HomeMy WebLinkAboutContinuation Sheet - 15-17 E. Main, Trumansburg.pdfN.Y. Historic Resource Inventory Form - Continuation Sheet
Address: 15-17 East Main Street
Village/Hamlet: Trumansburg
Narrative Description of Property
Constructed c. 1864 after a massive fire demolished the north side of Main Street,
the current building is one of three brick blocks that survives of Trumansburg Italianate
commercial period. It is situated along the eastern bank of Trumansburg Creek. The first
floor is used for commercial purposes and the second floor contains apartments.
15-17 East Main are the middle two (jointly owned on a single tax parcel) of four
commercial units that appears to have been constructed as part of a concurrently
developed block that included the current units at #7, 9, 15, and 19. Despite their
historically unifying appearance, 7, 15-17, and 19 East Main currently reflect the
aesthetic alterations that accompany differences in ownership and unit usage. #15 is the
western unit; # 17 the eastern unit. The two units are flush with one another, as well as
#19 to the east and #7 to the west.
A corbelled cornice line extends the length of the street (south) fagade. The three
second -floor windows have decorative treatments, with round -headed arched windows
with keystone, spring stones, and stone sills, identical to those on 47-55 East Main Street.
The window openings have been in -filled to allow for installation of standard 1/1 vinyl
sash. The brick of #17 is painted, while the brick of #15 was stained. Neither treatment
appears to have been done in the last few decades.
The first floor of both units have received the same aesthetic treatments, reflecting
joint ownership over successive deed holders. They retains their original cast iron
storefronts, but has been screened and in -filled with T-111 siding and wood trim.
(Confirmation of existing cast iron noted by Vicky Romanoff of V. Romanoff and
Associates in June 2014. The current owner has expressed interest in restoring the two
storefronts.) All of the doors and windows are of modern materials.
Compiled by Katelin Olson, August 15, 2014
N.Y. Historic Resource Inventory Form - Continuation Sheet
Address: 15-17 East Main Street
Village/Hamlet: Trumansburg
Narrative Description of Property
The rear (north) fagade of this stretch of brick buildings is an assortment of
building materials (wood, concrete block, metal) for staircases and decks, reflecting the
private/service functions.
Narrative Description of Significance
Trumansburg Creek was an important early source of power in the community
and small-scale manufacturing developed along its banks. The earliest identified site in
the general proximity of 7-19 East Main Street is Scheneck's Tavern, constructed ca.
1815, known as "a great resort for people of sportive tendencies," patronized by early
local luminaries such as Hermon Camp, Oliver Comstock, and Allyn Boardman (Covert).
By 1819, Boardman, now a very wealthy man, owned the property, now known as Bond
Hotel, routinely renting rooms to tenants "highly objectionable to more sedate villagers."
It seemed to be quite the disreputable establishment and repeated calls for reform by the
owner met with little success. Finally, a group of masked men attacked the wooden
building one night, evicting the tenants and demolishing the structure (Sears, 12-13).
Trumansburg has an unfortunate history of massive fires, and buildings that
stretched the length of the north side of Main Street from Union Street to the Presbyterian
Church were consumed in a monstrous conflagration on February 22, 1864. In The
History of Trumansburg (1890), local historians record the fire in the following way:
There was no fire apparatus of any description in the town ... it became apparent
that the town must go not with out standing the almost superhuman efforts of the
people to check the conflagration. Lines of men, women, and even children were
formed, buckets of water were passed, and the advancing flames persistently
fought at every step until delicate women would fall to the ground from sheer
exhaustion....Main Street from the bridge to the Presbyterian Church and Elm
Street to the corner of Whig were filled with the house hold goods and
merchandise of all descriptions ... Thee scene at daylight beggards description.
One half the town in ruins, scores of homeless people searching the saved
property for their belongings. (As quoted by L. Sears, 53).
The Trumansburg New York Incorporation Centennial (1972) notes that many of
the buildings devoured in the fire were of wood and the majority of owners chose not to
rebuild, instead selling the lots. The new owners overwhelmingly constructed their new
buildings out of brick, historically an urban guard against fire, and adopted more uniform
designs and greater set -backs. The block at 7-23 East Main Street reflects this new
building style.
15-17 East Main are two of four commercial units that was originally constructed as part
of a concurrently developed block that included the current units at #7, 9, 15, and 19.
(Current historical evidence is unclear as to whether it was developed by a single
Compiled by Katelin Olson, August 15, 2014 2
N.Y. Historic Resource Inventory Form - Continuation Sheet
Address: 15-17 East Main Street
Village/Hamlet: Trumansburg
Narrative Description of Significance (continued)
person, or if the buildings were constructed individually and simply decorated in
cooperation with the neighboring units. Structural analysis necessary to determine
origins.) During the April 1887 survey for Trumansburg's first Sanborn Insurance Map,
assessors noted that a single balcony ran the length of units of #15 and 19#. Notations
also indicate that there was a passage between the #17 and #19. This map also shows that
both #15 and #17 were internally subdivided into two units each. The western portion of
# 15 housed a barber, and the eastern portion a tobacco store. In # 17, the western site held
a purveyor of books, and the eastern part another barber. Notably, # 17 lacks its own
internal staircase, suggesting upstairs tenants accessed it via #19 or #15. Again, this is
suggestive that the units operated as part of a larger cohesive structure.
