Randall T. Crawford, AIA / Carl D. Stearns, AIA / Ted Bartlett, Sr Assoc / Elizabeth L. Crawford, Sr Assoc 134 Walton Street Armory Square Syracuse, New York 13202 315/471-2162 FAX 315/471-2965

CRAWFORD & STEARNS ARCHITECTS AND PRESERVATION PLANNERS

May 12, 2007 Mr. Don Radke, Chairman Syracuse Landmarks Preservation Board City Hall Commons 201 East Washington Street Syracuse, New York 13202 Re: 105 S. Townsend Street (Buildings #1 and #3) Syracuse, New York Dear Don: At the request of the Syracuse Landmarks Preservation Board I visited this property on May 3, 2007 for the purpose of assessing the significance and integrity of the buildings' exteriors relative to their eligibility for Protected Site status. Limited photographs were taken and are provided as an attachment. The interior of the buildings are not being considered as part of this review. This property contains two of four structures included in a single request for demolition. That application references these four collectively as 105-109 S. Townsend Street. However, what is described as building #4 is actually 115 S. Townsend and is referred to as such in this report. For the purposes of review three separate properties should be considered, and separately These are:

Buildings #1 and #3: 105 S. Townsend St. Building #2: 109 S. Townsend St. Building #4: 115 S. Townsend St.

Building Location:

Buildings #1 and #3 are located in the northwest corner of Block 53, at the southeast corner of the intersection of E. Water Street and S. Townsend Street (formerly Grape Street). Building #1 is located at the corner itself and extends eastward along E. Water Street while Building #3 is just south of it. (See Figures 1 and 2)

Architectural Character & Integrity:

Building #1 consists of the office portion on the west end and the machine shop portion extending eastward from it. Both portions are two stories tall constructed in the Italianate Commercial Style with brick exterior walls, corbelled brick entablatures with broad spaced pairs of stylized bracketing, and articulated round top brick window heads. The window and door sills are local limestone as is the water table band.

The brick facades have been painted many times and this may have been the original treatment since it was common practice in the 1860s when the building was constructed.

The corners of the office portion are rounded, recessed from the primary building faces, and this is reflected in the cornice as well. The roof overhangs and the cornices are wood with

Page 2 SLPB: 105 S. Townsend Street May 12, 2007

Randall T. Crawford, AIA / Carl D. Stearns, AIA / Ted Bartlett, Sr Assoc / Elizabeth L. Crawford, Sr Assoc 134 Walton Street Armory Square Syracuse, New York 13202 315/471-2162 FAX 315/471-2965

regularly spaced console brackets. On top of the office roof is a wood framed cupola, a rare survivor of the period. Although the windows (presumed to have existed as part of the original construction) have been covered over the cornice, consoles, and overall massing of the cupola remain.

At the first floor of the office portion the lower parts of the windows have been enlarged and combined by the insertion of steel beams to create display windows. Entry doors are located at the southwest, northwest, and northeast rounded corners.

The original windows, several of which survive in the machine shop portion, were wood, double hung, 12 over 12 light units The other windows have been covered over with various materials or infilled and it couldn't be determined how many actually remain.

The second floor of the machine shop portion was at some time reinforced by placing steel beams running north to south underneath it. These beams extend through the exterior wall and are supported by exposed steel wide flange columns. These alterations may have occurred in the early 1920s when a Nash dealership occupied the building. I was in the building several years ago and recall a concrete ramp running from the first floor up to the second floor of this wing, presumably for automobiles.

The westernmost second floor window at the north facade of the machine shop portion has been modified to become a doorway and from it an early 20th century metal fire escape descends to grade.

Additional alterations have been made to other parts of the east wing including the construction of larger masonry openings for garage doors. A brick addition was constructed at the eastern end of the original machine shop early in the 20th century.

Building #3 is located southeast of Building #1. It is one story, though it appears as though it may have been taller at one time. The exterior walls are common red brick and painted similar to Building #1, but this structure is far more utilitarian in design and detailing.

The windows are arc-topped with two course rowlock headers and rock-faced limestone sills. Most openings have been infilled with concrete block or other materials. Contemporary garage doors have been inserted into non-historic masonry openings.

