History of The Genesee Flats and The Fire

[dgriffin]

Fiona, meet Jon.
Jon, meet Fiona.
You two are historians of great merit.
Fiona, Jon knows every secret of the city of Utica, I think.
And he plays a mean bass.

[Clipper]

I hope that Tony Leone will join us here some day. Now THERE is a man with a wealth of knowledge of history, both local, and world history. He is a decorated WWII veteran, and a long time Utica resident, with seniority beyond any of those of us presently registered, LOL.

He is also a contributor to Dave's "More Stories" page, and a talented writer.

I am excited by the new interest in local history and the thread's success so far. I hope that ANYONE with any knowledge of history of the local area will contribute, and bring new threads of interest.

[dgriffin]

Tony tells me he is finishing up some writing projects and may indeed join us in the near future. Since he plans to live forever, I won't worry about him running out of time.

I liked his piece for More Stories! entitled "Charlie."

www.windsweptpress.com/charlie.pdf


But I always laugh when I read, "Living," the musings of a octogenarian:

www.windsweptpress.com/living.htm

[Clipper]

Tony is one of the diminishing number of Veterans of our country's involvement in the Second World War. My Dad was also a WWII Veteran, but a veteran of the Pacific Theater. I spent many hours, as a veteran of Viet Nam, picking my dad's brains for stories and history of WWII as well as the Korean Conflict, which he was also a veteran of. My ex-wife's father was among those that landed on the beaches of Normandy. He had some horror stories to tell also, but could also recall wonderful stories of liberation that would bring tears to your eyes, and make your patriotic American heart beat faster with sheer pride.

Men like Tony Leone, my Dad, and other WWII vets are historic treasures to be enjoyed, and respected, as well as revered for their bravery, and thanked for their undying sacrifices. They are walking history books. My Dad is gone now, but I still have all the memories that he left with me, to tell his grandchildren and in turn MY grandchildren about. There is just SO much more to be learned directly from the lips and pens of those that were actually there, than there is to be learned from mass produced history text books.

I have read the stories of Archangelo Leone over several times, and I never become tired of reading of his experiences, the sadness of war, the trials of growing old, and his ever present wit and humor. He truly is a treasure. God Bless you Tony! Come and join us, even if you don't have time to contribute too often.We would sure love to have your slant on Utica's city history, and some of your humorous anectdotes about years gone by.

[fiona]

Concerned: I don't know if your kidding me or not, about his properties, but, while that may be a later subject of discussion, please advise as to your statement. The garages were behind the building in what was once the steam plant. The steam plant had a brick chimney 70 ft high. It was taken down , I believe, around 1970. I do not have the exact dates on this. Thanks for the great post. We are really cooking along here Fiona

[fiona]

Let us begin our journey to the past on upper Genesee Street, in the area called "Genesee Hill." The year is 1888 and two enterprising men, Seymour Dewitt Latcher and his father in law, D.W. Northrup, see an opportunity for real estate development on The Hill. There were many lots open on Genesee Street in 1887-89, and five of these were perfect for their needs. These lots were owned by A.J. Williams, fronting Genesee and cornering Clinton Place, extending back to what is now Oneida Street. Thus, in 1889, the real estate firm of Northrup and Latcher began the construction of Utica's biggest and most delux apartment building. When finished in 1891, the red brick building was a massive presence on The Hill. Nothing like it had been seen here before. The Genesee Flats stood seven stories hign, ran 300 feet along Genesee Street and 80 feet back along Clinton Place. The builder was David C. Worden of Amsterdam, NY and the architect was J.C. Burne of New York City. Both of these men were known for their outstanding work, , Mr. Worden had been in the business 40 years and Mr. Burne had sucessfully built row houses fronting Central Park West. When finished in 1891 the building was valued at over $230,000.00, a lot of money even back then. The outer shell was of brick, the insides and back wood. Only the best materials were used, nothing was spared, for the building was to be the first in a plan to provide housing for Utica's old guard elite and those "up and coming" who desired a place on the social register of the day. Nothing was spared for the comfort and convience of the guests, many of whom also owned homes and sought refuge from the "dirt and noise of commerce." These flats were to be used also as second homes, and within the year, the building was fully occupied. The first floor had a cafe, office, men's smoking roon, ladies parlour, library, and a spacious entrance way leading to the apartments. the apartments, called "french flats" ran the entire length of the building, 8 to 10 rooms, consisting of kitchen, bath, maids room, pantry, 3 bedrooms, library or sitting room, dining room and front parlour. The front parlours faced out to Genesee Hill and each two apartments shared an ornate cast iron balcony. There was also an elevator, air shafts, attic with two large water tanks, basement, sub basement, stables and a power house for delivery of steam heat. Each apartment had hot and cold running water, a dumbwaiter, faux fireplace with mantle, 10 foot ceilings, bay windows, ice boxes, hot and cold running water and a gas or coal stove. The building was wired for electricity, but the dymanos had not yet been hooked up. Rents, which generally ran about $2.00 to 5.00 a month elsewhere, were the unheard of sum of $25.00 to $35.00 a month, again a princley sum for the times.

