Inside Downtown 2012 Tour Guide

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 28 5:30–8:30 PM

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 29

11AM–4PM

WELCOME TO INSIDE DOWNTOWN 2012

I would like to welcome you to this year’s Inside Downtown Tour!

This tour embodies preservation. You will see firsthand how adaptive use can transform buildings, neighborhoods and entire communities. Once vacant buildings are now dynamic resources that house small businesses, create jobs, contribute to our local tax base and solidify investment in a given area. Not only are these historic buildings being reused, but I think you will agree that they are interesting and quite unique. Western New York is fortunate to have so many historic resources remaining that represent so many opportunities. Creative use, adaptation, is essential to not only save our heritage, but to also encourage further investment in our community. The sites on this year’s tour provide a great example of preservation’s role in enhancing our quality of life.

Thank you to all of the sites that graciously agreed to open their doors. Thank you to all our volunteers that make this event possible. And, thank you to all those attending the tour. By attending this tour, you will not only enjoy seeing some great spaces, but you will support The Landmark Society’s important work. Enjoy!

Wayne Goodman The Landmark Society’s Executive Director

ON THE COVER: Photos by Cindy Boyer TOUR COMMITTEE DISCOVER PARK AVE’S

Hidden Gem!

Anthony Bellomo, Chairperson Cindy Boyer, Landmark Director of Public Programs Carolyn Haygood, Landmark Community Relations Associate Cynthia Howk, Landmark Architectural Research Coordinator

Caitlin Meives, Landmark Preservation Planner Tour Photography: David Boyer, Cindy Boyer, Richard Margolis Tour Descriptions written

by Cindy Boyer and Cynthia Howk.

THANK YOU TO OUR

SPONSORS Filet & Crab Cake Sundays $22 3 Course Menu $22 • T W Th Happy Hour 5-7 & 9-11 Homemade Bread & Desserts!

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AMAZING WINE LIST! | INSIDE DOWNTOWN TOUR GUIDE 2012

The Landmark Society is partially supported by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

TOUR TOUR

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1 274 North Goodman – Village Gate

Tour Headquarters and Badfish Consulting offices. Entrance A, B,or D. Restrooms available 2 274 North Goodman – Lofts at Village Gate

Enter through Village Gate. If your ticket is in hand you may also use Entrance C 3 302 North Goodman (Salena’s restau-

rant building) Apt 305 4 277 North Goodman Apt 205

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Inspiration for Today’s and Yesterday’s Homes

5 176 Anderson Avenue

Muto Design and Axom Gallery 6 664 University Avenue

Apartments 2, 3 and 4

Indoor and outdoor furniture, accessories, lamps, rugs, art and design ideas since 1965

ridgerattan.com 1267 E. Ridge Road | Irondequoit | 544-2779 Ridgemont Plaza, W. Ridge Rd. | Greece | 360-2250

7 696-712 University Avenue – “flatiron” building

Apartments 41-1 and 47-4.

8 20 Portsmouth Terrace

Parking

For over 95 years the Feldman family has been providing quality energy saving heating and cooling.

TOUR

TICKETS ADVANCE TICKETS $22

It’s Hard To Stop A Trane

Order online at

Order by phone

www.landmarksociety.org

(585) 546-7029 x11

On sale at

Landmark members

The Landmark Society

may purchase discounted tickets directly

133 S. Fitzhugh

from The Landmark Society only

M-F, 9 to 4 pm

(online, phone or in person.)

www.landmarksociety.org

Tickets available during the tour

Parkleigh

($25, if not sold out)

215 Park Avenue

Village Gate – 2nd Floor Atrium

274 North Goodman

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INSIDE DOWNTOWN TOUR 2012

NEIGHBORHOOD INFORMATION A bus shelter shaped like a giant’s umbrella.

Elegant loft apartments with every aesthetic amenity. A dense collection of museums, art schools, galleries and studios packed into a dynamic, historic neighborhood.

