James Street
Burns Lyman Smith House
Sedgewick House
Robert and Mary Dey House
Holden Mansion

West Onondaga Blvd.
Alexander Brown House

Downtown
The Yates Hotel
South Salina
Robert Gere Bank Building
White Memorial Building
Andrew Block
Kirk Fireproof Building
Weighlock Building
McCarthy Warehouse

Churches
Dutch Reform Church
Park Avenue Methodist
Title 3

Endangered Structures
Title 1
Title 2
Title 3

Pre-War Syracuse Architects
Ward Wellington Ward
Archimedes Russell
Dwight James Baum
Gordon Wright
Charles E. Colton
 

Tudor Lounge, Onondaga Hotel (demolished 1970)

Each of the items on the left contains a picture of pre-World War II Syracuse, accompanied by a recent photo of the same location.  To make comparisons easier, an effort has been made in each case to take the new picture from the same position as the original.

You'll see that significant changes have often been made to the original structure. In many cases the historic building is now gone entirely.  Of course, when an older structure is removed to make way for something better the loss may be justified.  Look and decide for yourself.

Many of the historic photos offer remarkable detail, not just of buildings but also of people, fashions, advertisements, automobiles, etc. If you have the time — and especially if you have a high-speed internet connection — you may want to download one of the optional high-resolution images.  As you pan the detailed photo you can imagine meeting friends for drinks at the Onondaga Hotel's Tudor Lounge or standing once again in the Clinton Square of 1915.

This site is a work in progress.  Please check back from time to time to see how it has been expanded and improved.