[fiona]

However, there were also negatives, as befitted the times, when great buildings were constructed without codes. The Flats was lit by gas mantals, in the apartments some used kerosene stoves, some gas and some coal. There was electricity, not yet ready to be delivered to the tenants. Late at night, the doors to the building were locked and the night watchmen, and the maintainance people, carried kerosene lanterns and tapers while patrolling the halls. Machine oil as well as kerosene was stored in the basement and the building was not rodent proof. An artical in the Utica Daily Press stated that " there were rats in the building and Mr. Latcher used ferrets to keep them down. "The building was called a firetrap, for there was only one elevator, there was hose in the basement that connected to no water supply and fire drills, as we know them, were randomly practiced. And the threat of fire was never far away. According to the Utica Daily Press, in the years before 1896, there had been several fires in the building, small ones that were put out and never spoken of publicly. The front balconies, as well as the fire esapes were constructed of cast iron; the front and back also having porches, where the residents could " take the air". the bases of the porches facing Genesee Hill were of wood, with no trap doors. These balconies were so designed, that, in case of fire, any tenant could enter into his neighbors home, right or left, and thus, through the parlours, make their was across the whole of the building. These doors were never supposed to be locked or blocked, but many residents desired privacy, and hung curtain poles across the inside, making them impossible to open. Thus the scene was set for trajedy. On the cold, frosty morning of March 3rd, 1896, around 5 AM a small fire began in the basement of a south side apartment. The fire may have simmered there for a day or two before, because I have read that several tenants went to the office to complain of " a burning smell.", and after the odour was investigated, it was deemed to be " only the scintillation of the electric wires." The Flats burned to the ground in less than an hour, there were four deaths and the building was a complete ruin. As a postscript, similar fates met the other buildings. The Lorriane, Milton and Oswego were demolished around 1993, the Kanatenah burned in 1994, the James was condemmed and taken down around 1983. Today only the venerable Olbiston remains, a testament to those men who strived to do their best and succeded, but then fell victims to the twin ravages of fate and time. Next: A confluence of events leads to tragedy.

[jon hynes]

MAKES SPECIALTY OF CADILLAC SERVICE
______________________________

Personally supervising all of the work at the Olbiston Garage, S. W. Knapp, proprietor, guarantees satisfaction to all motorists desiring his services. General overhauling and repairing of Cadillac automobiles is a specialty at the garage and many of the owners of Cadillacs are taking advantage of the guaranteed service offered by M. Knapp. This up-to-date automobile hospital is located in the rear of the Olbiston apartments with an entrance on Clinton Place, just a few feet east of Genesee Street. Expert mechanics only are employed and with such an establishment at their disposal there is no reason in the world for the automobile owners of Utica to take chances on inferior work.

[1921]

[jon hynes]

[1918]

[jon hynes]

[1918]

[jon hynes]

Rochester Firm

Buys Olbiston

For $242,739

Utica's largest private apartment house, the Olbiston, at Clinton Pl. and Genesee, was sold yesterday to a Rochester firm for $242,739.

The building, a seven-story structure built in 1898, contains 125 Apartments and is a landmark. It was sold by the Olbiston Apts. Inc. of New York City to the Glen Ellyn Properties Inc. of Rochester.

[jon hynes]

The former owners purchased the building Oct. 10, 1938, for $250,000. Papers of incorporation in the county clerk's office show that the directors of the Olbiston firm were Jacob L. Rosenthal, Hyman Mass and Thelma K. Bittner, all of Rochester. Rosenthal signed yesterday's deed.

Signing for the Glen Ellyn Properties was S. Herbert Kroll, president, also of Rochester.

* * *

UNDER THE TERMS of the sale, the purchasers paid $103,000 cash and assumed a 4 per cent mortgage of $139.239 to Home Savings Bank. The sale includes all furniture, furnishings, equipment and personal property used in connection with the operation of the premises.

[1950]

[jon hynes]

Olbiston
To Be Sold
For $315,000

Negotiations are under way for the sale of the Olbiston Apartments at Genesee and Clinton Pl. for a reported $315,000. It was announced yesterday.

It was expected that the new owners Harry Lashner, 124 Higby and Samuel J. Grossman, 105 Lyon, would form a new corporation and arrange to modernize the seven-story structure of 154 apartments, erected in 1898.

The present owners are three Rochester men who had formed a corporation known as the Olbiston-Utica Corp. when they acquired the property in 1950 for $242,000. They are Herbert Kroll, Harry Suskind and Dr. James M. Markin.

[jon hynes]

Possession will be given September 1, it was announced, and plans were to be discussed after the new owners take charge.

Samuel Segal was the real estate broker who is handling the transaction. Segal, Grossman and Lashher declined to reveal details of the sale, but Grossman confirmed the figure of $315,000 as being the purchase price. William Wolfe is the attorney handling the deal for the purchasers.

Of the 156 apartments, 12 are single rooms.

The building, constructed of sandstone, was erected by Nutt and Latcher two years after a disastrous fire destroyed the old Genesee Flats which had stood on the site. They were the same builders who erected the Kanatenah Apartments, of the same style and materials, one block south and on the opposite side of Genesee St.

[jon hynes]

The late Erwin D. Lee, Utica attorney who died last month, bought the property in 1916. The mortgage, held by Home Savings Bank of Albany was foreclosed in the 1930s.

About the time the building was taken over by the Albany bank, Daryl Pirnie, local realtor, became receiver and manager. Many of the former six-room Pullman style apartments were cut into smaller apartments, increasing the number of units to 125.

At one time a restaurant was operated on the seventh floor.

The building passed into the hands of the Olbiston Apartments Inc. in 1938 in a deed filed by the Home Savings Bank of Albany, under which terms the owners paid $103,500 in cash and assumed a 4 per cent mortgage of $139,239 to the bank.

The sale will include the furniture, furnishings, equipment and personal property used in connection with the operation of the premises.

[1954]