Restaurants that serve sushi, “slow food,” burgers, barista beverages – among many other delights. And perhaps more diverse, adaptively reused spaces than anywhere else in the Rochester area.

You know it has to be The Neighborhood of the Arts.

Located just east of downtown, the area is the cultural center of Rochester and an increasingly popular residential area. The area has its roots in the academic and the manufacturing world, and remnants of both form the streetscape.

The neighborhood’s spine is University Avenue. Did you ever wonder why it carries that name? It’s the boundary of the original campus for the University of Rochester, within the block bordered by University Avenue, North Goodman Street, College Avenue, and Prince Street. The U of R occupied the neighborhood from 1861 until they moved to the river campus in1930. Some of the old university buildings still remain converted to new uses such as the Memorial Art Gallery’s Cutler Union.

Situated in easy proximity to railroad lines to the north, it’s easy to understand why the neighborhood was a significant node of late 19th century to mid 20th century industry. Companies such as Gleason Works, the Morgan Machine Company, StrombergCarlson (telephone manufacturer), Stecher Lithograph Co., and the Cutler Mail Chute Company were strong industrial presences.

A few industrial operations remain, notably Gleason Works, with its elegant façade along University Avenue, but most of the former industrial buildings have been converted into apartments and artists’ studios.

That’s where we come in! We’ve arranged with building owners, condo dwellers, tenants

Mannequins outside of Artwalk Tile wait to greet you (please note, they retire for the evening and will not be outside Friday night)

and artists to bring YOU into those apartments and studios.

As much as the Neighborhood of the Arts excels as an art Mecca, for its residents it is first and foremost a charming place to live - so much so that the area’s pocket of historic housing has witnessed a dramatic increase in housing values during the last decade.

The centerpiece to this residential rebirth is the renovated Turrets Building (also known as the Flat Iron Building) on the corner of Atlantic and University Avenues.

This striking building, named after the triangular-tip-and square-end shape of early irons, anchors the main commercial artery with quaint restaurants and shops topped by three floors of upscale apartments. Turn-ofthe-century Victorian-era houses on nearby residential streets provide a variety of single family housing and apartments.

As a destination spot, the Neighborhood of the Arts draws thousands each year for its highly successful events, shopping and dining.

Earlier in September the Clothesline Festival, Rochester’s oldest and largest arts and crafts fair, features more than 600 artists from 23 counties on the grounds of the Memorial Art Gallery. “First Fridays” find hundreds visiting Rochester galleries on the first Friday of each month. From fall to spring, the artists of

| INSIDE DOWNTOWN TOUR GUIDE 2012

Anderson Alley invite the public into their studios on the second Saturday of the month.

New public art appears in the neighborhood regularly. Perhaps most distinctive are the three unique bus shelters along University Avenue. Each was designed by a different artist and reflects its specific setting. The biggest change for 2012 will be the completion of the major street reconstruction on University and Goodman streets, capped by progress on the sculpture garden at the Memorial Art Gallery.

The Landmark Society is proud to bring our Inside Downtown Tour to The Neighborhood of the Arts (we have never been an organization to be limited by an Inner Loop when it comes to discovering great urban neighborhoods.) With our new “You Are Invited” list” your ticket will not only get you into the private spaces, but will get you discounts and other special offers at area businesses, restaurants, galleries and more. The list offers everything from discounts on artwork or portrait packages to reduced drink prices - even a complimentary introduction to fencing lesson! Tour goers will have the chance to experience all aspects of the area – charming residential area, the great shopping and dining attractions, and the fun of being part of an exciting special event.

Cindy Boyer Director of Public Programs The Landmark Society of Western New York

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! This is our 75th anniversary year – we have some great celebrations planned this year. See our contact information at the bottom of the page to learn more.

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.

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 house 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 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

RAFFLE!

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 you possibly do all of that?

Dedication, determination – and support from Landmark Society volunteers, members and the community at large!

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.

