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Category: Buildings and Places

A group of children watch two women in old-fashioned clothes help a girl use a butter churn in an old-fashioned kitchen.

At Home with the Swans: The Kitchen

Overview of the kitchen at Rose Hill Mansion.
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View of a Greek Revival mansion with 6 2-story pillars across a lawn and through trees.

At Home with the Swans: The Necessary Room

Overview of the purpose of the Necessary Room in Rose Hill Mansion.
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Agnes Swan sitting in front of the fireplace in the North Parlor of Rose Hill.

At Home with the Swans: The Parlors

Overview of how the parlors were used at Rose Hill Mansion.
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View of the breakfast table and chairs in the Breakfast Room in Rose Hill Mansion

At Home with the Swans: Breakfast Room

Closer look at the use and purpose of the Breakfast Room in Rose Hill Mansion.
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Photograph of digging the foundation for the new (and current) Geneva Post Office on Castle Street in September 1905

Five Things From Our Collection: Geneva Post Office

Items from Historic Geneva’s Collection that chronicles the Geneva Post Office.
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Front view of the Centennial Building in the 1920s (Geneva, New York).

Commemorating a Milestone: The Centennial Building

A history of the Centennial building at 68 Castle Street.
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Men sleeping on mattresses in the Dove Block during World War II

Sampson’s Laborers and Geneva’s Housing Crisis

Overview of Geneva's housing shortage and the construction of Sampson US Naval Training Station during World War II.
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An old photo of a hillside with houses on it terraced above a train track and water.

Terraced Gardens

A brief overview of the terraced gardens that once lined west side of South Main Street.
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Black and white photo of people around the the fountain in Pulteney Park

Main Street Improvement Association, Part 2

The second article in a series about the Main Street Improvement Association.
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Black and white photo of the entrance to Glenwood Cemetery

McBlain Memorial Chapel

A short history on the McBlain Memorial Chapel at the entrance of Glenwood Cemetery.
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A commercial street of buildings with a trolley running down the middle and a man with a shovel and two horses behind large snowbanks.

Geneva 1879: Year in Review

A few highlighted events from the Geneva Courier's 1879 Year in Review.
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view-of-hygienic-institute

The Pulteney Apartments

Brief history of the Pulteney Apartments
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black and white photo of the Octagon House

Form Follows Function: The Octagon House

A short history of the octagon house at 760 Castle Street.
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Pencil sketch of the first Trinity Church on South Main Street, 1808-1841

Geneva’s First Burying Ground

Brief history of Geneva’s first burial ground
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Cornell Agritech

A brief history of the site Cornell Agritech (formerly the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station) now stands on.
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A transparent map digitally imposed on a Google Earth satellite image of Geneva's lakefront.

Geneva’s Lakefront: 1904 and Today

A 1904 map of Geneva's lakefront reveals the extent of change that has occurred in the built environment and residents' attitudes about it in 120 years.
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An elevated map view of Geneva from a point over Seneca Lake.

1873 Geneva Bird’s-Eye View

An 1873 Geneva bird's-eye view represents a popular art form in 19th-century America and details the city's built environment.
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a statues in Pulteney Park

Jean MacKay Henrich and Pulteney Park

The story behind the statue “Peace“ in Pulteney Park. 
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Contemporary photo of Brooks or Smith Observatory on Castle Street

1925 Solar Eclipse

Newspaper accounts about the 1925 solar eclipse and the unsuccessful balloon ascension.
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A complex in Courtyard apartments

From Pre-Emption Park to Courtyard Apartments

A reflection on our November 2023 Community Conversation and housing in Geneva
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six portrait photos of policemen

People from the St. Patrick’s Cemetery 2023 Tour

Overview of the residents featured in the 2023 tour of t Patrick's Cemetery
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1915 map north side Seneca Street. Irving Hall outlined in red.

Irving Hall

A brief history of Irving Hall located on Seneca Street.
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A large brick house with Tudor style details and porch along the front made of seven large arched windows and a door.

Houghton House

A brief history of Houghton House on the campus of Hobart and William Smith College.
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a dog in a kiddie pool and a kitten in a file organizer

Animals at Rose Hill

Brief overview of the animals (past and present) at Rose Hill.
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View of a large park

The Interesting Life of Smith’s Park

Overview of Smith’s Park, developed by nurseryman and philanthropist William Smith.
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Logo for 125th anniversary of the Geneva's city charter

We Were Here In 1898: Buildings and Places

Overview of buildings and places around Geneva that existed in 1898 and are still here today
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Breuer Hotel seven men on sidewalk children on balcony

Hearing From You: The Breuer Hotel

Brief history of the Breuer Hotel.
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Art show in a large room with a wooden floor

Cracker Factory

The third and final post about 35 Lehigh Street in Geneva, New York.
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1947 Cutlery Factory Footprint

Geneva Cutlery Company

The second in a series of posts about 35 Lehigh Street in Geneva, New York. Includes a brief history of the Geneva Cutlery Company
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image of a pair of scissors made by Geneva Shears Company

The Geneva Shears Company

The first in a series of posts about 35 Lehigh Street in Geneva, New York. Includes a brief history of the Geneva Shears Company.
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Current colored photo of Grace Chruch

Grace Willowdale Episcopal Church

A brief history of Grace Willowdale Episcopal Church.,
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A 2-story, light colored brick house with a dark columned entry porch.

