Have you ever discovered a piece of living history in your own home? It can be a thrilling moment when something that’s been hiding under your feet (or above your head) for decades suddenly reveals itself, opening a little window onto the past.
Last week Brenda Washington sent us these photos and a note that read:
“Hello! I have a home in the Highland section of town (circa 1870) and have a really cool wooden block “for sale” sign that was found in the attic, from Neil Real Estate Co. Its a pretty cool sign… Never have seen one like it!”
We know the feeling, Brenda. And we’re happy to share your discovery. Here are the photos of the sign and an old Rochester business directory Brenda also found from 1921 showing an old advertisement for Neil Real Estate Co…
This week’s Fun Foto Friday is a snapshot from 1893. That’s Nick Brayer, an engineering contractor working on a new sewer beneath Front Street in downtown Rochester. In his hands is a tin box. It’s not a sewer pipe. It’s actually a time capsule and he’s preparing to lay it at the project site to be buried. Looks like quite the event; a crowd of neighborhood kids have formed behind him to get in on the photo op.
Fast forward to 2015 and the burning question for readers of this blog will undoubtedly be: Where is this capsule now? And what’s inside…
I wrote you back in December about the issue of sidewalks not being shoveled. After every snow storm there are large areas of sidewalks that are not shoveled throughout the city. I think it’s great that the City of Rochester provides supplemental sidewalk plowing. However, I think many people think it’s now the city’s job to shovel…
A recent email from a RocSubway reader asks: “There is a building on Moore Road in Genesee Valley Park that looks like some kind of bird house, maybe a pigeon coop. It’s so close to the edge of the [University of Rochester] property that I wondered if it was theirs, rather than part of the park. Someone is taking care of it as the paint doesn’t appear to be that old. Thought its origin might be interesting. Any ideas?”
I’ve noticed this building before too, and because of those tiny holes in the upper level, I’ve always assumed it was a birdhouse. But I admit, I really am not sure. So I asked JoAnn Beck, Senior Landscape Architect with the City of Rochester…
Last week, Carnegie Place was largely destroyed by fire. Its life spanned some of the most crucial and drastically changing times in Rochester’s history. I had a chance to stop by after the fire and take some photographs of a building I have always enjoyed; in a part of town that was vibrant and still is the heart of the arts movement in Rochester…
Tucked away in a remote corner of downtown, facing the back side of the Geva Theatre and surrounded on all sides by parking lots, stands this unassuming brick house. In downtown Rochester there are several lonely buildings like this one, still hanging on long after its neighbors have all been read their last rites.
I admire old little structures like this. Maybe it doesn’t have a glamourous story to tell. But it’s stuck it out for the last 150+ years – from Rochester’s boom, all the way through the toughest times this rusty city could throw at it. Whenever I’ve visited Geva Theatre I’ve taken notice of this one and wondered if it would find new life…
You may have heard FSI Development of Rochester has purchased the empty lot at 186 Atlantic Ave (a.k.a. The Gleason Lot). Here at RocSubway we’ve fantasized about filling in this empty lot for quite some time. And although it’s not our original vision, the actual plan may be even better than how we dreamed it – primarily because it involves a local brew.
FSI is planning to build a brewery and tasting room on the southeast corner of the site to lease to Three Heads Brewery of Honeoye Falls. Damn, why didn’t we think of this…
Last summer Rochester developer and restauranteur, John Tachin called up RocSubway with a history mystery for us to solve. After four months of digging, we came up empty. But here’s hoping maybe YOU can help us solve the case of the stone lions.
Sorry for the Tina Turner reference… it was all I could think of to describe the enormity of this big wheel. I’m talking 25 foot and 12 tons just under 20 ton*!! Um, ok so who are these hooded dudes, and just where do they think they’re going with our giant wheel? These strange photos were taken late Tuesday afternoon by Tom Dubois and Peter Simpson…
The New York Museum of Transportation presents a 40-minute slide talk on the Rochester Subway. The show is at 1:00 p.m., Sunday, January 11, 2015 and is free with admission of $5 adults and $4 under age 12. Images from the museum’s vast photo archive portray the Rochester Subway from construction, through operation, to its abandonment almost 60 years ago. The presentation of B&W and color slides will be narrated by the museum trustee, Jim Dierks…
Being called one of the most innovative reggae bands out there today , Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad is rocketing into 2015 with momentum. The group’s previous album In These Times earned a spot on iTunes “Best of 2012” list. And their new album, Steady debuted this fall at #1 on the Billboard Reggae Chart, iTunes’ Reggae Chart, and Amazon’s Reggae Chart. Cider Magazine called it, “one of the best reggae albums ever made.”