If you join before the Inside Downtown Tour, you can get $17 tour tickets (advance ticket price only, must be purchased from The Landmark Society) a savings of $5 per ticket.

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.

Because EVERYONE deserves to live in a vital, interesting, green community.

A free raffle for ticket holders, for a Landmark Society Deluxe Gift Package including a household membership, Historic New York book, Erie Canal Legacy book, 2 tickets to the June 2013 House and Garden tour, and more!

LANDMARKSOCIETY.ORG |

INSIDE DOWNTOWN TOUR 2012

TOUR STOPS You may visit tour stops in any order.

Tour Stop numbers are for reference to the map on the tour ticket.

Tour Headquarters and Stops #1&2 VILLAGE GATE 274 NORTH GOODMAN Stern Properties Year Built: 1900 Look on the exterior: The elegant & highly

detailed N. Goodman façade signals that the office/administrative functions of the company were in this 5-story, front section of the building (the rear factory wing is only 2-stories tall). Note the tall brick piers & corbelled cornice, terra cotta belt course, brick pilasters and Italian Renaissance detailing around arched front/Goodman Street entrance.

enterprise that are on tour today. They are located in three separate buildings.

Where to Enter: There are quite a few ways to

Don’t Miss on the inside: A lot of changes are

enter Village Gate, and access tour headquarters and sites open for the tour. You may use the center doors on North Goodman, the lower level from the courtyard (near Dark Horse Coffee) or Entrance B from the back parking lot.

If you already have your tour tickets you may enter the main door to the Lofts at Village Gate, at Entrance C.

taking place in Village Gate – make time to explore the atrium, the lower level restaurant row, and the interesting retail shops. Be sure to check out the display of labels that were printed in this building during its industrial days.

You’ll find them on the second level, heading back towards the Lofts at Village Gate.

You’ll enjoy knowing: In 1900, the print-

ing company that finally became known as Stecher-Traung-Schmidt Lithographic Company moved into a brand new building at 274 North Goodman Street. The company was a major supplier of labels and folding cartons for canned, frozen, and dry foods, beverages, drugs, cosmetics, toys, hardware, and more.

They were one of the largest producers of can labels, and during their heyday was the world’s largest lithographic printing plant.

In 1971, the company moved out of Rochester, leaving more than 300,000 square feet of floor space that became Village Gate Square in 1981. Stern Properties manages a lively blend of retail shops, offices, restaurants, art galleries, theater, and apartments.

It is the loft apartments and one commercial

Lofts at Village Gate, the exterior of Lofts at Village Gate and Badfish Cosulting offices.

Tour Stop #1 274 N. GOODMAN STREET Badfish Consulting offices – access from Village Gate atrium.

This two level office space is the “poster child” for flexible use of space. Badfish Consulting has created open project work areas, cozy conversation pits, breakout meeting rooms and a kitchen. Don’t miss the inside “outdoor” patio.

Tour Stop # 2 274 N. GOODMAN STREET

Lofts at Village Gate – access from the Village Gate atrium.

You may also enter at Entrance C ONLY if you have your tickets in hand.

Apartment 600 – This surprisingly roomy

loft apartment features a kitchen with

| INSIDE DOWNTOWN TOUR GUIDE 2012

an island for eating and socializing; an expansive great room, and two bedrooms – including one accessed by a spiral staircase.

The residents have blended the modern clean lines of a loft space with comfortable, traditional furnishings. One highlight: Did you ever think that you could enjoy Rochester apartment living and have room for a billiards table?

Apartment 611 – The great thing about

loft living: the soaring ceiling makes a small space feel much more expansive. This home manages to capture that open, soaring feeling and combine it with comfortable areas for socializing and dining. The resident has chosen a modern palette of silver, white, turquoise and mirrored surfaces. An impressive and refreshing interior.