The western end of Building #3 appears to have been completely reconstructed as though the building was shortened in length or the original wall failed. The mortar pattern at the east end suggests that it was built up against a pre-existing structure that was removed later.

The roof is a shallow gable form with a roll asphalt covering.

Context:

Building #1 is located at almost the northern end of a string of surprisingly intact, mostly mid to late 19th century structures extending along the east side of S. Townsend Street from the Hamilton White House at Genesee Street on the southern end to the Smith Restaurant building north of Building #1. (See Photos 4a, 4b.)

This collection includes the National Register-listed home of one of the city's most prominent early citizens (Hamilton White), Park Central Presbyterian Church, a modest but important one and one half story house representative of mid-century Syracuse, and Brown's Place (reputedly an historic house of ill repute) in addition to the buildings included in this report. Furthermore, as the Smith Restaurant building and 105 S. Townsend extend eastward along E. Water Street they define by themselves nearly a half block of authentic 19th century architectural character.

These buildings should be actively considered for designation as a local Historic District and Building #1 would be a critical component of this district.

Page 3 SLPB: 105 S. Townsend Street May 12, 2007

Randall T. Crawford, AIA / Carl D. Stearns, AIA / Ted Bartlett, Sr Assoc / Elizabeth L. Crawford, Sr Assoc 134 Walton Street Armory Square Syracuse, New York 13202 315/471-2162 FAX 315/471-2965

History & Historic Significance:

Dennis Connors of the Onondaga Historical Association has prepared an extensive report (attached) on these properties describing their history and their significant relationship to the development of the city of Syracuse.

Protected Site Designation

For this property to be eligible for designation as a Protected Site under the City of Syracuse Zoning Ordinance, Part C, Section VI, Article 8, at least one of the following criteria must be met: (1) Association with persons or events of historic significance to the city, region, state or nation;

Building #1 is strongly associated with important early businessmen and inventors such as Emory Wilson Mills, Huntington B. Crouse, and Jesse L. Hinds whose prominence is directly connected with the development of manufacturing that made Syracuse one of the most important cities in New York. Building #3 may be similarly associated, but its history is unclear.

(2) Illustrative of historic growth and development of the city, region, state or nation;

This building was constructed during a period of strong economic development in the city. During the late 1860s the Larned Building, the S. A. and K. Building, the Gridley Building, and numerous other well known landmarks were constructed. The businesses that were located in this building had, and some still have, national significance and they reflect the exuberant development of manufacturing locally during the 19th century.

Building #3 appears to have been constructed much later than Building #1, was a secondary part of the complex, and is much less illustrative of the growth and development noted.

(3) In the case of structures embodying distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of

construction or representing the work of a master, or possessing unique architectural and artistic qualities, or representing a significant and distinguishable entity whose component may lack individual distinction;

Building #1 is unusually well designed for a manufacturing structure, possibly because the westernmost portion was used for administrative functions and sought to present a more sophisticated facade to the community. The detailing, including treatments such as the recessed round corners and the cupola, elevate this building well above more common structures of the period. It should be noted that in spite of relatively minor alterations over time the building is surprisingly intact.

Building #3 illustrates a far more utilitarian construction and has been substantially altered from its original form.

(4) In the case of districts, possessing a unique overall quality of architectural scale, texture, form

and visual homogeneity even though certain structures within the district may lack individual distinction;

The collection of structures extending from the Smith Restaurant building south to at least Brown's Place and probably further south to the Hamilton White House is unusually intact. It provides a broad view of some of the city's most representative 19th century architecture and should be actively considered for designation as a National Register Historic District in addition to a local historic district.

Within this potential district Building #1 is a critical component. Building #3, however, is not visible from the street, is far less significant, and would not contribute materially to the quality and integrity of such a district.

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Randall T. Crawford, AIA / Carl D. Stearns, AIA / Ted Bartlett, Sr Assoc / Elizabeth L. Crawford, Sr Assoc 134 Walton Street Armory Square Syracuse, New York 13202 315/471-2162 FAX 315/471-2965

(5) In the case of interiors, possessing one or more of the characteristics enumerated in (1), (2), or

(3) above and in addition, embodying distinctive characteristics of architectural scale, form and visual homogeneity, which are an integral part of the character of the structure in which the space is contained.