The Prouty-Chew House: From Family Home to Museum and Work Space

There were many changes involved in transforming the Prouty-Chew house from a house to a museum.
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Postcard of the Willows

The Willows Along Seneca Lake

A brief history of the Willows along Seneca Lake in Geneva.
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Women In Bakery Window

Food and Drinks Businesses in Downtown Geneva

Brief histories of downtown buildings in Geneva, that are currently bars and restaurants
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wooden sign for the Loomis Wildlife Preserve being hung by two unidentified girls.

Over the River and Through the Woods: Loomis Wood

A history of the Loomis Woods.
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1790 Map Of Phelps And Gorham Purchase

The Pre-Emption Line, Part 4

The fourth and final article in a series about the Pre-Emption Line.
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Open air tent and small cabin at Fossenvue

Fossenvue

A brief history of the summer camp Fossenvue on Seneca Lake.
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String-bound booklet that Colonel Hugh Maxwell used for his Pre-Emption field notes.

The Pre-Emption Line, Part 3

The third article in a series about the Pre-Emption Line.
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Exterior photograph of a one story restraunt

My Geneva Is … Then and Now

Photographs are important to documenting Geneva's stories.  One example is the photographs for a lot on Lake Street.
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A man and woman and five young girls in old-fashioned dress standing outside a large brick house.

The Prouty Family Home

Discover how the Prouty-Chew House changed over the Prouty family's forty-year residence.
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Outside Rose Hill: An Exploration Of Landscape And Architecture

Summer At Rose Hill

Summer at Rose Hill with the Swan family in the mid-1800s.
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People on a beach

Seneca Lake Park: From City Park to State Park

A brief history of Seneca Lake State Park
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Gravestone With Cross For Sweethearts

More Stories from St. Patrick’s Cemetery

Overview of some of the residents of St Patrick's Cemetery
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Several barns and other outbuildings at Rose Hill

Changing Seasons at Rose Hill Mansion

Fall at Rose Hill with the Swan.
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View of the rows of seats and the movie screen at Regent Theater

Temple Theatre and Regent Theater

Brief histories of the Temple Theatre and Regent Theater
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Man on a farm driving a wagon with two men holding onto a sign

From Home to Museum: A Brief History of Johnston House

How the Johnston House evolved from a home into a museum.
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Several barns and other outbuildings at Rose Hill

Rose Hill Mansion’s Landscape: Aesthetic & Utilitarian

How Rose Hill Mansion's landscape was used during the Swan period (1850-1890).
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single story house being towed by a truck

The Missing House on Park Place

The story of the missing house - 12 Park Place
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Postcard image of a car driving into a manicured lakeside park

Lakeside Park

A brief history of Lakeside Park in Geneva.
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Two Story School Building With Spire

DeSales High School: The Early Years

A look at the early history of DeSales High School
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A wagon with a downtown intersection and grist mill in the foreground

Mystery of the Mill

A brief history of the flour and grist mill on Castle Street
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Grave of Daniel O Neill

St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Part 2

A selection of veterans buried at St. Patrick's Cemetery
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St Patricks Cemetery Sign And Grave Stones

St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Part 1

Overview the history of St. Patrick's Cemetery and some of its residents
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map of Millton, Castle and State Streets

What’s In A Name? Geneva’s Street Names

The stories behind some of Geneva’s street names
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Geneva Rollerdrome Building With Cars In Front

Memories of Geneva Rollerdrome

A brief history and memories of the Geneva Rollerdrome.
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White Church With Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church Sign

What’s Next? Future Historic Preservation in Geneva

Discussion of future historic preservation in Geneva.
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Green Sign on a fence in front of a Yellow Brick Building

Historic Preservation Month

Review of recent historic preservation projects in Geneva.
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large crowd standing outside a movie theater

Meet Gerald and Viacita Fowler, Part 1

Gerald Folwer and his work at the Schine theatres in Geneva.
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the gate into Brookside Cemetery from the opposite side of the road

Brookside Cemetery

Brief history of Brookside Cemetery.
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man in a suit leaning again a prop

St. Patrick’s Cemetery: A Story of Immigration in Geneva

Brief history of Irish and Italian immigration to Geneva.
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Greek Revival Architecture: The Basics

An introduction to Greek Revival Architecture.
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man in colonial dress

An Original, Almost – George Washington’s Portrait at Rose Hill Mansion

The story of Jane Stuart and her portrait of George Washington at Rose Hill.
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View on the Behind-the-Scenes tour through a 6-over-pane window across a pitched roof and field to a lake.

