Old Homes

[dgriffin]

This stuff was moved from the thread, "On Genesee Hill - Questions and Comments."

[dgriffin]

Stoney wrote:

Dave, I once had an apartment at 1635 Genesee St., on the corner of Derbyshire. The building had 4 apartments but was once an old victorian home. My apartment had super high copper ceilings & an old (non-functional) chain-pull-toilet in a bathroom I used for storage.

I used to love to go up to the attic which used to be the servant's quarters of whatever rich family owned the home. I've never been able to find any history on it. Can you?


Stoney wrote:
It's weird because even though I haven't lived there since '89, I still have dreams of that house. There was just something about it.



Dave wrote:
Must be this one.





I got 77 hits on fultonhistory.com for the search argument "1635 Genesee". So you might want to have a look at that to see if you recognize any names, events, etc. I'm having trouble downloading their documents at the moment. Don't know if it's them or my copy of acrobat. But I did see the summary of an article that said they named Derbyshire Place in 1920. Your house does look like it's from the very late 1800's.


Stoney wrote:

THAT'S IT!!!!!!!! I'll have to go on there & check it. Thanks!!!


Dave wrote:
Here's the house on Bing, second north from the corner of Derbyshire Place.

[dgriffin]

I won't copy them all here, but this is what I'm finding with the argument, "1635 Genesee Utica" on fultonhistory.com

Obit for Elizabeth Lockart, a teacher at Kemble School, Utica Daily Press, July 27, 1978.

Classified ad, cherry drop leaf table, Utica Daily Press, 1946, date not readable.

Number of obits through the seventies, different family names.

Oh, it was a nurses' home. Article about a membership tea held by the St. Lukes Memorial Hospital Womens Auxilliary "in the nurses' home at 1635 Genesee Street," on November 27, 1951.

"Death Takes Utica Nurse," who lived at that address on August 30, 1948.

Someone selling a Nash (automobile) from that address in 1931.

Draft announcement for Wallace J. Manley, who transferred to the Utica Draft Board from Rouses' Point. 1944.

Mr. Alton G. Owne died at that address, described as his home, in 1971.

Employment ad for nurses aids, all shifts, please apply at Genesee Nursing Home, 1635 Genesee St. 1967.


Am I guessing right that it was a Nurses Home for St. Lukes and the old Memorial hospitals that turned into a Nursing Home? It's right across from the old Memorial Hosptial that I remember as a kid on the corner of Genesee and Newell.

[dgriffin]

My paper route territory (ca. 1955-6)went east over Newell, but stopped just before Genesee. So I didn't have Memorial Hospital or any of the homes that fronted on Genesee. My cousin's paper didn't include Memorial either, but he had a few customers on Genesee, both sides, and Faxton Hospital and the Old Age Home across from the hospital on Sunset Ave. I took his route for him one summer after I had moved and given up my Newell-Lincoln-Shaw route. I have a story from that summer on the hospital route at my website. It's called "Forgiveness."

[fiona]

Dave: can you put up my house, 1513 Genesee? It was designed by Jacob Agne , who lived next door, as a wedding present for his daughter.

[dgriffin]

Here is the Bing shot and Streetwise, two views.









Jon did quite a bit of research on this piece of property. Read about it in his thread in this section of the forum, "Benjamin F. Jewett."

[stoney]

Dave, yes there used to be the Genesee Old Age Home (or something like that) across the street.

Fiona, A former teacher of mine (Ric Converse), now deceased, used to live there at 1513. Funky old apartment! I was there many times in 'party' mode..

[fiona]

Thanks dave! The house to the right was built around 1925, I think and the home next to that, the large yellow house, was the home of Jacob Agne. Next door, on the corner, was the Rufus? Birdseye home, he was a prominent banker. I love this house and It's ghosts: a small cat and a woman in a 19th century dress, that I have only seen once, in the area of my kitchen. However, I have smelled a cologne that I can't identify and this happens quite often.The motif (acorns and maple leaves) of this house is quite interesting. It appears on the stairwell inside, some of the stone work outside, on all the old doorknobs and perhaps elsewhere. The floors on the first floor are all inlaid hardwoods in differing modified Greek key patterns, which form a parquet design. The windows are huge and all the woodwork, including the doors are intact, though painted white. There are two beautiful stained glass windows. The bathrooms and Butlers pantry have inlaid black and white tiles which are very attractive. The style of the home is Richardsonian Romanesqe, and this was Agne's signature style. The yard, what remains of it, must have had a cast iron fence and a gate, only a portion of that remains. He also designed the home at no. 5 Rutger Place, which was at one time the Teamsters Building, as well as the Rectory of Saint Agnes Church. I love the Rectory Building.

[fiona]

Stoney: Don't you love this house? It has such a great presence on the Hill.

[stoney]

Oh my God; it has so much character. And you can almost feel those who have lived there. Those older homes are something.

[dgriffin]

Richardsonian Romanesque





www.cincinnati-oh.gov/cdap/pages/-3781-/


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richardsonian_Romanesque

tinyurl.com/yab7643

[fiona]

Did I say it also has Queen Anne features? Sorry. The house is a mixture of Queen Anne and Rchardsonian Romanesque. Dave: did you use google street view for this post? I want to try it out.

[dgriffin]

Yes, sorry, not Street Wise, but Streetview. In reply no. 5, above, the top photo is from Bing's BirdsEye and the bottom double is from Google StreetView

[kit]

Although I've never lived in Utica proper, 1513 Genesee St. brings back many memories for me, too. What a beautiful building.

A gal I was going with back in the mid 60s (before I was married) lived in the 2nd floor apartment. (She wasn't a Utica girl. She was from Nebraska and going to Utica College at the time). Everywhere you looked were details of true elegance and craftsmanship. I remember the 'round room' in the front, spending altogether too much time gazing out of the windows. Then Marcia would come and haul me off to another room which was more in keeping with what she had in mind (I did say it was before I was married, didn't I?). But I was very much impressed with the care that had been given to perfection in the finish construction. After so many years, everywhere 2 pieces of wood came together, the joints were still perfect. Not just good, but perfect. I imagine there are darn few finish carpenters left who even have the knowledge to work with wood in this way. And even if you could find such a dedicated carpenter, I can only imagine what it would cost to duplicate this wonderful old building.

Anyway, that was my only experience with this grand old place and I'll never forget how gorgeous it was back then. Being a landlord myself, I shudder to think what a tenant of today would do to the place.

[fiona]

Surprisingly, Kit, the building is well kept up. I agree with you on the construction. The architect Jacob Agne,was one of the best and a master at his craft. His work was in such demand that he eventually had a stroke and literally died working. The floors here are awesome, they are stunning parquet work with modified Greek key borders and even after 120 years every piece is in place, and they are true, not sagging or popped and they DO NOT Squeak! The foundation and roof line of the house are also true and the house is warm, despite having the original radiators, from the Utica steam and Boiler Works. This man was a true genius and I am proud to live in and have some limited stewardship here.