Eastman Dental Dispensary

I started this run at the Village Gate on Goodman with the intent of checking out the Eastman Dental Dispensary on Main Street towards the end of the run.  The building was funded by George Eastman in 1917 to provide free dental care to underprivileged children in Rochester.  Although now in disrepair, the building is a wonderful example of the type of architecture built from the turn of the century through the first world war.

Children from around the city were bussed in, often on school buses, to receive their dental care  This picture is from 1930. 

Care was given in large, open operating rooms and infirmary style sleeping areas.  Over 1400 tonsillectomies were performed here in 1920.

In 2007, the same Scott Donaldson who purchased the Main Street Armory purchased the building.  During the Halloween season of 2007 the building was used as the "House of Pain" haunted house attraction .... probably explaining the ghostly statue in the window.

I ran this route on a hot July 5 morning that felt more like mid day.  My route stretched a little longer than normal, about 3.9 miles. Historical pictures courtesy of UR Research, urresearch.rochester.edu.  Tip about this building thanks to @ezekialdantes.

Return to My Roots - Utica, NY

This run wasn't in Rochester, but I included it here for a bit of family history.  The building above was the home of my great grandfather's suit factory.  He was an immigrant from Italy, a tailor who eventually started his own custom made clothing company.  His custom made suits were considered the best in the Utica NY area in the early to mid 20th century. 

This picture is of the original sign on the first floor of the building which advertised the clothing factory on the floors above.  My brother Paul, the official family historian, was able enough to acquire the actual original sign on a lucky tip.  A friend of his who works for the local power company was working in the building and saw the sign in an unused storage area.  It is now proudly displayed in my brother's house.

My run started on Culver Ave, and then took me down through the old factories of Broad Street.  Some are still in use, but some are completely shuttered.  One that is particularly interesting is the former Beaunit Fibres rayon factory (left).  From his teen years, my dad remembers the smell coming from the smokestacks as particularly acrid.  It now stands deserted, with all of it's machinery and structures still inside becoming artifacts of the era when Utica NY was a thriving textile manufacturing center.  Some great pictures of this site can be found here: http://bit.ly/bvn1yB

The Main Street Castle

The Main Street Armory, built in 1905 by the US Army was used for many purposes throughout the 20th century.  Now mainly a concert venue, it once was a training center for troops headed to World Wars I and II.  Sharing the building with sporting and entertainment events apparently began as early as the 1930's.  It has been the home of various Rochester professional sports teams.  The 'castle' lends a cool atmosphere to rock shows, and the size of the arena is great for regional to national touring acts.

In the 1990's, the building decayed to the point of nearly being condemned - until Scott Donaldson purchased it from the city for $1000 (no kidding).  The first concert after it's re-opening in 2007 was the band  O.A.R.

I started this route at the Village Gate then headed toward the Armory.  It was a great day, about 6 AM on a Saturday.

Cobb's Hill Reservoir

Cobb's Hill is a great place to work into the middle of a run on the Southeast side of Rochester.  The paved trail around the reservoir is .69 miles, and the views from up there are really nice.  Got up there on a crisp, clear winter morning. Cobbs Hill is part of Rochester's mini-mountain range within city limits, with the adjacent Pinnacle Hill being the highest point in the city.

Built in 1908, the Cobb's Hill reservoir has provided water for the city ever since.  The reservoir building is a great example of the majestic and ornamental style of public buildings built around the country from the turn of the century through about WW1.  It features classical columns and gargoyle-like ornaments.

During World War Two, the Cobb's Hill Reservoir area and Park was used as a POW camp.  Hundreds of Italian and German POW's were housed there during the war, and were often put to work on public works projects in the city.