within this potential district Building #1 is a critical component. Building #3, however, is not visible from the street, is far less significant, and would not contribute materially to the quality and integrity of such a district. Randall T. Crawford, AIA / Carl D. Stearns, AIA / Ted Bartlett, Sr Assoc / Elizabeth L.