History of Downtown Syracuse, NY Buildings

This project began in the summer of 2017 when The Downtown Committee asked The Syracuse International Film Festival if they could arrange a history tour of the downtown movie theaters, past and present.  The assignment fell unto me.  I remembered many of the downtown theaters and had heard about others that preceded my theater-going time. I went into research on the subject and was amazed to find out just how many movie theaters had existed downtown (mostly along South Salina St. in the 20th Century).  I identified 23, ranging from early Nicholsons to vaudeville shows, silent movies and “talkies”.  I asked Geoff Stephenson to assist me with this.  Between the two of us, we created a most interesting document.  The tour was such a success that we scheduled a second one. I enjoyed assembling the information so much that I decided to expand the history to all the downtown buildings.  I outlined the areas that I wanted to identify and labeled them chapters...

EARLY HISTORICAL EVENTS OF ONONDAGA COUNTY PRIOR TO SYRACUSE A. REVOLUTIONARY WAR B. POST REVOLUTIONARY WAR C. THE PLAGUE OF 1793 D. ONONDAGA COUNTY IS FORMED E. FIRST COUNTY COURTHOUSE F. FIRST SCHOOLHOUSE G. WAR OF 1812-      1. THE ARSENAL      2. ARSENAL AS IT REMAINS TODAY      3. GRAVES OF TWO VETERANS OF THE WAR OF 1812 The area that we know as downtown Syracuse was not the first location to be inhabited or settled by white Europeans in Onondaga County. Two settlements developed along Seneca Turnpike (NYS Rt 173), south of present-day Syracuse. One was in the valley and was known as Onondaga Hollow and the other was further west on Onondaga Hill. Prior to that, in July 1656, a few dozen men, Jesuit priests, laborers and soldiers, arrived at the northeastern shore of Onondaga Lake to establish a mission. They named their outpost “Sainte Marie”. The cultures between the Europeans and the natives differed so much that the mission was aba...

 B. THE BEGINNINGS OF SYRACUSE; FROM SALT POINT THROUGH THE VILLAGE OF SYRACUSE INTO A CITY 1. FIRST INHABITANTS & STRUCTURES 2. FIRST SCHOOLS| 3. FIRST CITY PARK 4. THE ERIE CANAL & THE DRAINING OF THE SWAMP 5. SYRACUSE HOUSE (HOTEL) 6. OTHER EARLY HOTELS 7. FIRST CEMETERY(S) 8. SYRACUSE GETS ITS NAME 9. SYRACUSE BECOMES A VILLAGE 10. RAILROADS COME TO SYRACUSE 11. 2ND COUNTY COURTHOUSE 12. FIRST STATE FAIR 13. CHURCH ST. DIASTER 14. TWO VILLAGES BECOME A CITY 15. MARKET HALL/CITY HALL 16. EARLY BUILDINGS 17. DRAWINGS 1. First Inhabitants and Structures In 1780, what we today call Syracuse, was known as Salt Point. It was part of The Salt  Springs Reservation and part of The Town of Manlius. Not long thereafter, in 1796, it was renamed Webster’s Landing after Ephraim Webster established a trading post just south  of the inlet of Onondaga Creek into Onondaga Lake. At that time the area was little more  than woods and swamps. In 1796 the area was commonly know...