Without a doubt, Giant Panda has become one of Rochester’s hottest musical exports…
IT’S THE WEEEEEEEKEND! Here are a few fun things to do this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as sent in to us by YOU RocSubway readers. We’ve got a unique worship service at Cinema Theater, a very tasty Holiday Market at Hart’s, and one hilarious food drive for Foodlink…
The transformation at the Carriage Factory building has been nothing short of amazing. Located at 33 Litchfield Street in the Susan B. Anthony neighborhood, the former factory building that was close to the landfill has been reborn as seventy-one affordable and special needs apartments. The rehabilitation of the building was a long time coming and was not without its challenges and delays…
It was nearly five years ago when I and a small group of RocSubway readers came together with a single goal; to strengthen our community by working to grow sustainable transportation options across our region. Together we formed Reconnect Rochester, Inc…
Next in the Wear to Where series, we look to the Irondequoit Bay Outlet Bridge. For years this span of 180 feet has been less of a unifier than a divider in this community, but Senator Chuck Schumer has an idea (or rather wants someone to come up with an idea) that could change that permanently…
On May 19, 1911, a 150 foot long break occurred in the wall of the New York State Barge Canal at Bushnell’s Basin. Construction on this section of canal had just been completed eight days earlier.
According to an article in the Monroe County Mail, it was a canal worker, John McCarthy, who at 4pm discovered water pouring through a narrow crack in the canal bank…
There’s tons of development happening all over the city of Rochester. In addition to the bigger ones, I thought I’d keep you updated on some of the smaller projects that are less spoken about.
179 Atlantic Avenue has been completely overhauled inside and out. The building is nearing completion and will be ready for occupants sometime around the new year…
On Sunday [November 22] my mom took my little brother and me to Rochester Mini Maker Faire . There were a lot of cool robots, fun activities, and art to make, and buy. I want to tell you about some of my favorite things that I saw there…
As you know, the City of Rochester is requesting development proposals for the empty lots along Charlotte Street. I am sending you a plan that I worked on with a couple of designers. Unfortunately, we have not been able to connect with any interested developers, and proposals were due December 5th.
The following design is by Pebble-stream; we wanted to share it with our friends who believe in the future of this community…
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After the Erie Canal was rerouted south of downtown Rochester, the Rochester
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changed, and highways replaced the railroads, the Rochester subway gradually
became a relic of a bygone era. In 1956 the subway was abandoned and much of
its route was converted into Interstate 490 — built to connect Rochester
with the New York State Thruway (I-90). Read more about the history of the Rochester Subway.
RochesterSubway.com exists to help spark
public dialogue around how we can better connect the neighborhoods of Rochester
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future is written in her past. Let's rediscover it.
![Nick Brayer preparing to lay a time capsule under Front Street, Rochester. 1893. [PHOTO: Rochester Municipal Archives]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/front-street-time-capsule-rochester-ny-01.jpg)
![Sidewalk snow removal is a safety issue that requires action from all of us. [PHOTO: Nearsoft Inc, Flickr]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/snow-sidewalk-02.jpg)
![Last week, Carnegie Place was largely destroyed by fire. [PHOTO: PuddleJumper Photography]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-carnegie-building-fire-01.jpg)
![Tucked away in a remote corner of downtown Rochester, facing the back side of the Geva Theatre and surrounded on all sides by parking lots, stands this unassuming brick house. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/st-marys-place-01.jpg)
![Here's hoping maybe YOU can help us solve the case of the stone lions. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/benvenuto-stone-lions-rochester-ny-01.jpg)
![The triphammer water wheel in High Falls, Rochester NY being removed from its housing so it can be restored. [PHOTO: Tom Dubois]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-high-falls-triphammer-water-wheel-01.jpg)
![Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad's new album, Steady, debuted this fall at #1 on the Billboard Reggae Chart, iTunes' Reggae Chart, and Amazon's Reggae Chart. [IMAGE: LivePanda.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/giant-panda-guerilla-dub-squad-01.jpg)
![This weekend's events include a unique worship service at Cinema Theater, a very tasty Holiday Market at Hart's, and one hilarious food drive for Foodlink. [PHOTO: M J M, Flickr]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/cinema-theater-rochester-ny.jpg)
![Carriage Factory, Rochester NY. [PHOTO PROVIDED BY: Preservation Studios]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-cunningham-carriage-factory-south-side-before.jpg)
![ROC Transit Day, 2014. [PHOTO: John Derycke, Motorsports Photography]](http://rochestersubway.com/images/photos/reconnect-rochester-2014-01.jpg)
![Next in the Wear to Where series, we look to the Irondequoit Bay Outlet Bridge. [PHOTO: Clarke Condé]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-fashion-wear-to-where-irondequoit-bay-01.jpg)
![Looking north through the gap in the north wall of newly completed Barge Canal. A break occurred at Bushnell's Basin on May 19, 1911. [PHOTO: Perinton Municipal Historian collection]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-erie-canal-break-04.jpg)
![179 Atlantic Avenue has been completely overhauled inside and out. The building is nearing completion and almost ready for occupants sometime around the new year. [PHOTO: Steve Vogt]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/179-atlantic-avenue-rochester-01.jpg)
![Rochester Mini Maker Faire was jam packed with cool robots, fun activities, and creative stuff to make, and buy. Ella (10) from Iroquois Middle School tells us about some of her favorite things that she saw there. [PHOTO: Ella's Mom]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-mini-maker-faire-01.jpg)
![Development proposals for the empty lots along Charlotte were due to the City on Friday. An independent design shop called Pebble-stream came up with this proposal but couldn't find an interested developer before the deadline. [IMAGE: James Reynolds, Pebble-stream]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/pebble-stream-charlotte-street-plan-01.jpg)
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