Reuse or Remove?

It is often said that one of the greatest challenges to the preservation of our modern buildings is that they are not old enough to be considered historic and are not worthy of the same regard given to such beloved buildings as the Powers Block or the former Genesee Valley Trust Building. Along with the issue of age is the relative ambivalence and sometimes flat out antagonism to these buildings’ existence and designs by the general public. The modern buildings often displaced whole sections of downtown neighborhoods and businesses replacing dense 19^th century-era streets lined with low rise mixed use structures with “superblocks” on which one or many buildings of a scale never before seen would be built, the street grid erased and replaced by what were often barren and uninviting plazas.

People still fondly remember the shops, restaurants and bars of downtown areas like the Third Ward and the neighborhood centered on Front Street. Many blame the projects that were built in their place for destroying the flavor of boomtown Rochester while helping to cause the ills that would plague downtown for decades to come.

With the ongoing redevelopment of the Midtown Plaza complex we are seeing firsthand the challenges

of reusing or preserving modern structures on a large scale and at the center of downtown. Midtown Plaza was one of the few modern projects to live up to its billing and is highly regarded by a community that feels nostalgia for times spent shopping and socializing there in its heyday. Yet, little is said about preserving the original look of the Victor Gruen-designed atrium and hotel/office tower. Most people just do not see it as a beautiful building or one of historic significance. Fittingly, when it came time to consider reusing parts of the mall and tower structure it was required that the original facade of the tower not be retained.

Some may see this as a defeat of preservation. However, it is at the very least environmentally responsible and may prove to be the rule instead of the exception when it comes to renovating modern buildings, as it already is in larger cities like New York. There, many buildings designed in the 1950’ and 1960’s by New York firms Emery Roth and Sons and Kahn and Jacobs have had their facades replaced with contemporary materials and styles while their internal utilities were updated with the latest in telecommunications and electronics systems. Although the more famous examples of modernism will likely be protected as landmarks - many modern buildings in Chicago already are considered historic and are protected –for many modern buildings that are reused their rigid frame steel skeletons will be all that is preserved.

In some cases even a perfectly good steel-framed modern building can be too innovative to reuse…

In January of 1970 the Central Trust Company broke ground on their $2 million bank, office and parking garage complex at the corner of East Avenue and Winton Road. Designed by distinguished local architect Myron E. Starks the complex would consist of a 41,000 square foot bank and office building fronting East Avenue and a 157 spot parking garage to the rear of the office building. The office and banking buildings were of steel frame construction faced with pre-cast concrete.

In line with the design philosophy of the great modern architect Louis I. Kahn, whose famous First Unitarian Church stands just south of Central Trust on Winton Road, the design of the office building would clearly express the transition from the concrete-clad “served” areas of the building’s offices to the sloped roof, brick-clad “servant” areas of the stair and elevator towers at the perimeter. At the University Avenue side of the site would be built the reinforced concrete parking ramp. Central Trust Company would move their computer center from the main office to an area on the first floor of the parking structure.

In the 1990’s M&T bought out Central Trust and took possession of the complex at Winton and East. In the years that followed it was determined that the parking structure was unsafe and it was closed to the public. The office and bank branch continued to be used by M&T until the opening of a new building a block away on East Avenue in 2008 caused them to vacate the older structure.

Wegmans, in a bid to buy enough of the adjacent properties to replace their small store on the western end of the block with a supercenter, purchased the former Central Trust Company’s complex, which stood at the eastern end of the same block. Although they planned to use the site of the banking complex as a separate commercial development it was found to be unfeasible to reuse the 1970’s structure.

Instead of placing the HVAC mechanicals in the basement or penthouse of the office tower, as was common practice in office buildings for decades, they were built into the parking ramp and computer center behind the tower. It was decided that it would be too complex and costly to retrofit the tower with the required HVAC infrastructure and in early 2010 the former Central Trust Company’s East Avenue branch was demolished, a case of modern design innovation falling victim to its own engineering complexity and the financial uncertainty of the post-millennial economy.

Posted by Dan Palmer, Landmark Society Volunteer

Survey Says...

How many of us remember that line from the old TV show "Family Feud?"

Here at The Landmark Society we are hoping to echo that line frequently in the next few weeks. And frankly, the answers will be up to you.

We're sending out a survey on family programming through our Landmark Alerts e-newsletter, on our website, and through this blog! We don't bug people often with a survey (I actually can't remember the last time) but we are really interested in getting feedback on what is important to our community members in family programming. We're searching for fun, enticing, convenient, affordable program ideas!