Not applicable for either building. Conclusions / Summary Based on the above-noted information Building #1 (105 S. Townsend Street) appears clearly to meet criterion 1, 2, 3 and 4 as established for local Protected Site designation. Building #3, however, does not appear to meet any of these criteria sufficiently to warrant consideration other than documentation for the general record. If you have any further questions in this regard please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Randall T. Crawford CC: D. Connors @ OHA Attachments: Photos 1a-1f, Photos 4a-4b, Figures 1-4, Townsend Street Properties Report (OHA)

105-115 S. TOWNSEND STREET SYRACUSE, NEW YORK

CRAWFORD & STEARNS ARCHITECTS AND PRESERVATION PLANNERS SYRACUSE, NEW YORK

Photo 1a: West faade of 105 S. Townsend.

Photo 1b: Looking southwesterly towards 105 S. Townsend.

105-115 S. TOWNSEND STREET SYRACUSE, NEW YORK

CRAWFORD & STEARNS ARCHITECTS AND PRESERVATION PLANNERS SYRACUSE, NEW YORK

Photo 1c: (left) Detail of

window at north faade of 105

S. Townsend.

Photo 1d: (below) Looking

southwesterly to north faade

of 105 S. Townsend.

105-115 S. TOWNSEND STREET SYRACUSE, NEW YORK

CRAWFORD & STEARNS ARCHITECTS AND PRESERVATION PLANNERS SYRACUSE, NEW YORK

Photo 1e: Detail of wooden cornice and console brackets at 105 S. Townsend.

Photo 1f: Looking northerly towards 105 S. Townsend (two story structure at rear) and

companion one story building in foreground.

105-115 S. TOWNSEND STREET SYRACUSE, NEW YORK

CRAWFORD & STEARNS ARCHITECTS AND PRESERVATION PLANNERS SYRACUSE, NEW YORK

Photo 4a: East side of S. Townsend St. looking northeasterly from Smith Restaurant supply

(far left) to 115 S. Townsend (at right).

Photo 4b: East side of S. Townsend St. looking southeasterly from 105 S. Townsend

(center and left) to Brown's Place (far right).

105-109 S. TOWNSEND STREET SYRACUSE, NEW YORK

Images Courtesy of Onondaga Historical Association

CRAWFORD & STEARNS ARCHITECTS AND PRESERVATION PLANNERS SYRACUSE, NEW YORK

Figure 1: Sanborn Map, 1882.

Figure 2: Existing site plan by Schopfer Architects, 2007. (Building reference numbers added

by Crawford & Stearns for illustration.) Bldg. #1: 105 S. Townsend, Bldg. #2: 109 S. Townsend,

Bldg. #3: Included with 105 S. Townsend property, Bldg. #4: 115 S. Townsend.

105-109 S. TOWNSEND STREET SYRACUSE, NEW YORK

Images Courtesy of Onondaga Historical Association

CRAWFORD & STEARNS ARCHITECTS AND PRESERVATION PLANNERS SYRACUSE, NEW YORK

Figure 3: 1899 image reproduced by Crouse Hinds showing building before ground floor alterations.

Figure 4: 1915 photo showing portion of 109 S. Townsend (left) and house that existed on site of

