RG&E’s Beebee power plant was one of the most formidable structures in Rochester. For half a century, this cluster of buildings covered an 8 acre site along the floor of the High Falls gorge – climbing up the west rock wall and looming hundreds of feet in the air over Platt Street and the neighborhood below…
I received an email last week from George Conboy, Chairman of Brighton Securities. He asks, “Have you seen anywhere a photo of the transportation mural that was behind the long ticket counter at the old airport? I remember it as a vaguely Art Deco theme of general transportation with an emphasis, of course, on air transport.”
Mr. Conboy explained that he used to fly a lot during the “glory days” of air travel back in the 1960s when he was a kid. “I just liked that old mural. I used to see it all the time and it has always been in my mind.”
This is a great question. I had been told of this mural before but have never seen it myself. Photos of it online are practically non-existent, so this one will require some digging…
The complex of the Rochester Psychiatric Center (a.k.a. Rochester State Hospital or Monroe County Insane Asylum) is legendary among urban explorers and history fanatics alike. Originally built in the early 1800s as the Monroe County Almshouse (or poorhouse), new buildings and facilities were gradually added to care for the mentally ill.
Although the hospital still operates to this day, a few buildings were closed in the mid-1990s and now sit in various states of decay. One notable example we’ve explored previously is the towering 16-story Terrence Building which looms over Elmwood Avenue. Another is the sprawling Walters Building (originally known as the Orleans Building) which we’ll be exploring today…
A good friend of mine, Ander Kazmerski , just posted some sweet drone footage of Rochester. The video focuses on two sites – the Rochester subway and the Carnegie building on Goodman Street just after its devastating fire. I don’t think I need to say much about it. These images speak for themselves. You’ll definitely want to go full-screen with this one…
A few weeks ago we took you on a trip to Van Lare Wastewater Treatment Facility to see where Rochester’s dirty water goes to get cleaned up. It was there that we learned of an extensive deep rock tunnel system that that captures major storm runoff until it can be treated. Known as the Combined Sewer Overflow Abatement Program, or CSOAP, this system saves over 1 billion gallons of sewage from overflowing into the Genesee River and Irondequoit Bay each year.
More importantly, this means there are 30 miles of giant smelly tunnels beneath our city just waiting to be explored! Come on let’s go…
About a year and a half ago we shared some photos from inside the abandoned Sykes Datatronics building on Orchard Street (south of Lyell Ave). That building was part of a complex that was home to many different companies from 1915 until Sykes Datatronics (a computer company) left in 1992. Demolition crews have been slowly deconstructing the property since the fall…
Did you hear, last week Rochester earned a spot on a top ten list of most creative cities? It’s true. From local development to just plain news of the weird, here are your RocLinks for this past week…
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…
Today’s RocLink photo was taken by Chris Seward on April 3, 2010 in an abandoned building in Lockport. Chris says the three-story building was brimming with antique motorcycles and parts. According to this article the bikes made their way here from Kohl’s Cycle Salvage shop on the north side of the Erie Canal. The Mr. Kohl died in 2002, and the motorcycles were left here until the building crumbled around them.
And now, from local development to just plain news of the weird, here are your RocLinks for this past week…
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…
Okay urban explorers and subway fans, lay down some newspaper and get ready to have your minds blown. A local photographer, Mark Goho, has made it his mission to capture 360º panoramas of Rochester parks to share with the world on Google Views. Mark’s latest project took him deep underground and, with a few clicks of a camera and mouse, he has given the general public unfettered access into the abandoned Rochester subway…
My buddies Chris Clemens and Luke Myer (from the Burned Over District blog) recently shared these photos with me. Chris and Luke were on their way to Sodus on an unrelated exploration trip when they recalled stories of a nearby abandoned Girl Scout camp and decided to stop and check it out [map ].
Luke says his mother camped here when she was a little girl. In fact, many Girl Scouts earned a badge or two here over its 60+ year history. This was camp Beech-Wood and the following is an excerpt from NYfalls.com about its history…
The area around University of Rochester—both east and west of the river—has seen an explosion of new construction. RocSubway contributor Jimmy Combs ventured out this weekend to get a snapshot of the progress of three of these developments; College Town, The Flats at Brooks Crossing, and the new Golisano Children’s Hospital. All are due to open by 2015…
On Facebook last week I shared an old photo of Rochester’s iconic Mercury statue as it was being removed from its original perch atop the Kimball Tobacco Factory in 1951. The factory was demolished to make way for the War Memorial and the statue sat in storage until the Lawyers Cooperative (Aqueduct Building) became his new home in 1973.
Fast forward to June 2011; the 21 foot tall, 700 pound statue gets a thorough inspection for signs of wear and a good restoration. The following photos were taken by Wes Plant during that checkup. And they show Mercury in detail you’ve probably never seen before…
A new collaborative art exhibit will open Sunday, May 11, at ARTISANworks . “Rochester (& Other) Landmarks” features the work of local photographer, Jonathan White, and graffiti artist, Antonio “Chico” Garcia.
To the average viewer the work may come across as a bit of a train wreck; seemingly random doodles, awkwardly juxtaposed against a familiar urban landscape. But like any good wreck, once it catches your eye, you’ll find it impossible to look away…
Rochester’s beloved Hojack Swing Bridge has been gone for more than a year, but now a new exhibit at the New York Museum of Transportation will honor the history of the former Rochester landmark. The exhibit is a re-creation of the bridge’s control cabin and contains the original steam engine, control devices, and a working model of the bridge…
The latest Midtown renderings from Buckingham Properties are a promising sign of things to come. Still, it’s difficult to ignore this 18-story skeleton which has been looming over Rochester’s streets since 2011. When most people look up at this hulking mass of steel and concrete they see a blemish on the Rochester skyline. But for one urban explorer, this is a photo op.