The December 1893 map indicates that the western half of #15 was vacant, with the
tobacco shop (cigars included in the description) in the eastern half. Next door in
#17, the western half contained a flour and feed store and the eastern half retained
a barber.
By December 1898, the western half of #15 was filled by a cobbler; the tobacco
and cigar shop continued in the eastern half. Next door in #17, the barber not longer was
a tenant and the flour and feed store had expanded into both halves. Seven years later, the
survey of December 1905 found the western half of #15 again vacant, but in use as
storage space; the tobacco and cigar shop remained in operation. In #17, it is unclear
whether the flour and feed shop still used both halves, or only operated out of the eastern
portion.
The survey of December 1910 found all four halves of the two units full. The
western portion of #15 was occupied by a barber, although the adjacent tobacco store had
expanded into the northern portion of the half, creating an L-shaped space. In # 17, the
flour and feed store was back into just the western half, with a restaurant occupying the
eastern portion. On the exterior of the building, dotted lines indicate that a covering over
the sidewalk shifted. A single unit appears to stretch from #74 17, while # 19 and #21
have their own independent coverings. This is very suggestive that the division is
ownership of units is already underway. (In the 1905 map, for instance, a single covering
runs the length of #7-19.)
In the final Sanborn map of September 1929, #15 is listed simply as a store; no
subdivision is noted, but that may reflect the more simplistic detailing of the surveyors
and not that it functioned as a single unit. In adjacent #17, the space is noted by an "A"
suggesting it was used to store an automobile, but the building configuration does not
explain how this might have been physically possible. Nevertheless, its also noted that
the unit is used for storage, presumably for #19, as the two units are connected through an
opening in the adjoining wall.
Compiled by Katelin Olson, August 15, 2014 3
N.Y. Historic Resource Inventory Form - Continuation Sheet
Address: 15-17 East Main Street
Village/Hamlet: Trumansburg
Narrative Description of Significance (continued)
In the 201h century, these units have been separated into different tax parcels,
reflecting ownership trends and economic consideration for property. Horton -Holton was
a well-established pharmacy as of 1910 (Sears, 105). Isaac Holton came to Trumansburg
from New Jersey in 1880 to join the business. He eventually became the sole operator
(Sears, 158). In 1910, the pharmacy was possibly located in the building that once stood
of the present-day Napa Auto Parts site (1 East Main).
It has been established that the pharmacy was in part of a brick building once standing at
1 East Main that was washed away in the flood of July 8, 1935. Many days of heavy rain
led to high water levels in the Trumansburg Creek. Today, little evidence remains of the
buildings that once covered the creek on the south side of Main Street, but at the time a
large, iron -clad building spanned the creek. It effectively served as a dam, allowing a
tremendous amount of water to build up. When it finally broke through, taking much of
the building with it, the water cascaded across the street. Former village historian Lydia
Sears writes, "A Three story brick block on the site of the present IGA
disappeared in a cloud of dust at the crest of the flood and four o'clock in the morning. It
took a variety store and Holton's Pharmacy which were housed in the block, down into
the torrent" (138). Possibly the pharmacy relocated directly into the #15 and/or #17
immediately after the flood, or perhaps it was located in another building.
On April 29, 1954, Charles B. Holton, son of Isaac Holton and
pharmacist/operator of the Holton's Pharmacy, passed away. The business was purchased
by Huff and Charles Stewart, who continued the business under the same name. The
pharmacy was still in operation when the area was surveyed in 1977, operating out of #15
and 17. Since at least 2009, #15 has housed One Green Horse, a used book store. (Its
street address is 9 East Main; the use of #15 in the description reflects the address used
by the Tompkins County Office of Real Property.) #17 houses Trumansburg Optical,
owned by Dr. Neil Henninger.
Partial History of Ownership of #15-17 Date Acquired Book Page
Howard Tubbs ?
Neil Henninger September 1, 2005 47859 7002
Compiled by Katelin Olson, August 15, 2014 4
N.Y. Historic Resource Inventory Form - Continuation Sheet
Address: 15-17 East Main Street
Village/Hamlet: Trumansburg
Figure 1: Main (south) facade
Sources
Digital Sanborn Maps 1867-1970. Ann Arbor, Mich.: ProQuest UMI, 2001.
Goldstein, Carol and Tania Werbizky. "9-15-19 E. Main Street," NY
Building Structure Inventory Form, Division for Historic Preservation. Albany,
NY, Spring 1977.
Martin, Carolyn A. Trumansburg, New York Incorporation Centennial." Trumansburg,
NY: The Trumansburg Centennial Association Incorporated, 1972.
Sears, Lydia. A History of Trumansburg, New York, 1792-1967. Location unknown: I -T
Publishing Corp, 1978.
Tompkins County. "Property Description Report For: 19 Main St E, Municipality of
V. Trumansburg." Image Mate Online. Accessed July 29, 2014.
Compiled by Katelin Olson, August 15, 2014 5