Question:
Do you know what street is pictured here? The building in the background was a prominent hotel that was operated by several proprietors — can you name any of them? Both buildings in the photo had to be moved because the village was undergoing extensive “improvements.” What were the improvements and where did the buildings get moved to? The one in the left side of the photo still exists — do you know where it is now?
Last week’s answer:
As can be seen in the photo, the last business to occupy the buildings was Hallmark Furniture. Previous to that the prominent Van Wie Chevrolet (now Evans Chevrolet) occupied the site. They started business across the street where the current parking lot for the law building is now located. In 1926, they moved across to the site pictured.
Since the Baldwin Canal and towpath ran behind these buildings, entrances were very close to East Genesee Street (formerly Canal Street). In the Onondaga Gazette (former Baldwinsville newspaper) a gentleman by the name of Carrington offered services in blacksmithing, “Carriages, wagons and sleighs ironed to order or built throughout,” and horseshoeing.
In 1886 another firm by the name of Buck & Wight manufactured top and open buggies, Portland and patent swell-body cutters and two-seated pleasure sleight. They also offered horseshoeing. In 1909, another blacksmith by the name of Larmer occupied the building along with a farm supply store run by Burt Giddings. George Neupert also did blacksmithing. It also once held a livery stable.
On October 17, 1968, a notice in the Messenger said that First Trust (Key Bank) was expanding its parking behind the Masonic Temple and thus razing the buildings in the picture. The site would then be graded and made into a parking lot. Key Bank opened the current branch in that same location in 1979.
If you want to learn more about the site and other historical facts about Baldwinsville take out “Sketches of Yesterday,” by Anthony Christopher, from the Baldwinsville Public Library. There are over 800 articles from his newspaper column. Most articles are only two pages long. The 11 volumes available for circulation are located on the non-fiction shelves at 974.765 CHR.
We received numerous correct answers this week on our Facebook page.
Contact Editor Sarah Hall at [email protected] or leave a message at 434-8889 ext. 310 with your guess by 5 p.m. Friday (please leave the information in the message; we are not generally able to return calls regarding History Mystery responses). If you are the first person to correctly identify an element in the photo, your name and guess will appear in next week’s Messenger, along with another History Mystery feature. History Mystery is a joint project of the Museum at the Shacksboro Schoolhouse and the Baldwinsville Public Library.
