Downtown Syracuse boasts some of the city’s most recognizable architecture.
The blocks around Clinton Square are filled with historic buildings that define downtown’s character, both as a business and residential area.
The Erie Canal helped shape downtown Syracuse into a major metropolitan area known as the “Mother of Cities.” Even a century after Syracuse filled the canalway, replacing it with asphalt streets, the buildings that it spawned remain among the most impressive in the city.
Before the Canal, travelers were unimpressed by the area that would become the city. M.C. Hand, author of From a Forest to a City, described it as “unattractive, no better than other country villages in those days, wooden buildings largely predominant.” The land was underwater for much of the year, making Syracuse resemble a swamp.
The area’s location between the Erie and Oswego canals allowed downtown Syracuse to develop into a commercial success. With this success, the city’s architecture reflected its growth.
Designs from both local and national architects reflected prevailing architectural trends at the time. Greek Revival, Richardson Romanesque and Gothic buildings surrounded the Canal as the city developed banks, commercial spots and warehouses.
Today, many of these buildings are protected landmarks. The Amos Block, Gere Bank Building, City Hall building and Syracuse Savings Bank are all in the National Register of Historic Places, among other structures directly associated with the Canal.
Monuments to wealth
Three prominent banks built after the Canal’s construction define the architecture around Clinton Square in the mid-19th century.
Among them, the Syracuse Savings Bank is widely regarded as the most impressive of its time.
“I think that’s the greatest building in Syracuse,” said Derrick Pratt, director of education and public programs at the Erie Canal Museum.
The Savings Bank, today used by Bank of America on the east side of Clinton Square, was built in 1876 in a Victorian Gothic style and was the tallest building in the city at the time. Italian stonecutters carved the ornamentation that still looms over Clinton Square.
The structure rested next to the Canal and between two other banks. To the south, the trapezoidal Onondaga County Savings Bank, now named the Gridley Building, opened in 1867. To the north, the Gothic-style Third National Bank, which opened in 1885, now houses several local businesses.
All three remain among the most distinctive in the Syracuse skyline, a testament to the wealth of the time. The extravagant banks sent a not-too-subtle message to all who passed through the city on the Canal during that era.
“It’s the same reason that you want to drive a Maserati,” said Robert Searing, a curator at the Onondaga Historical Association. “It’s a conspicuous display of wealth. “It’s ‘Look at us, we’re showing off how much money we’ve got.’”
Moving east from Clinton Square along the former Canal route, Syracuse City Hall overlooks an area where the Erie and Oswego canals met. Originally known as Market Hall, the building was redesigned and opened in 1892.
City Hall introduces another style of architecture to the downtown block. Described as a “Richardson Romanesque fortress-like building of rough-faced limestone,” the seat of city government draws inspiration from medieval European town halls.
“An obvious indicator of the historic success of any city is the rich variety of architecture, including the blend of styles and periods,” wrote Andrew Kitzmann, former assistant director and curator for the Erie Canal Museum.
Serving the Canal’s needs
While many buildings are recognized for their architecture, some served practical uses when first erected.
The Amos Block and Phoenix Buildings, both dating to the Canal era, were designed for commercial functionality yet remain architecturally significant in Syracuse. The Amos Block draws from the Romanesque Revival movement, while the Phoenix Buildings marked the transition from wood to brick for primary construction materials.
The Erie Canal enabled businesses to form and grow along its banks. As Clinton Square became the city’s commercial hub, Hanover Square, a block away, developed into a commercial district where merchants and farmers sold goods for nearby shops and grocery stores. Some even unloaded boats and sold directly from street-level storefronts using double-enders.
Another block over stood the Syracuse Weighlock Building, which served as a weigh station and toll collection point for Canal boats. The Greek revival-style building now houses the Erie Canal Museum.