So here is our special request to take part in a brief survey on family programming at The Landmark Society.

If you have children, grandchildren or other young relatives under the age of 18 in the Rochester area, please participate! If you don't - please consider sharing the survey link with friends who might.

The survey is mostly multiple choice, and will take less than 10 minutes to complete. There are some optional comment sections, if you'd like to share more. All of the responses are confidential.

Here is the link to the survey: 2010 Family Survey

If you choose, you may opt to be entered in a drawing for some nice thank you gifts, including a Landmark Society family membership, free family admission to Full Moon Flashlight Tours, and other prizes.

We want really good representation from across the community, and we really need your help to spread this opportunity beyond our usual list of Landmark supporters. It's important that we hear from folks who may not know about our programs, not just those who have already attended.

Thank you so much for helping us "shine a light" on what is important in our family programming!

Submitted by Cindy Boyer, Director of Museums and Education

Campbell-Whittlesey to close, public meeting scheduled

On February 8, 2010, The Landmark Society Board of Trustees approved a motion to cease museum operations at the Campbell-Whittlesey house as of July 1, 2010, and to, in August 2010, begin actively marketing the property for sale.

The decision to close the house museum at Campbell-Whittlesey is the end result of over five years of strategic planning and in-depth studies of opportunities for the property's use. Last summer, we continued this process with the issuance of a press statement informing the public of our progress and inviting community participation in the dialogue about options for the property.

We have now scheduled a public meeting to hear your ideas that might assist us as we market Campbell-Whittlesey and seek its adaptive reuse. Our staff and trustees remain committed to the exploration of viable options that support the proper stewardship and the maintenance of the integrity of this historic treasure.

On behalf of the staff and board of trustees of The Landmark Society of Western New York, all are cordially invited to attend our public meeting on March 4, 2010 at 5:30 p.m.

The meeting will be held in the Powers Building, 8th Floor, 16 West Main Street in downtown Rochester. The Powers Building is located at the corner of Main and State Streets, and parking is available at the Sister Cities garage. Meeting attendees may only enter and exit the building from the 3rd floor skyway leading directly from the garage into the building. You may enter Sister Cities Garage from North Fitzhugh Street.

Refreshments will be served. Please RSVP by calling Carolyn at 546-7029 x 10 or emailing chaygood@landmarksociety.org.

About Campbell-Whittlesey: The Campbell-Whittlesey House is located at 123 South Fitzhugh Street in the Corn Hill Neighborhood. The 1836 house, one of the nation’s finest examples of Greek Revival architecture, has functioned since 1939 as a museum run by The Landmark Society. Options for the adaptive reuse of this remarkable Rochester historic site will help to re-imagine the building’s purpose as the Society seeks to reinsert it into active life.

posted by Laura Keeney Zavala, director of marketing

Frank Lloyd Wright gas station?

I learn something new in this job every day. FLW houses, yes. Even Lego sets. But gas stations? Who knew. Certainly not I. That is, until I saw this article from the Buffalo News:

Property transfer paves the way for Wright gas station
Helps plan to expand Pierce-Arrow Museum
By Jonathan D. Epstein
NEWS BUSINESS REPORTER
Updated: February 05, 2010

Businessman James T. Sandoro has transferred a pair of downtown properties to his transportation museum, paving the way for construction later this year of a re-creation of a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed filling station and an expansion of the museum.

Sandoro this week shifted the properties at 211 Seneca St. and 268 Michigan Ave. to the Buffalo Transportation/ Pierce-Arrow Museum. The transaction was valued at $1.25 million, according to records in the Erie County clerk’s office, although Sandoro said it was just part of a “paper” transfer of all of his properties to the museum for estate planning purposes.

The move also was necessary as part of his plans to enlarge the transportation museum and build the gas station originally designed by the famous architect. He said he hopes that will draw about 50,000 people a year, up from about 10,000 now.

The entire project will ultimately cost $10 million to $12 million. Sandoro has already raised $6.3 million in state funds, with the rest to come from the state and private sources. He is contributing the real estate and his collection of about 250,000 pieces of transportation-related memorabilia, which are now housed in 13 buildings. The collection includes six Pierce-Arrow automobiles, thousands of car parts and other vehicles.

The 20,000-square-foot museum recently underwent a face-lift, with a new brick facade.