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302 N. Goodman Street

Tour Stop # 3 302 N. GOODMAN STREET (building with Salena’s restaurant) Year Built: circa 1910 About this building: This building has

about as varied a history as any in Rochester. It shows up on the historic maps for the first time in 1910 – as a chewing gum manufacturer! The American Chicle Company operated here for almost 10 years. It was transformed in 1926 into the overflow annex for East High School, which was then located on nearby Alexander Street. Finally, by 1939 it housed “Ward’s Natural Science Establishment – Osteologists” – providing skeletons and other scientific specimens to academic institutions.

Today the building is just as diverse – a restaurant, a jazz lounge, a Community Acupuncture Clinic, the Onondaga School of Massage and apartments.

Apartment No. 305 - is on the third floor

and accessible by elevator. It is a one-bedroom loft apartment with 600 square feet of space and 15-foot-high ceilings. Huge windows face south.

The School of Massage’s reception area

(2nd floor) will be open during the tour, if you’d like to see their shop area or learn about their massage clinic.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 8

LANDMARKSOCIETY.ORG |

TOUR STOPS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

Tour Stop #4 277 N. GOODMAN STREET Year Built: circa 1910 About this building: The first occupant of

this building was Schlegel Manufacturing Company. They produced “trimmings” (upholstery) for the high end horse carriages produced by Cunningham Carriage Company. They transitioned into insulation for automobiles, and by later in the 20th century had moved to Henrietta. By the 1980s, this factory building was vacant & the exterior “cladding” (curtain walls) was removed, leaving a completely open structure consisting of only the steel beams & poured concrete detailing/floors.

When the building was rehabilitated for apartments, new exterior curtain walls, windows and other exterior details were installed to enclose the building, as seen today.

Apartment 205 - There are a lot of ways to

define spaces in a loft apartment. The raised room area functions as a divider between work space and entertaining or relaxing areas. Arched entryways to the kitchen and bedroom soften the angular walls, and are echoed with several arched display niches. Accent color walls further identify dining and sleeping areas.

You could say this is the archetypical Neighborhood of the Arts loft apartment.

The residents have an amazing collection of local artists’ work. They recently moved from a house in the city, and have remarked on how spacious the apartment feels.

Also of Interest in the area:

250 N. GOODMAN STREET

Anderson Building (corner of Anderson Avenue and North Goodman)

This is not an “official” stop on the tour, but many of the galleries in the building will be open during tour hours.

Year Built: 1906 Look on the exterior: The Goodman St. façade

reflects a more highly detailed design than the rest of the structure – putting a nicer face on the office/administrative section than the factory area. Note the metal cornice and caps, corbelled cornice with band of round-edged brick, and limestone belt course at street level.

277 N. Goodman Street

The Goodman Street entrance includes detailed brickwork and a rounded arch.

You’ll enjoy knowing: The four floors of this

building were occupied by the E.P Reed Shoe Factory. Edgar P. Reed was a designer and manufacturer of women’s shoes. He got into the business in the 1860s when Rochester was a shoe manufacturing Mecca. He built this building and in 1906 moved in his shoe factory, E.P. Reed & Co., from its former location on St. Paul St. They were a high end product manufacturer. Their company slogan was “Nothing under $15 retail” – which is the equivalent of over $380 today.

Don’t miss on the inside: City Newspaper has

its offices here – they are not open for the tour, since they are all hard at work all hours of the day and night. But facing the building, you will find Anderson Alley to the left of the building, and Anderson Street to the right of the building. Walk down Anderson Alley to find the entrance to artist studios opening for you during the tour. Especially note the photo studio of Richard Margolis, who will be mounting an architecture related photography exhibit. Walk down Anderson Street on the right of the building to find additional shops and restaurants (see your “YOU ARE INVITED” list provided with each tour ticket for those that are open and have special incentives for you.)

Tour Stop #5 176 ANDERSON AVENUE Muto Design Studios

Year Built: circa 1910 Look on the exterior: Have you noticed how

| INSIDE DOWNTOWN TOUR GUIDE 2012

many of the re-purposed industrial buildings have very large windows, including this one? That is your early 20th century lighting and ventilation. Factories would have been lit with rudimentary electric or gas light, not enough illumination for workers’ tasks. Without fans or air conditioning, open windows would have kept the workers productive, if not completely comfortable.

