This article was scraped from Rochester Subway. This is a blog about Rochester history and urbanism has not been published since 2017. The current owners are now publishing link spam which made me want to preserve this history.. The original article was published January 31, 2010 and can be found here.
We found this old photo of the Powers Building and Rochester's four corners recently on a vintage photos website called Shorpy.com . Not only is this a photo of one of Rochester's most celebrated structures at one of the greatest times in the city's history, but it's incredibly detailed for such an old photo--right down to the logos painted on the office windows (click on the image to enlarge).
Hey, here's a bit of fun for you... we hid the RochesterSubway.com logo somewhere in the photo. Let's see which one of you can find it first. And while you're searching for our hidden logo, here are a few other things you should take notice of...
- The Powers Building, built in 1869. Additional floors were added in 1874, 1880, 1888, and 1891 so that it could retain its title of tallest building in Rochester.
- Check out the elevation change in Main Street versus today (2010). This photo shows many steps leading up to the front door, now the door is at grade (no steps).
- Notice the competing insurance companies upstairs from the main entrance of Fidelity Trust: You have Phoenix Mutual Life, and a little higher up, Ashley & Loewenguth.
- On the ground floor you have a One Price Hatters and Furriers. (Doesn't say it is a low price. Could be a high price. Just says it is one price).
- The best sign in this picture has to be down in the basement. It reads Hot, Cold Shower Baths 25 cents. Many hotel/apartment buildings of the era had a single bathroom down the hall, for all the residents of a floor. Hot showers must have been a great novelty in 1904.
- The construction site for the Rochester Trust & Safe Deposit Co. building can be seen in the lower left. The picket-like debris must have been crating for round pre-cut stones used to construct the building's Greek style columns.
- The four corners intersection was the first 12-way rail crossing in the world. Built in 1893, this interchange was known as the 'Grand Union' and it connected the Rochester & Sodus Bay and Rochester & Eastern Interurban rail lines.
- This picture was taken at 2:55pm according the clock on State Street. Not sure what day it is though. Pedestrian traffic is pretty light so I'd guess it be a week day.
Shorpy.com offers large fine-art prints of this photo for $30. Smaller prints can be purchased from $15. Pretty sweet!
For more information and photos of Rochester's four corners, check out one of our older posts, State and Main... Window on the Past .