115 S. Townsend St.

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TOWNSEND STREET PROPERTIES REPORT Prepared by the Onondaga Historical Association May 9, 2007 Introduction The four structures in question fall within Block 53 on official city survey maps. Files at the Onondaga Historical Association show that at least two of the buildings represent a considerable amount of Syracuse history. There are several inconsistencies with specific street addresses used for these buildings over the years. To clarify which building is referenced during this report, they have been numbered 1 through 4 on the attached site map, as follows: Building #1 - 2-story structure on the corner with a wing extending along Water St. Building #2 - 3-story structure facing Townsend St., immediately to the south of #1 Building #3 - 1-story structure that sits to the rear of the above buildings Building #4 - 2-story concrete block building with brick faade on Townsend St. Historical Narrative In the years before the Civil War, this block was informally known as the Circus Lot. It appears to have been an open field used as a site for traveling performing groups. In 1856 it hosted performances of the famous abolitionist play, Uncle Toms Cabin, presented by a group known as Morse & Clutes Floating Pavilion. This may have been a theatrical company that traveled along the Erie Canal, located just a block north of the site, and gave performances in canal-side communities. In October of 1865, the Empire Windmill Manufacturing Company sought bids for the erection of a building on this block to house a machine shop. The proposed building was described as 150 long on Water Street and 46long on Grape Street (todays Townsend Street). This company had been producing windmills at a manufacturing facility in Marcellus, but was reorganized earlier, in February of 1865, with additional investors from Syracuse. Quite possibly, part of the reorganization goal was to increase its capital for an expansion into the larger city of Syracuse. The company vacated its Marcellus shops on April 1 of 1866 indicating that its new facility at the SE corner of Water and Townsend streets was ready for operation. This Empire Windmill Machine Shop comprised the 2-story brick building that currently occupies the corner and Water Street side of the property, identified as Building #1 on the site map. Its construction, therefore, would date from 1865, which is consistent with the architectural character and details of the structure. It appears that the corner building was built as offices with the machine shop, proper, being the extension along Water Street. The Empire Windmill Company was originally organized to produce the self-regulating iron windmill patented by Emory Wilson Mills of Amber, New York. He had secured his federal patent in May of 1860 when only 18 years old. Mills approach was innovative in that the blades of the windmill were designed to adjust to the strength of the wind, preventing damage to the mechanism during high winds. The design won a medal at the 1860 New York State Fair.

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Empire windmills came in various sizes with the diameters of the blade wheels ranging from 6 feet up to 36 feet. Primarily used to raise water from wells, they had a variety of applications. Some were used on estates and farms, but others were sold to railroads, which employed them at various watering stations for their steam locomotives. In 1870, the Union Pacific Railroad had one in use in Kansas. Still others were adapted for gristmills, powering millstones to grind wheat. And another was employed in 1870 in Syracuse to help pump brine to the areas salt works. But perhaps the most unique application of an Empire windmill was the installation of one in 1867 on the roof of the building still standing at 126 East Genesee Street in Hanover Square. At the time, it housed the billiard manufacturing company of Joel Owen, which used the windmill to power lathes that produced cue sticks and billiard balls. Emory Mills would go on to invent and manufacture other equipment. His most famous product was developed in 1867, a self-propelled steam traction engine. It could be moved from place to place and, via leather belts, used to power other machinery, often in an agricultural setting. Mills original traction engine may have been fabricated at the Water Street machine shop of his windmill firm. The engine was much admired in its day and was considered an important example of that 19th century technology. In fact, Henry Ford made a point of acquiring an 1877 model of Mills engine in 1928 when he was assembling items for what became the Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. Ford remarked in a 1928 newspaper article that he had once worked on repairing a Mills engine when he was a young man and had always admired its design. Ford referred to Mills in the 1928 article as, a genius fifty years ahead of his time. The Empire Windmill company only stayed in its Water Street building until 1869 when they moved operations to Wyoming Street on the citys west side. The building was then purchased by the firm of Cobb & Herrick who ran the Phoenix Foundry. Phoenix built steam engines and boilers, plus did castings and general machinery work. Their engines were shipped to all parts of the country. The Phoenix Foundry underwent further expansion in 1881 and took the name Phoenix Foundry and Machine Company. In 1881-82, the firm erected a new boiler shop and foundry (now demolished) at the northeast corner of the block at Water and McBride Street, as well as a warehouse on Townsend Street. This warehouse was located immediately south of Building#1 on the corner. All of these buildings and their uses are clearly documented on an 1882 map of the block (attached). The warehouse, is also described in an 1883 publication entitled, Syracuse as a Business Center, as follows:

The Warehouse, fronting on Grape Street (now Townsend) is a brick building three stories high, 40x75 feet in area and used for Erecting Room, Pattern Shop, etc.

This warehouse is the building currently identified as Building #2 on the site map. Its architectural style is consistent with a building constructed in 1881.