This building’s entrance has vaguely classical details and proportions: a recessed doorway with brick surround, and a corbelled brick cornice above. This building was all about practicality, not making an impression. Even the main public entrance is understated: a recessed doorway with brick surround, corbelled brick cornice with vaguely classical details & proportions.

You’ll enjoy knowing: The 1910-1911 City

Directory is the first listing for this building, showing two different tenants: the Rochester Stamping Works and Robeson Cutlery Co. One produced sheet metal goods and hardware, the other forks, knives and other cutlery.

They must have been related – the president, vice president and treasurer for each company were the same people. Metal working companies continued to occupy this building, but eventually gave way to the “rag trade.” The 1960 City Directory lists the tenant as “Frankel Bros. & Co, Inc – wool and cotton clippings.” Prerenovation photos show 3 holes in the floor of the studio you will visit that were used to send sorted rags to the lower level.

When you visit the studios upstairs, look out the window for a prime view of the reason so many manufacturers located in this neighborhood: the main east-west railroad corridor. It was easy to receive materials and supplies, as well as ship your goods to anywhere across the U.S. In addition to this structure, on today’s tour you’re visiting a former shoe factory and a lithographic company. The neighborhood also held a major lumber yard, the Cutler Mail Chute factory, and many other businesses.

Don’t miss on the inside: The staircase retains

its original oak paneling. Climb to the second floor to visit Muto Design Studios. This is a great “three for one” site, with Robin Muto’s interior design and lighting studio, Rick

VISIT OUR NEW, LARGER LOCATION Antique, Vintage and Modern 469 W. Ridge Rd. Just west of Dewey

Entrances on University Avenue

Muto’s Decorative and Fine Arts (think incredible murals) and the Axom Gallery, curated by Margot Muto. A fascinating remnant of the industrial days is one of the safes, with its original file shelves intact.

Visitor advisory: The Axom Gallery exhibi-

tion is IN THE GARDEN OF EVE – Paintings by noted artist Keith Howard.

Please be advised that many of the pieces feature nudity (as might be expected in reflections on Eve.) You may visit the design studios without entering the gallery.

Tour Stop # 6 664 UNIVERSITY AVENUE

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Vincent Place residences and retail space Year Built: 1913-14 Look on the exterior: Although of modest

design, the building includes an attractive façade (University Ave.) that is clad with higher quality bricks (dark maroon) than the side walls. The façade also features a pressed metal cornice and brackets above both the storefronts and the 2nd story.

Also note the Medina sandstone trim (sills, lintels) and projecting 2nd story window bay with decorative detailing on the façade.

You’ll enjoy knowing: The building was

erected by the Heinzle family, a successful plumbing operation. In 1968 the Wilco Sales Company moved in. To appreciate the transformation that has occurred here, imagine the first floor as the business office for the Wilco Company, who supplied sports cars with imported European auto parts. And imagine the second floor as the warehouse for those auto parts. In 2004 the renovation began, forming six luxury apartments and the retail space fronting the street.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 10

Loft • Office • Home Keep the charm & architectural character of your historical building Locally Owned - Professional Advice

WWW.MFLUMBER.COM 120 Stonewood Ave. (just off Lake Ave) • 585.663.0430 1230 Lehigh Station Rd. Henrietta • 585.334.5500

LANDMARKSOCIETY.ORG |

TOUR STOPS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

47-4 Atlantic Ave - 2 floor apartment,

Don’t miss on the inside: Enter from the park-

glass winding staircase, granite counter top, two bedrooms

ing lot, under the green awning. All of the apartments are one bedroom with a master bath. There is an abundance of storage space, which many contemporary apartments fail to provide. Another apartment rarity: laundry facilities in each apartment’s walk-in closet off the bedroom. The look of the apartments is also enhanced by Brazilian cherry floors, granite countertops, and top-of-the-line appliances. They found a way to economize on the costs of the granite by installing it in twelve inch tiles rather than one large piece. This cut the cost for granite by two-thirds, and the closely fitted granite pieces look much the same as a single large piece.