Sandoro, who owns several downtown parking lots and is executive director of the nonprofit museum, said he wants to break ground on the gas station in the spring with Gov. David A. Paterson.

He said he hopes to have the steel up by August and to finish the station by fall 2011, when the National Trust for Historic Preservation holds its annual convention here for the first time.

Plans call for a 60-foot-high glass-and-steel atrium that will enclose the gas station. Part of the gas domes and a 37-foot copper spire are already built and on display in the museum at Michigan and Seneca.

The next phase will be a 60,000-square-foot addition to the museum building, to house the rest of the collection and a minitheater that will show films on transportation and Pierce-Arrow history.

(Image: Artist’s rendering shows the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed gas station that will be built at the Buffalo Transportation / Pierce-Arrow Museum at Michigan Avenue and Seneca Street by fall 2011.)

posted by Laura Keeney Zavala, director of marketing

More than just a history program: come "Walk the Walk" with us on Friday

The Landmark Society is proud to present Walk the Walk: Encounters with Rochester's African-American Ancestors, especially at a time when our city needs as many strong role models as it can get. Please join us for a free performance this Friday.

This moving and entertaining performance features five "ancestors" from Rochester's past, each who illustrates a character lesson. Learn from from Austin Steward (David Dwayne Clark), a successful business leader in the 1830s, that one has to work for what is important in their life. The Dorsey orphan (Keyana Coley) shares how one should be friends with those who feel like they don't fit in. Anna Murray Douglass (Jacquelyn Dobson) and her husband, Frederick Douglass (K-Lon) emphasize that violence is never the answer, no matter how difficult the problem. All the vignettes are tied together by the often-hilarious, always poignant words of the narrator, Captain Sunfish (Shawn Dunwoody).

As you might guess, we strongly encourage families and youth to attend this program!

This unique event takes place at 7 p.m., Friday, February 12th at Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, 141 Adams Street (directions). The performance will be followed with a cookie and coffee reception where you can chat with the actors and director.

Please help us spread the word by sending this information to your friends and colleagues - they will thank you for it! You may also read more about Walk the Walk, including our program for schoolchildren on our website.

Hope to see you there!

Major support for Walk the Walk comes from:

The Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation
M & T Bank
Bergmann Associates, Inc.
City Blue Imaging Services
The Links, Inc., Rochester Chapter

posted by Laura Keeney Zavala, director of marketing

If you walk the Walk, Talk the Talk, you can be anything!!!

Even the President of the United States……

Have you ever imagined if your ancestors came down back to life and told you about the struggles they went through to create a world that you enjoy today? How wonderful would that be? You can re-live the world that they lived and learn from their lives, experiences and will not repeat the mistakes they did…

Well over 1,000 school children had that chance today right here in your city at the Hochstein School of Music. What could be a better place to experience this magical moment of your history in such a pristine location? With its hardwood floors, plastered filigree detailed ceiling, curved balconies, stained glass windows and wood panels behind the stage— a perfect backdrop for such a performance. Yesterday and today, was the 14th annual presentation of Landmark Society’s premier program Walk the Walk, celebrating the Black history month. The program was an interactive illustration of significant snippets picked from Rochester’s history as told in a live theatre setting. Six eminent Black men and women from Rochester’s history came to life and spoke to the elementary and middle school kids and gave them lessons learnt from their lives.

The theatre was bustling with students all over and you could hear their chatter. From the back came a man in his frontier clothing with a stick made to resemble the antlers. He mentioned how different this place was now from the time he was here with wilderness and rattlesnakes everywhere. This was Captain Sunfish, our ancestor who introduces us to all the other ancestors.

Our first ancestor was Austin Steward, a very gritty slave brought into New York, who always had the dream of starting his own business. He talked to kids about bullying and how to never give up your dreams, even if there are hurdles on the way.

Following him, came our famed Frederick Douglass one of the most celebrated citizens of Rochester. He told kids the story of his life and how he traced his path from slavery to freedom. The most interesting part of his story was that he asked kids philosophical questions and helped them think for themselves. The first question was, do any of you want to be a slave? We get an automatic loud response NO. Then comes the tricky question, do any of you want to be a master? We get an instinctive response of YES, followed by an emphatic NO. To me, the most interesting aspect of this performance was the interactive element, where kids were questioned to think for themselves. I must applaud Mr. Douglass for resolving kid’s dilemma about being a master. He said that you can be a master of words. It is wisely said, a pen is mightier than a sword. So if you master your words, you can be an orator like me.

