Upstate Architecture: Whatever Happened to the Sherman House?

I've quoted my friend, Jeff Boehlert, on this blog before. He knows a thing or two about houses and is interested in local architecture.

He has come across some unanswered questions about a house that used to stand on Genesee Street during Utica's "golden" years. Back when the manufacturers hadn't left the area, when the elms lining Genesee Street hadn't died away from Dutch Elm Disease, when the population had grown to around 100,000 people, when the railroad station was central to both business and pleasure.

 

The above house, portrayed in both a photograph and a post card, belonged to James S. Sherman ("Sunny Jim"), Vice-President of the United States under President William Howard Taft. He was born in Utica, a Hamilton College graduate, a lawyer, mayor of Utica and Representative in Congress. Have you ever noticed all the Sherman Places and Sherman Streets in our city? Hmmm. Well, James Sherman was the inspiration. He had three sons: Sherrill, Richard and Thomas. But I can find out very little about them, or about his wife. They all went on to successful careers--so the brief internet bios say. Where are the Shermans today?

Meanwhile, "Sunny Jim," served his first four year term in D.C. and then, during the re-election campaign in 1912, succumbed to Bright's Disease, a kidney disease, and died a few weeks before the election. 25,000 - 30,000 people showed up in Utica for his funeral, including President Taft.

30,000 people, Vice-President of U.S.

So what did our city do to his beautiful house. Here's what Jeff found out:

"It was an outstanding house on Genesee St., unique, beautiful. Instead of our leaders fighting to make such a treasure a national landmark and/or museum, they allowed it to be torn down as if it had no historical significance what-so-ever. An A&P grocery store was built on it's site-- most likely in an effort to increase the city's commercial tax base. It's my understanding that it was torn down in the 1940's. I'd love to know why, who the players were and how such a horrible decision came to be. Was it public knowledge that the house was to be demolished, or were the people left in the dark?  How wonderful it would be to have The Sherman House here, both for us and for those who pass through our city from other parts of the country and from around the world." 

Thanks to Jeff's interest, I am planning to go to the Historical Society and see if I can find out why the house was torn down, as there is no information on the internet. I will post whatever I can find.

If anyone knows anything about this house or the Sherman family, please respond to this post. I would love any information.

Meanwhile, here is what the Sherman "lot" between Jewett and Clinton Streets looks like today. First, it was an A&P Market. Now it is the home of Rite-Aid, etc. And a parking lot.

Photo by Jeff Boehlert

And below is a photo that shows the house that stood next door to Sherman's. It can be seen in the old photographs of the Sherman house. 

Photo by Jeff Boehlert

Upstate Summer: Dog Days

Dogs of summer. The dog days. We found this guy in a little alley in Hamilton, waiting for his owner. Let sleeping dogs lie, as they say. 

Hamilton, NY on a bright July Sunday

Although citizens of the Utica area often say nothing is going on around here, I find walls like this one wherever I go, filled with event flyers, news of exhibits and shows, sales, etc. Maybe we need to ask ourselves how we define "nothing." Or, conversely, how we define "something."

Upstate Summer: Oneida Lake

You might enjoy a good gossip in the shallow waters of Sylvan Beach,

or get yourself a tattoo, wine, or some worms at the other end of the lake in Brewerton.

Opening Day at the Oneida County Public Market

It was overcast, of course, and the numbers small, some venders familiar, some just starting up. But the Utica Coffee was hot and good and the silence soon broken by acoustic guitar. We felt certain that we were witnessing another example of new life and hope for our broken-down Upstate city. We bought a quart of strawberries.

 

What's Wrong With City Hall

This morning I had to go to City Hall to get a permit for a garage sale. I forgot to take pictures, so I am using a standard photo from Google Image, but I will go back and take photos so you can see the plastic lawn chairs out front in Hanna Park and the uninspired fountain, not to mention the overall, overwhelming ugliness of the building and the parts in need of repair.

As if to provide me with the perfect metaphor, on the bench in front of the building a couple in jeans and dirty tee shirts were smoking and reading the classifieds.

When I went inside, the large lobby was virtually empty and in the city clerks' office several people were standing around expressing their opinions regarding a colleague, I assume.

What is wrong with Utica is exemplified by our current City Hall (see above) and our old City Hall (see below), which the city tore down in the 1960's. Why would any city officials destroy such a magnificent architectural treasure and worse, rebuild in its place this piece of utilitarian nothing that nobody will remember or want to remember. I'm sure they cited heating expenses at the time or parking problems or any excuse to explain why they had no foresight or vision for the city's future.

There would be no London or Paris if the citizens of those cities had torn down every building that became expensive to keep up. The architecture a city preserves will repay it many times over in the future--and that applies not just to great cities but small cities like Saratoga Springs, Cooperstown, and   Skaneateles, NY. to name a few.

But not Utica. My experience in City Hall this morning is what defeats me here, what leaves me, in spite of all the local efforts this blog has been noting of late, feeling hopeless about Utica. 

WONDERFUL NEWS: Brand New Downtown Farmers Market

A brand new farmers market in Utica, the Oneida County Public Market, beginning Saturday morning, June 25 through September!

With a goal of being open year round! Nearby newly renovated buildings, such as Doyle Hardware, and new restaurants and cafes!

From the Observer-Dispatch: "About 25 vendors will mark the first Oneida County Public Market on Saturday, setting up fresh produce, artisan foods and crafted local products at Boehlert Center at Union Station.

"The market will take place outside the long-vacant Railway Express Agency wing – the site of a $250,000 county capital project that eventually will allow it to be set up inside and possibly year round. It also will feature live entertainment.

"County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. said he anticipates a healthy crowd for the event, which runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It continues every Saturday.

"He also hopes the event capitalizes on the seeds of transformation that have been planted around the Main Street neighborhood where developers have worked to rehabilitate 421 Broad St., the former Cobblestone Building, and the former Doyle Hardware building.

"The capital project will include new windows, lighting and general upgrades to a small portion of the wing, Picente said. As the market grows, more of the wing could be renovated."

Gourmet Utica: Chuck E Cheese

We finally caught up with our grandaughter, Amelia, who has been away for awhile, and her first request was to go to our house. Her priorities are right on. But her second request was to go to Chuck E Cheese, the mouse that roared for little children everywhere!

I had never been to Chuck E Cheese but Amelia knew the place like the back of her hand: all the rides, what to eat, the prizes, the looked-forward-to appearance of Chuck E himself, the little stage where kids can sing or dance or just plain show off. In short, a kid's paradise. Constant noise. Bright lights and colors. Pizza and candy galore. Rides in cars, on horses. Lots of other kids running around.

And that will be $35. please. For a cardboard pizza and tokens for the rides. I'll spare you a photo of the (so-called) pizza.

Not to mention the Flaming Finger and Extreme (has to be EXTREME) Hunting! Where if you look closely you can see the words "life like violence mild." An oxymoron if ever there was one.