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The construction date of the structure identified as Building #3 on the site map is a bit more problematic. A 1-story addition to the rear of Building #1, in this area of the site, appears on the 1882 map to house a boiler house, but in a smaller configuration. OHA files (OHA 2003.215) also document the construction of a building in this area (at the rear of 101 Grape Street) in 1909. A 1915 photograph in the OHA Collection clearly shows a two-story addition at the rear of Brennans main Townsend Street facility. In the photo, this addition has segmental arch windows similar to those existing on Building #3. And the 1924 Atlas shows a structure occupying almost all of the area to the rear of Buildings #1 and #2, encompassing all of the earlier, rear structure visible on the 1882 map. The current building #3 has window openings similar to those that show in the 1915 photograph, but is only 1-story high and is a physical hodge-podge of forms. It is possible that Building #3 has portions that pre-date 1882, perhaps as early as 1869 when the Phoenix Foundry acquired the site. Also possible is that Building #3 is all that is left of the 1909 addition following a fire that occurred at the Brennan complex in 1965. Phoenix Foundry continued use of the overall site until 1893 when the company was dissolved. Ownership of, at least, the older corner structure evolved to Augustus Cadwell Belden, one of the principals of the Phoenix Foundry firm. Belden is a prominent local capitalist. His business interests included salt manufacturing, canal and railroad construction. His firm worked on constructing portions of the Welland Canal in Canada and the Croton Reservoir for the New York City water system. It appears that Buildings 1, 2 and 3 were rented out by Belden and, following his death in 1896, by his estate. The corner structure (Building #1) was occupied in 1896 by Thomas and Charles Barber who were operating a machine shop there. It would appear that while they were using the extension along Water Street for their work area, the Barber Brothers required only a portion of the corner building for offices. In 1897, parts of the corner building were being rented to other firms. One tenant of great historical interest to the Syracuse community that moved into the corner building in 1897 was a brand new firm at the time, Crouse Hinds Electric Company, formed on January 18, 1897. This was a partnership of Huntington B. Crouse and Jesse L. Hinds. They both had recognized in 1896 that electricity was developing as a major force in supplying energy. Each wished to begin to manufacturing articles for the electrical trade. While preparing to move into the second floor of Building #1, which would become the birthplace of todays Crouse Hinds Company, they also discovered another renter who was trying to develop a new headlight for electric streetcars, then a major form of mass transit. Crouse and Hinds agreed with the inventor to incorporate that product in their business line and so the Syracuse Changeable Headlight became an important product of the young company. Crouse-Hinds continued to grow. It was occupying the entire second floor by mid-1898 and reached 34 employees that year. The firm soon outgrew the site and relocated to a building on West Jefferson Street in 1900. There is an historic photo of Building #1 that appeared in the 40th anniversary booklet of the Crouse Hinds Company in 1937. (See attached image). It shows the building as it appears c1899 because a sign on the exterior prominently indicates that it was occupied at that time by Crouse-Hinds. The white line is believed to indicate the portion of the

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second floor used by the company. Although the Crouse-Hinds Company only occupied Building #1 for a period of 3 years, it clearly can be considered the birthplace for one of Syracuses most important industries of the 20th century. During this same period, building #2 was sometimes vacant but by the early 20th century at least part of it was being used by an architectural iron works company. About 1904, however, building #2 was acquired by the Brennan Motor Manufacturing Company, which would provide it with its longest and most significant historical associations. A local inventor, Patrick H. Brennan, originally organized the Brennan Company in 1897 as the Brennan Handle Bar Company. In 1897 and 1898, Brennan secured patents on a variety of bicycle parts. Bicycle production and use were very prominent in America during the 1890s and there were several bicycle manufacturers in Syracuse at the time. Brennan, however, soon turned to the production of gasoline motors for boats and automobiles, which he was manufacturing along with adjustable handle bars for bicycles by 1902. At that time, automobile manufacturing was in its infancy and there were several companies popping up across the country trying to produce automobiles. Many, lacking facilities for producing all of a cars parts, would purchase components from sub-contractors and it seems Brennan was looking to tap into that business. And there are antique automobiles of various makers during this period that reportedly still contain Brennan-made engines. Brennan Manufacturing must have established a reasonable reputation early on as it was one of several firms across the northeast contacted by Wilbur and Orville Wright in 1902 when they were first seeking to commission construction of a custom engine for their proposed flyer. However, none of the manufacturers, including Brennan, could meet the Wrights specifications at that time. Although Brennan motors were used in a variety of commercial vehicle applications, the company eventually found its niche in producing motors for small boats. The 25 horsepower Brennan Imp was advertised in 1940 as the worlds smallest four-cylinder marine engine for use on boats up to 30 in length. Brennan also made larger sizes up to a 150-horse power model weighing 1500 lbs. And company literature is filled with letters from a variety of commercial pleasure boat manufacturers across the country, extolling the virtues of Brennan engines. In 1909, Brennan commissioned the construction of a 2-story addition to the rear of their operational headquarters in Building #2 on Townsend Street. And by 1923, Brennan has also taken over the corner structure, Building #1, which they may have used as additional office space. However, they do not appear to be using its Water Street extension at that time since the 1923 city directory lists the Water Street address of Building #1 as the location for the auto service department of the local Nash dealership. Over time, Brennan Manufacturing cut back on the space that it needed on Block 53 and ceased use of the corner structure, Building #1, by the early 1940s. In 1942, it was being used by Center Motors Inc., an auto dealership. This may account for the physical change to the first floor windows of the corner building. The c1899 Crouse Hinds photo shows the first floor windows as architecturally consistent with those on the rest of the building. But those were