Mr. Douglass was followed by his wife Anna Murray Douglass, a deeply touching act, where she talked about the struggles of her day to day life. Although she was the wife of a world famous man, but at home she had to fight for equal treatment from people at home. After her came Mary Jackson, an orphan whose mom died of influenza and she was moved into an orphanage. She talked about her struggles being a colored orphan and how she was ill treated by other people in the community. She emphasized the importance of praying and working hard in life. She reminded the kids of the feeling of not belonging to a place. She said, “If you ever felt like this even once, promise to yourself, you will never make anyone else feel like this”.

With her emotional lesson, came our last ancestor for the day George Brown—a soldier, the last surviving Civil War veteran member of his church over on Favor Street. Mr. Brown used to be an enslaved person and was sold for $ 1450 in 1862. Mr. Brown told his fascinating stories of escape, struggle and hope. He emphasized the significance of hope to the kids and mentioned that hope can bring the change.

It was a wonderful presentation and a must-see for everybody in the community. This presentation did not only give you a peek in the African- American history of Rochester but taught you lessons from the past and emphasized not to repeat the same mistakes in the present. It was a wonderful learning tool for the kids to acquaint themselves to their past and if they believe and work hard, they can be anything, even the president of the United States.

For me, it was a great learning experience, especially because I am an immigrant. My only disappointment was that I did not see any kids from various suburban districts. There were kids primarily from the City School district. It is my kind request to all the schools to make this program a part of their curriculum. It is a unique way to engage the students in an intelligent interaction with their history which they will never experience elsewhere.

It’s not too late for you to have this experience also! We also have a public performance free of charge on February 12, 7 p.m. at Mount Olivet Baptist Church, 141 Adams Street, Rochester followed by coffee and snacks. So don’t miss it!!


Posted by Nimisha Thakur, Preservation Associate

Why we owe Haiti more than support

Working in the "history business" I am not usually surprised when some event or person from the past resonates with my life today.

In preparing for The Landmark Society’s event "Walk the Walk: Encounters with Rochester’s African-American Ancestors" it crossed my mind to take a look at Frederick Douglass’ service, late in life, as an American ambassador.
I knew it was to a Caribbean island, but had to check to see which one.
Mr. Douglass was appointed by President Benjamin Harrison as "Minister in Residence and Consulate General to Haiti." He served from 1889 to 1891, when he was in his early 70’s.

We are all thinking about Haiti these days, aren’t we?

It seems a lot of Americans were also thinking about Haiti during Douglass’ time – but not with the empathy and support most of us are feeling today. This was at a time when America was much divided about the country of Haiti, as many remembered when an "uprising" of enslaved people revolted and took their freedom at the beginning of the 19th century – and even after emancipation here, that apparently made many Americans nervous.

Douglass became an advocate for Haiti, and when the Haitian pavilion opened at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Douglass was invited to speak.
The internet is full of transcriptions of that speech, given on January 2, 1893. It’s a lecture, really - describing the country, the people, the politics, how our country might benefit from Haiti and how Haiti might benefit from the U.S.
To me, the most amazing segment of the speech is where Frederick Douglass credits the revolt in Haiti with starting the wheels of change rolling that ultimately resulted in freedom for many across the globe.

Here are a few excerpts, in the words of The Great Orator:

"We should not forget that the freedom you and I enjoy to-day; that the freedom that eight hundred thousand colored people enjoy in the British West Indies; the freedom that has come to the colored race the world over, is largely due to the brave stand taken by the black sons, of Haiti ninety years ago. When they struck for freedom, they built better than they knew. Their swords were not drawn and could not be drawn simply for themselves alone. They were linked and interlinked with their race, and striking for their freedom, they struck for the freedom of every black man in the world."

"It is said of ancient nations, that each had its special mission in the world and that each taught the world some important lesson. The Jews taught the world a religion, a sublime conception of the Deity. The Greeks taught the world philosophy and beauty. The Romans taught the world jurisprudence. England is foremost among the modern nations in commerce and manufactures. Germany has taught the world to think, while the American Republic is giving the world an example of a Government by the people, of the people and for the people."

"Among these large bodies, the little community of Haiti, anchored in the Caribbean Sea, has had her mission in the world, and a mission which the world had much need to learn. She has taught the world the danger of slavery and the value of liberty. In this respect she has been the greatest of all our modern teachers."