Three apartments are open for the tour:

Number 2 (largest in the building) Number 3 (filled with art) and Number 4 (French influenced style? The resident moved here from Paris.)

Tour Stop #7 696-712 UNIVERSITY AVENUE

TURRETS (FLATIRON) BUILDING (corner University and Atlantic avenues) Year Built: 1886 and 1888 Look on the exterior – This structure is actu-

ally two abutting buildings that make one massive presence on the site. Can you see differences between the two structures?

Atlantic Avenue meets University Avenue at an oblique angle that creates a pie-shaped lot between the two streets. In this lot with a triangular tip, the Turrets Building was erected in 1886. At its narrow point, the four-story building measures just 9 feet wide. It broadens out, of course, to become 90 feet at its square end. The second building at the east end was constructed in 1888. Although slightly different in style and details, the two brick structures become a massive cohesive presence on this significant site.

This is a highly sophisticated building, clearly the work of an architect. Note elaborate corbelled brick cornice and decorative piers, horizontal Medina sandstone banding. The University Ave. elevation features decorative wood pediments above

Tour Stop #8 20 PORTSMOUTH TERRACE Year Built: 1894 Builder and/or architect Building contrac-

tor Thomas Finucane, for his own family Architectural Style: Colonial Revival Look on the exterior: Would you say this Turrets (Flatiron) Building

the cornice and 3-story projecting window bays with metal detailing. Historic, pressed metal storefronts retain their transoms, display windows & entrances.

was the house of a middle class family, or a wealthy family? Mr. Finucane did not want to “advertise” his financial state on the exterior of his home.

You’ll enjoy knowing: Thomas W. Finucane,

floor note the ticket window for the former ballroom, originally host to tea dances and bingo games.

who built the Colonial Revival style house at 20 Portsmouth Terrace in 1894, was one of the leading building contractors in western New York. He was also a banker, an owner of gold and silver mines, the founder and president of a telephone company, the head of a large real estate firm, and a political and religious leader in the community. When George Eastman decided to build a four-story manufacturing/ office building on State Street, he turned to Thomas Finucane to design and build it.

Does the exterior seem rather subdued for a person of such a position? Finucane had very particular ideas about how his own house should look. He did not want the exterior to appear ostentatious, thereby advertising his enormous wealth and lofty position in the community. So, 20 Portsmouth Terrace has a modest appearance with a façade of wood shingles and a porch supported by clusters of slender columns and with just a bit of decoration in the gable. One touch that might suggest the owner’s true wealth is the Palladian window in the third-floor gable.

And it should also be noted that the house has considerable bulk, in fact, 8,000 square feet of living space.

For this tour, there are two apartments

Don’t miss on the inside: Once you enter the

open to tour goers. Both are two story

house, you will believe that Mr. Finucane owned gold mines. The “WOW!” factor occurs just inside the front door in the opulent entrance hallway. If you can divert your eyes for a moment from the incredible staircase, look at the dramatic ceiling. It is by

You’ll enjoy knowing: Businessman Paul

Kramer was one of the pioneers of the neighborhood when he bought the Turrets Building in 1981. Today, through his enormous efforts, it is the centerpiece of a residential and commercial rebirth of this section of Rochester that has come to be called the Neighborhood of the Arts, as it is surrounded by cultural institutions and artists’ studios.

“When I bought the building in 1981,” Kramer said, “it had been severely neglected for more than 40 years. The upper floors had not been occupied since the sixties.

The plans for the neighborhood then were to tear down the building and surrounding houses and build a light industrial park.”