The same anonymous photographer who took us inside Terrence Tower and the Sykes Datatronics building, climbed to the tippy top of midtown last week. He submitted this collection of photos and the following narrative…
I was saddened to learn last week about Rochester Gas and Electric Corp’s shortsighted proposal to demolish Beebee Station. If the plans are carried out, Rochester will have a tremendous hole at the center of the city: High Falls. What is most important to realize is that there is another, alternative way forward…
In 2013 I gave myself a photo assignment. Pick 13 subjects, and take 13 snapshots of each… 13x13x13. At some point during the project I decided it’d be much more interesting to open this assignment to anyone who wants to participate. I’m glad I did. The following series of 13 comes from local photographer Arleen Hodge . These are portraits of 13 Rochesterians she’s met on the streets. Arleen says she is grateful to call these people her “friends.”
“They all have stories and they are truly a great bunch of men who are suffering another facet of the human condition,” Arleen reasons. “When I’m shooting underground for a night, these guys look out for me. There are those who are quick to judge… but these would be the guys to jump in and save your life.”
I can think of no better subject for this merry time of year – and less than a week after we were forced to face the facts; that Rochester stands as the fifth poorest city in the United States. It’s not just a city problem. According to that report by The Rochester Area Community Foundation, 160,000 people living within the nine-county region are living in poverty. These are our neighbors. Our friends. These could easily be portraits of you or me…
Here’s an update to last Friday’s story about Marilyn Casserino, 79. Marilyn is the girl in the dark dress in the center of the photo above. This picture was taken c.1939 on the roof of the Children’s Building at Iola Tuberculosis Sanitorium where Marilyn was a patient, along with her mother Vivian.
Unfortunately, Marilyn’s mom passed away while at the hospital. Marilyn was just 6 at the time. Looking back at those days, she now wishes she could remember more – about her mom, and about this place where they were treated for well over a year.
For starters, she wanted to try and find out who the other girls in the photo were. Would you believe in less than one week we’ve now identified two of those girls…
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After the Erie Canal was rerouted south of downtown Rochester, the Rochester
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![RG&E Beebee power station prior to demolition. Rochester, NY. Summer 2016. [IMAGE: Anonymous]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-rge-beebee-station-00.jpg)
![Do you remember the mural at the old Rochester Monroe County Airport? A reader asked if we could share photos of it. [IMAGE: Rochester Public Library Local History Division]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-monroe-county-airport-00.jpg)
![Inside the abandoned Walters psychiatric building. [IMAGE: Snoop Junkie - Rochester Urban Exploration Squad]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-state-hospital-walters-building-04.jpg)
![Aerial drone footage of Rochester; the subway and Carnegie Place after fire. [IMAGE: Ander Kazmerski]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-carnegie-building-drone-video-01.jpg)
![Let's explore Rochester's deep rock sewer tunnels! [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/csoap-deep-rock-sewer-tunnel-rochester-00.jpg)
![Abandoned Sykes Datatronics building on Orchard Street. Demolition work has been going on since the fall. [PHOTO: Anonymous]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/return-to-abandoned-sykes-datatronics-building-04.jpg)
![High Falls in the Snow. [PHOTO: Rich Engelbrecht, Flickr]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-subway-and-freddie-sue-bridge-arches.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)
![Motorcycles in an abandoned warehouse in Lockport, NY. [PHOTO: Chris Seward, Flickr]](http://rochestersubway.com/images/photos/lockport-motorcycles-chris-seward.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)
![A local photographer has begun capturing the abandoned Rochester subway for viewing on Google Street View. [PHOTO: Mark Goho]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-subway-virtual-tour-01.jpg)
![Beechwood Park in Sodus, NY is a former Girl Scouts of America summer camp. The property has been left as it was abandoned in 1996. [PHOTO: Chris Clemens and Luke Myer]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-abandoned-camp-beechwood-01.jpg)
![Construction on College Town, at University of Rochester. June 2014. [PHOTO: Jimmy Combs]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-college-town-01.jpg)
![Statue of Mercury. Rochester, NY. [PHOTO: Wes Plant]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-mercury-statue-renovation-2011-40.jpg)
![Rochester (& Other) Landmarks' is a collaboration between local photographer Jonathan White, and NYC graffiti artist Antonio 'Chico' Garcia. [IMAGE: Used with permission from the artists]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-other-landmarks-by-chico-and-white-04.jpg)
![The control room of the Hojack Swing Bridge has been recreated at the NY Museum of Transportation. [PHOTO: Flickr, M J M]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/hojack-swing-bridge-mjm.jpg)
![RG&E Beebee Station [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rge-beebee-station-rochester-00.jpg)
![13 Rochesterians [PHOTOS BY: Arlene Hodge]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/13-homeless-rochesterians.jpg)
![Children (patients) on the roof of Iola Tuberculosis Sanatorium (c.1939). That's Marilyn Casserino in the center. [PHOTO COURTESY OF: Marilyn Murphree]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/iola-tuberculosis-sanatorium-children-crop.jpg)
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