The 367 foot long, 2,260 seat Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre has been Rochester's premier theater since its completion in September of 1922. The theater was established by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman as an attempt to introduce more people to classical music by way of a movie theater with an orchestra to play background music for the films. The theater has since been used as Rochester's Philharmonic Orchestra's principle venue, alongside housing performances by renowned musicians such as John Williams, Igor Stravinsky, Stan Getz, and Keith Jarrett.
The Little Theatre, also known simply as the Little, is a movie theatre based in Rochester, New York, specializing in airing lesser-played films. Opened in 1929, the Little Theatre was built as part of a movement to give viewers an alternative to large chain theatres, showing art films, documentaries, and other non-mainstream films. Today, the Little continues to provide the residents of Rochester with an alternative to mainstream cinema, as well as serving as a concert venue for local artists.
The Strong National Museum of Play is one of the largest history museums in the country (it is 285,000 square feet in size). It was founded in 1968 by Margaret Woodbury Strong (1897-1969), who wanted her impressive collection of dolls, toys, and other objects of play to be preserved for future generations. The museum contains the world's largest collection of children's toys and related items. It is a highly interactive museum, featuring countless opportunities for visitors of all ages to play a wide variety of games, including video and arcade games. There are also many rides that visitors can go on. The museum is also home to the International Center for the History of Electronic Games, the National Toy Hall of Fame, the Woodbury School (a preschool program), and a library and archives. The museum also publishes the American Journal of Play.
Designed by prominent Rochester architect Andrew J. Warner and constructed in 1868, the Geva Theatre Center building was originally utilized by the 54th Regiment of the New York State Militia. Following renovations in 1907, it has been utilized as a multi-purpose entertainment and gathering hall. Warner also designed and built the Power’s Building and Buffalo City Hall. The building has served a variety of purposes, including serving as a hospital during the 1918 Influenza Pandemic. Multiple American Presidents have delivered speeches inside the building including Frankin Delano Roosevelt when he accepted his party's nomination for governor and again years later as President of the United States.
The Lehigh Valley Railroad Station, now Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, was the last railroad station built in Rochester, New York and is also the last one remaining in the area. Standing since 1905, and having gone through several closings, refurbishings and changes over the years, the station/BBQ restaurant is on the National Register of Historic Places, as a part of the Inner Loop Multiple Resource Area.
Construction on Rochester's first public central library began in December of 1933 thanks to a sizable bequeathment from a wealthy citizen named Morton W. Rundel and funds from the Public Works Administration- a New Deal Program. The Rundel Memorial Library was dedicated on October 4, 1936. On the Library's first day, upwards of 3,200 books were reportedly checked out by an enthusiastic public. The Library building was restored by the City and a new adjacent building- later named the Bausch & Lomb Public Library Building- was added in 1997. The two buildings are connected by an underground tunnel that runs beneath South Avenue.
Completed in 1896, this building was the third Rochester Courthouse building constructed at this location on 39 West Main Street. The building's cornerstone bears a plaque displaying the completion dates of the three courthouses- the first in 1822, the second in 1851, and the third in 1896. After the unveiling of the Frederick Douglass Monument on June 9, 1899, Governor Theodore Roosevelt hosted a public reception at the Rochester Courthouse building in celebration of the recently deceased abolitionist's life. In 1964, Rochester's court was moved to the Hall of Justice and this building was converted into the Monroe County Office Building.
Built on the location of Rochester's first permanent residence, the Powers Building was completed in late 1870 after five years of construction. The nine-story office building was designed by notable local architect Andrew Jackson Warner and was the first large fireproof building in Rochester as well as the first building to have elevators. Daniel Powers, owner and namesake of the Powers Building, was determined that his building be the tallest and grandest in the city. Over the course of the next two decades, Powers had three mansard roof extensions and two towers added onto the existing building in order to keep its record height. In 1883, Powers also opened the historic Powers Hotel in a neighboring plot.
On July 20, 1898, the Eureka Lodge, the African-American branch of the Free and Accepted Masons, led the parade commencing the laying of the Douglass Monument cornerstone. At 3:30 pm, Lodge members left their Durand Building headquarters, marched up Main Street, and down North St Paul St towards the site of ceremonies.The procession was accompanied by the Estella Chapter of the order of the Eastern Star, and headed by the 54th Regiment band. At the Douglass Monument's Central Avenue and St. Paul Street location, Grand Master E. R. Spaulding broke ground with a silver and ivory-handled trowel, which had been presented to him by Lodge members the night before. The cornerstone was laid at 4 o’clock, with the Honorable John Van Voorhis serving as the keynote speaker of the event. The Eureka Lodge still considers their role in the laying of the Douglass Monument cornerstone to be one of their chapter's greatest achievements. Their current headquarters are at 616 Brown Street, Rochester, NY, 14614. This entry is part of a public history project developed by the RIT Museum Studies program in celebration of the bicentennial of Frederick Douglass’s birth (February 1818).
Erected by the City of Rochester in 1984, this historical marker stands in the approximate location of the residence of Amy and Isaac Post. Throughout the mid-1800's the Posts were prominent members of the Abolitionist, Women's Suffrage, and Quaker Spiritualist reform movements in Rochester. From 1836 until Amy Post's death in 1889, the couple lived in the house which stood here. Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and Susan B. Anthony- all close friends of the Posts- are known to have visited their home on multiple occasions. The Posts also operated a station of the Underground Railroad out of their house, sometimes hiding as many as 20 escaped slaves a night.
Established in 1836 as Bethel Free Church, the name of this church was changed to Central Presbyterian Church after moving to what is now called North Plymouth Avenue in 1858 near the site of notable Quakers Isaac and Amy Posts' former residence. The largest auditorium in Rochester during the late 1800's, Central Presbyterian Church hosted the primary funeral services for both Frederick Douglass in 1895 and then Susan B. Anthony in 1906. Central Presbyterian merged with two other local Presbyterian churches in 1974 and became the Downtown United Presbyterian Church (located on North Fitzhugh Street). In 1978, Hochstein School of Music Dance purchased the church building for only $1- a generous bargain that symbolized Central Presbyterian's longstanding appreciation for music.
Now the site of the Downtown Presbyterian Church, this used to be where the First Unitarian Church of Rochester would meet. In 1848 the First Unitarian Church of Rochester was the venue for a follow-up convention to the Seneca Falls convention. The church has been associated with many different reform movements, as well as reformers. This includes Mary and Susan B. Anthony, advocates for women's rights and close friends with Frederick Douglass. After his death they held a memorial service here at which Susan B. Anthony and her father spoke. The church was organized in 1829, but spent its first few years without a building or a minister. The location of the church has changed twice. The first time was when the church merged with the Universalist Church of Rochester (also shown on the map) and the Universalist's location became the joined congregation's place of worship. Later in 1959 the location was changed again so the old location could become incorporated into the under-construction Midtown Plaza. This entry is part of a public history project developed by the RIT Museum Studies program in celebration of the bicentennial of Frederick Douglass’s birth (February 1818).
Built in the late 1880s, the brownstone building at the intersection of Fitzhugh Street and Church Street has gone by several names. By 1898, the building was colloquially known as "Fitzhugh Hall." Until the 1930s, the building served as the Rochester Main Post Office. Today, the building is known as Rochester City Hall. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
This Tour is a Driving or Biking Tour.
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This tour starts at Rochester's City Hall and includes several current and former landmarks. Be sure to check out Clio's individual entries throughout the city to discover landmarks like the home of Rochester's most famous resident, Susan B. Anthony, along with the museums, galleries, and cultural centers beyond the city center.