What’s a Belvedere?

Answers to commonly asked questions at Rose Hill Mansion - what is a belvedere and why is it called that?
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Christmas in Geneva 50 Years Ago

Christmas shopping based on ads from the November 27, 1968 edition of the Geneva Times.
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And, what do we have here

Is Geneva undergoing gentrification?
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Engraving of a street view of a house and outbuildings.

Nehemiah Denton

The story of Nehemiah Denton.
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The Finger Lakes: Descriptions for People Who Don’t Know, Aren’t Certain or Have Never Been

Finger Lakes 101
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Modern Living with 16th Century Charm: Geneva’s Row Houses

Brief history of Geneva's row houses
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Several people in front of a corner store with large front windows decorated with a snowman and a hanging Blue Boy Ice Cream sign.

Every Building Tells a Story: Retail Architecture, Part II

Second in a series about retail architecture in Geneva.
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Every Building Tells A Story: Retail Architecture, Part I

First in a series about retail architecture in downtown Geneva.
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Howard & Union Streets

A brief history of Howard and Union Streets
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Glenwood Cemetery

Brief history of Glenwood Cemetery
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Every Building Tells a Story: Brook and North Brook Streets

A brief history of Brook and North Brook Streets.
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Celebrating the Washington Street Cemetery Arch

A brief history of the recently reinstalled Washington Street Cemetery Arch.
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Adobe Houses in Geneva

Overview of adobe houses in Geneva, New York.
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Sherrill Street

A brief history of Sherrill Street.
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Surviving Houses on Hamilton Street

Hamilton Street has undergone the most change of any existing street in Geneva.
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Geneva’s Stories: Urban Renewal in Geneva Part Two

Second part of a two-part series on the impact of 1960s Urban Renewal on Geneva, NY.
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Geneva’s Stories: Urban Renewal in Geneva

The first video in a monthly series of short Geneva history stories, beginning with Urban Renewal.
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Building A Better Geneva: Urban Renewal, Part II

After seven years of applying for Urban Renewal money, evaluating property conditions and values, and organizing the work, demolition began in March 1966.
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Building A Better Geneva: Urban Renewal, Part I

For those of us of a certain age, urban renewal is the scapegoat for unpleasant change in our communities. “Why did they [always an unnamed “they”] tear down X, Y, and Z?” “Urban renewal.” While I sympathize with mourning the loss of what used to be, I wanted to find out what urban renewal really was, why communities embraced it, and who “they” were.
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Geneva’s Oldest Burial Grounds

One of the oldest burial grounds in Geneva was the Pulteney Street Burial Ground. I say one of the oldest because the first burials appear to have taken place where Trinity Episcopal Church stands today.
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red-primroses

March!

The month of March is upon us with wildly unpredictable weather. March is the month of wind, sun, snow, rain, sleet, and it usually has a complete temperature rollercoaster. I have a real love/hate affair with March. The days get longer; the sun comes out more and then just as I begin looking for crocuses, daffodils, primroses and violets in the garden we get socked with a blizzard or ice storm!
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A building facade featuring engaged ionic columns and a classical pediment that reads The Farmers and Merchants Bank.

Geneva Downtown Commercial Historic District

What is Geneva's Downtown Commercial Historic District and what does it mean for the city?
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Lift Up Thine Eyes: The Upper Floors of Downtown Geneva

Overview of downtown Architecture
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Looking Back on Chocolate Almond Coffee Cake and Department Stores

Brief history of J. W. Smith Dry Goods Co.
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Geneva House Architecture

Overview of Geneva's residential architecture.
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Large brick building with a turret.

Geneva’s Armory: Form and Function

Overview of the history of Geneva's Armory building.
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Section of a map of Linden Street showing the buildings on it.

Linden Street

Geographically, Linden Street is the heart of downtown.
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Pierce and Bickford

Brief biography of architects Joseph Pierce and Hiriam Bickford.
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Watercolor painting showing a lakeshore with a couple dozen one to two-storey buildings along the shore and a sailboat and canoe on the water.

Geneva’s Changing Waterfront

Seneca Lake and its shore have always been valuable commodities to Geneva, but the nature of that value is always changing.
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two views of Seneca Lake

From Lake to Table (Fish Dinner from Catch to Table)

The Swan family's experience with muskellunge
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No Free Money: Historic Preservation 101

Historic Preservation 101
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