Downtown in Rochester in Monroe County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Granite Building

Photographed by Lugnuts, July 4, 2020

1. Granite Building Marker Text

Inscription. Diagonally across the street stands one of the city's first skyscrapers. This 12-story building, designed by J. Foster Warner, was one of the first in Rochester to adopt steel-frame construction.

Proudly proclaimed fireproof when it opened in 1894, this building was gutted in Rochester's greatest fire on February 6, 1904. The exterior walls were left standing and the granite building was reconstructed preserving the exterior details. In the 1980's, the building was restored after a period of neglect.

Behind you, on the convention center site, once stood the 12-story Commerce Building, the Granite's twin. The spacious convention center, designed by James Stewart Polshek, opened in 1985.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1894.

Location. 43° 9.388′ N, 77° 36.538′ W. Marker is in Rochester, New York, in Monroe County. It is in Downtown. It is at the intersection of East Main Street and St. Paul Street, on the right when traveling east on East Main Street. Located kitty-corner from the subject building, on the southwest corner of the intersection, next to the crosswalk. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Rochester NY 14604, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Upstate New York, specifically in Western New York, and in the Finger Lakes. It is also in the American Northeast, on the Great Lakes, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, New Netherland, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance

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of this marker: Austin Steward 1793-1869 (a few steps from this marker); The Genesee River (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Erie Canal (about 300 feet away); Main Street Bridge (about 300 feet away); From Hunting Ground to City (about 400 feet away); Early Mills and Races (about 500 feet away); Front Street (about 500 feet away); Second Erie Canal Aqueduct (about 800 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rochester.

Regarding Granite Building. The Granite Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Granite Building Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Lugnuts, July 4, 2020

2. Granite Building Marker

Granite Building image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Lugnuts, June 30, 2020

3. Granite Building

If you look closely, you can see the marker hiding behind the light pole on the lower right side of the photo.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 30, 2020, by Lugnuts of Germantown, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 874 times since then and 69 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 30, 2020, by Lugnuts of Germantown, Wisconsin. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.