" … Until Haiti struck for freedom, the conscience of the Christian world slept profoundly over slavery. It was scarcely troubled even by a dream of this crime against justice and liberty…. "

"Until she spoke no Christian nation had abolished Negro slavery. Until she spoke no Christian nation had given to the world an organized effort to abolish slavery. … Until she spoke, the slave trade was sanctioned by all the Christian nations of the world, and our land of liberty and light included."

Yes, we are all thinking about Haiti these days – offering our sympathy and our support. But history has reached out to me today, and taught me that I also owe the legacy of Haiti a debt of gratitude.


Cindy Boyer, Director of Museums and Education.

Experience "Walk the Walk: Encounters with Rochester's African-American Ancestors"
Free Performance Friday February 12th at 7 pm
Mt Olivet Baptist Church
141 Adams Street
Rochester, NY

A comeback for a 1950s icon

The much-lamented Donuts Delite has come back to life! This iconic post-war building at the corner of Culver and Empire has been vacant for several years since the business closed, but reopened as both Donuts Delite and a new outpost of Salvatore's Pizza. I can't wait to get back there for the donuts and the wonderful 1950s atmosphere.

Posted by Katie Eggers Comeau, Director of Preservation Services

Rochester's Newest Landmark

It's official: the house at 271 Hamilton Street, which I referred to in the post below, was confirmed as the City of Rochester's newest landmark property by the city's Planning Commission yesterday.

Congratulations to Jean Czerkas, Tim O'Connell, and Ann Parks, and to homeowner Sherri Dukes for this well-deserved recognition of an important historic site!

See our website for more on what landmark designation means and how to pursue it.

Posted by Katie Eggers Comeau, Director of Preservation Services

Recognition for a forgotten Frederick Douglass site

Last night the City of Rochester's Preservation Board rung in the new year by voting in favor of designation of an exciting new city landmark. The house at 271 Hamilton Street was discovered, through a serendipitous find followed by years of painstaking research, to be the only known surviving house in Rochester owned and occupied by Frederick Douglass.

Douglass lived in Rochester for much of the most productive period of his life, and this city was his home base for some of his most significant work in the abolition and women's rights movements. Both his first house, at 297 Alexander Street, and his main Rochester home, on South Avenue, have been lost, leaving Rochester with no house associated with Douglass - until the discovery of the Hamilton Street property.

According to the landmark nomination, which was based on research by local historians Jean Czerkas and Tim O'Connell and written by Ann Parks, our former deputy director, "Douglass is known to have invested in real estate in the city, and in 1855, he purchased the property at 271 Hamilton Street. In 1872, Douglass deeded the property to his daughter Rosetta Sprague where she and her husband Nathan Sprague lived until 1876, when Nathan Sprague encountered financial difficulties and both subsequently moved to Washington. Frederick Douglass took back ownership of the house in 1877, retaining it until his death in 1895. Local city directories (1873 and 1874) indicate that Douglass returned several times to Rochester as he was listed as a 'boarder' at 271 Hamilton Street."

It was thrilling to hear the story from Jean of how she unexpectedly discovered that a house on what was then "Hamilton Place" was connected to the Sprague/Douglass family. Having made that initial find, Jean and Tim then did a great deal of research to locate which house it was and piece together the story of Douglass's ownership and residency. They found documentation that the Spragues purchased a marble fireplace surround for the house not long before the death of their six-year-old daughter and their departure from Rochester, and have discovered that the fireplace remains intact. The Preservation Board specifically mentioned the fireplace as part of the designation.

Also thrilling is the explanation they have deduced as to why Douglass retained the house and occasionally boarded there even after moving to Washington, D.C. Residents of the nation's capital at that time could not vote in any federal elections (they since have gained voting rights in Presidential elections), and Jean and Tim have concluded that Douglass kept the house in Rochester in order to maintain his hard-won right to vote.

At the hearing, in addition to Jean and Tim, Victoria Schmitt and Dr. David Anderson, both respected local historians with expertise in local African-American history and in Douglass's life and career, spoke eloquently in favor of the application and the property's significance. They spoke to their expectation that this house, with its tangible connection to a transcendant historical figure, will have an important future as well as an important past.

The Preservation Board voted in favor of the designation; on Monday the application goes before the Planning Board, which must also vote to approve it. Fortunately, the property owner is in favor of designation, making this an easier process.

Posted by Katie Eggers Comeau, Director of Preservation Services