Today, Starry Nites Café, Edibles Restaurant, antique shops, and other retail and commercial establishments occupy the first floor, and there are 18 uniquely designed apartments on the upper three floors.

Don’t miss on the inside: On the second

apartments. Enter from the University Avenue entrance.

41-1 Atlantic Ave - 2 floor apartment, cus-

tom designed with an angular staircase

10 | INSIDE DOWNTOWN TOUR GUIDE 2012

Rochester’s famous plaster sculptor, Thillman Fabry, who created the ceilings in the George Eastman House, the Eastman Theatre, and other notable structures.

Back to the staircase: It was hand-carved

in Belgium and incorporates design motifs typical of a 17th-century English country house. Because Finucane was an avid sailor, there are several sea motifs in this staircase that travels in three directions with two landings before reaching the second floor.

The carved panels in the balustrade include depictions of dolphins and grapes. Dolphins represent hospitality because they would greet sailors at sea. Grapes, of course, suggest wine and conviviality. English Tudor roses are carved into the newel posts. In the long horizontal panels below the balustrade are carved bundled tobacco leaves, which symbolize good fortune. Above the niche on the stair landing, there is a representation of the god of the sea, Neptune. Stained-glass windows show family crests and hobbies, among other motifs.

Today, the house has been converted into seven apartments. One of them, on the main floor, is open for this tour.

20 Portsmouth Terrace

is now a bedroom; the second parlor is the kitchen/dining area, and the original dining room is now the living room. A highly decorative Victorian chandelier is unique in that it provides both electric and gas light. The globes are electrified, and the upper candles are gas lights. The wall sconces are also a combination of gas and electric lighting. The large leaded-glass-fronted cabinet to the left of the fireplace in the living room looks like a separate piece of furniture with legs, but it is an original built-in feature of the room.

When you exit off the porch, there is a 16 by 32-foot covered patio that is supported by classical columns. Across the lawn is the original carriage house, which was sold to the George Eastman House for their use.

In the apartment: This living area incorpo-

rates three major rooms of the original house: library, parlor, and dining room. The library

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wills & trusts family law • DWI real estate The “McKim, Mead & White Skyscraper” The Alliance Building

183 East Main Street

Telephone 585 • 454 • 7545

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THANK YOU! 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 and residents that opened their homes to us, including: Stern Properties

Amanda Bochetto and Drew Hannan

Kathy Capierseho

Shane Carlevarini

Gary Stern

Michelle Daley and Michael Corey

Paul and Pamela Kramer

Lynne Feldman and Tony Suchman

Chris and Amanda Costanza

Nicole Hannon Veronica LoCurcio Adena Miller Renee Ortiz Katelin Ryan and T.C. Pellett

EVENTS GHOST WALK

October 26 and 27 Tickets available in October.

A theatrical tour of true history gory stories.

ANNUAL PRESERVATION AWARDS PROGRAM Sunday November 4 Rochester City Hall at 3 pm Free to all.

Refreshments served.

LANDMARKSOCIETY.ORG | 11

e t a l o c o h C ines &V

JOIN US

BEFORE OR AFTER THE TOUR

WINE BEER DESSERT CHEESE CATERING AVAILABLE

2010 & 2011 WINNER!

accessible

757 UNIVERSITY AVE on the

340-6362

chocolateandvines.com

HRS: Mon-Fri 4-11pm, Sat & Sun Noon – 11pm

12 | INSIDE DOWNTOWN TOUR GUIDE 2012

Liv e/Wo r k a t

Nes t l e d i n t h e h e a r t o f t h e Nei g h b o r h o o d o f t h e A r t s

NEW

U n i q u e R etai l S h o p s & Top Notch R e s ta u r ant s !

B r and Ne w R e tail Spaces and Luxury Lof t s S t i l l Available!

Ca l l K a t h y for a vie w i n g 4 4 2 - 9 0 61

s t e r n p rop e r t i e s . c o m

D o n ’ t m i s s t h i s chance to ge t in on Ro chester’s Hot Spot !