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extensively modified into large plate glass, showcase windows at some time prior to the 1960s. A likely reason would be if the building was used as an automobile showroom. It has already been documented that the Water Street extension of Building #1 had been used as an auto repair facility as early as 1923. As time went on, uses of Building #1 changed as it physically was let to deteriorate and as the neighborhood declined in value. In the 1960s, the corner building housed a rummage store and there was a small glass shop along Water Street. For a period in the 1970s, it housed offices for a janitorial cleaning company. Over time, Brennan Motor Manufacturing began to lease out portions of its main South Townsend Street location (Building #2). In 1962 there were four other small manufacturers located there. A fire at Brennan in 1965 did extensive damage to its operations and the company appears to have ceased production around that time, although the business lingered on, selling replacement parts from its inventory. The company finally closed in 1972. The building housed a variety of minor uses after that. The history of Building #4 at 115 South Townsend Street appears to be a much simpler one. A 1915 photograph at OHA shows the site occupied by a small, brick house of the pre-Civil War Federal style. This was a typical architectural form left over from the days when much of downtown was residential. The 1924 Atlas shows this house still in place. City directories confirm the address being used as a residence until 1934. In 1935, the address listing changes in the directory to a commercial facility called Service Welding, operated by Felix Faworyk. The 1938 Atlas confirms the replacement of the 19th century brick home with a concrete block building faced with brick, consistent with the structure now on the site. In 1962, it was being used as a welding shop. Unlike the other three buildings discussed above, which have histories that are interwoven, Building #4 stands as a structure with an independent history. Conclusions Of the four buildings, it is clear that Building #1 and Building #2 have the most historical associations and are also the most architecturally significant. Their placement on the block also creates a traditional urban streetscape at the intersection along much of its Water Street and Townsend Street lengths. Loss of either would destroy the urban fabric of that portion of downtown. It is apparent that they would meet the criteria of the Syracuse Landmark Preservation Ordinance for designation as protected sites. Building #1, which might be assigned the historical name Empire Windmill Shops, is significant in its clear associations with at least four local businesses of note:

Empire Windmill Phoenix Foundry Crouse-Hinds Brennan Motor

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Additionally, with a construction date of 1865, it clearly is one of the oldest standing manufacturing structures remaining in the City of Syracuse. With the recent demolition of the Sweet Iron Works on Wyoming Street, its historical significance and rarity have only increased. Building #2, which might be given an historical identity as the Phoenix Warehouse-Brennan Motor Building, has its longest historical association as the home of the Brennan Motor Manufacturing Company. This company was in existence for 75 years, the vast majority at the Townsend Street location. It clearly was a recognized name in the production of marine engines in America and a noted part of Syracuses rich manufacturing history. Building #3 was used by several of the above entities but was never identified as the primary establishment for any of them. It has also been significantly modified over time, negating much of its potential architectural significance. And its location behind the other buildings means its loss would have minimal impact on the traditional urban streetscape. Building #4 is neither particularly historic nor of architectural merit, yet it does provide enclosure for the blocks streetscape. It continues the traditional urban feel of the block between Water and Washington Streets. Its loss would leave a hole in that urban fabric. DJC 5.9.07