While doing research for a recent story on the Rochester Marshmallow Company, we came across another interesting story right around the corner. This one had nothing to do with marshmallows. Wulff’s Hotel (shown above) at the corner of State and Factory Streets, was the scene of a notorious murder case…
Posts Tagged ‘State Street’...

Murder, In the Barroom, With the Potato Peeler
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2015Tags: Factory Street, Harold Ducky Holmes, High Falls, history of Rochester, murder, Otto L. Wulff, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY, State Street, The Mills at High Falls, Thomas Cleary, Wulff's Hotel
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images | 3 Comments »

View of Downtown Rochester from Kodak Tower
Tuesday, November 17th, 2015Here is a neat view I came across while rummaging around in the Local History Department at the Rochester Public Library. The image is of State Street with downtown Rochester in the background, taken from one of the top floors of Kodak tower…
Tags: downtown Rochester, Granite Building, history of Rochester, Hotel Seneca, Kodak Tower, Lincoln Alliance Building, old photos, old photos of Rochester, old photos of Rochester NY, Rochester, Rochester Chamber of Commerce, Rochester NY, Sibley Building, Sibley's, Sibley's Department Store, State Street
Posted in Architecture, Rochester History, Rochester Images | 10 Comments »

Meet Rochester Artist and Craftsman, Scott Grove
Monday, September 28th, 2015On my almost daily walk along State and Main streets I’ve often noticed this boom lift blocking the sidewalks around the Powers Building . I’ve never given it much thought. I just figured Daniel Powers liked his windows really clean.
Then, last week while at the Fringe, my RocSubway teammate Joanne Brokaw got introduced to Scott Grove. As it turns out, Scott is that guy hanging high up over Rochester’s sidewalks—and he’s not cleaning windows…
Tags: architecture, artist, Bausch & Lomb Headquarters, Daniel Powers, downtown Rochester, Eastman Theater, H.H. Warner Building, historic preservation, Jonathan Child House, Neighborhood of the Arts, Piano Works Mall, Powers Building, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester Public Market, Scott Grove, sculpture, State Street, University of Rochester
Posted in Architecture, Art + Culture, Interviews, Rochester History, Rochester News, Urban Exploration | 4 Comments »

City of Rochester Seeks Food Truck Feedback
Tuesday, August 19th, 2014
Last week I grabbed lunch at Pizza Stop – one of my absolute, hands down, favorite food joints in Rochester. After placing my order and (stepping promptly to the right) I noticed a petition* taped to the countertop. It was asking the City of Rochester to provide compensation to downtown merchants who lost business during a lunchtime food truck/cart event the week before. The petition argued that the City’s promotion of the food trucks caused nearby brick & mortar shops to lose money…
Tags: Center City, downtown Rochester, Elizabeth Clapp, food trucks, Le Petit Poutine, Pizza Stop, public meeting, restaurants, Rochester, Rochester Food Truck Alliance (ROCFTA), Rochester restaurants, State Street
Posted in Art + Culture, Events, Rochester News | 34 Comments »

Powers Building, Main & State Streets, 1968
Friday, February 28th, 2014
Check out this great photo of the Powers Building from 1968. Notice the workmen up on the ledge of the Mansard roof. Down at street level a shiny new, streamlined façade as been awkwardly forced on top of this 1869 building…
Tags: Crossroads Building, downtown Rochester, Elwood Building, First National Bank, Four Corners, Fun Foto Friday, Main Street, Main Street Four Corners, Monroe County Savings Bank, old photos, old photos of Rochester, old photos of Rochester NY, Powers Building, Powers Hotel, Rochester, Rochester NY, State Street
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 8 Comments »

Rochester’s Old Federal Building Should Go
Wednesday, September 19th, 2012
“Listed in the National Register of Historic Places and designated a city landmark, the old Federal Building is considered a fine example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. No one’s particularly interested in using it, however, because inside it’s dark, gloomy, usually uncomfortable and just plain ramshackle. Blow it up. It’s an ugly thing…and not particularly interesting inside or out…It should be demolished. A modern, tax-producing building would be a better use for the site and would give more new life to that section of downtown…”
Tags: Church Street, demolition, Federal Building, Fitzhugh Street, Landmark Society of Western New York, National Register of Historic Places, preservation, preservation code, Richard Margolis, Richardsonian, Rick U., Rochester, Rochester City Hall, Rochester history, Rochester NY, Romanesque, State Street, Times-Union, zoning code
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Urban Development | 10 Comments »

From Eyesore to Opportunity: Rochester’s Teoronto/Smith Block
Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012
All the controversy over whether or not to demolish the 120 year-old brewhouse at 13 Cataract Street got us thinking. Those in favor of demolishing the building say it’s an eyesore and a haven for drug dealers; even prostitutes. So, just remove the building and our problems go away.
Right?
But if we demolished every eyesore in Rochester, would we have solved all the City’s problems? Or might we end up tossing the proverbial “baby” out with the bath water? For the next two weeks we’ll take a look at some local eyesores …or rather, opportunities, nearly lost.
Tags: adaptive reuse, From Eyesore to Opportunity, High Falls, Mill Street, Rochester, Rochester NY, State Street, Teoronto/Smith Block
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Urban Development | No Comments »

From Eyesore to Opportunity: Rochester’s Powers Building
Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012
All the controversy over whether or not to demolish the 120 year-old brewhouse at 13 Cataract Street got us thinking. Those in favor of demolishing the building say it’s an eyesore and a haven for drug dealers; even prostitutes. So, just remove the building and our problems go away.
Right?
But if we demolished every eyesore in Rochester, would we have solved all the City’s problems? Or might we end up tossing the proverbial “baby” out with the bath water? For the next two weeks we’ll take a look at some local eyesores …or rather, opportunities, nearly lost.
Tags: adaptive reuse, Eagle Hotel and Tavern, Four Corners, From Eyesore to Opportunity, Hamlet Scrantom, Main Street, Main Street Four Corners, Powers Banking House, Powers Building, Rochester, Rochester NY, State Street, Value Properties
Posted in Architecture, Rochester History, Rochester Images, Urban Development | 6 Comments »

Powers Building & Four Corners, 1904
Sunday, January 31st, 2010We found this old photo of the Powers Building and Rochester’s four corners recently on a vintage photos website called Shorpy.com . Not only is this a photo of one of Rochester’s most celebrated structures at one of the greatest times in the city’s history, but it’s incredibly detailed for such an old photo—right down to the logos painted on the office windows (click on the image to enlarge).
Hey, here’s a bit of fun for you… we hid the RochesterSubway.com logo somewhere in the photo. Let’s see which one of you can find it first. And while you’re searching for our hidden logo, here are a few other things you should take notice of…
Tags: architecture, Ashley & Loewenguth, City of Rochester, downtown Rochester, Fidelity Trust, Four Corners, Grand-Union, intersection, Main Street, New York, NY, old photos, old photos of Rochester, Phoenix Mutual Life, Powers Building, Powers Hotel, Rochester, Rochester and Eastern Rapid Railroad, Rochester and Sodus Bay Railway, Rochester history, Rochester NY, Rochester Trust & Safe Deposit Company, Shorpy.com, State Street, trolley, vintage views
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure | 9 Comments »
