Rosette Island – Longue Vue Island Added To U.S. National Register Of Historic Places In 1982 In 1901, Hudson P. Rose purchased a parcel of land, possibly what became Rosette Island, from his brother, Frederick H. Rose, in the town of Alexandria. Four years later, in May of 1905, Hudson and his wife, Molly M. […]
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Pine Tree Point Club – 1000 Islands
J. B. Taylor Summer Home Turned Into Pine Tree Point Club By Thomson Family The Pine Tree Point Club made its debut in 1954 after A. Graham Thomson and his wife, Therese Theoret Thomson, purchased the original palatial stone mansion overlooking the St. Lawrence River at Alexandria Bay from Dr. and Mrs. (Sallie Taylor Robinson) Walter […]
Fairyland – 1000 Islands
Fairyland Island, Home To The Hayden Family Summer Homes Fairyland is the curious name given, and rather confusingly so, to an island, a summer home, and a summer home on another island that was once referred to as Little Fraud Island. Throw in a few generations of the Hayden family with three different summer homes […]
Adventure Town – 1000 Islands
Adventure Town 1000 Islands Brought The Wild West To Edgewood Resort Looking to draw tourists to Edgewood Resort, co-owners George L. Clark and George (Bud) H. Hebert created Adventure Town in 1955. An ode to the wild-wild west of yesteryear, Adventure Town was constructed on the site of the former Edgewood International Speedway and was […]
423 Dimmick Street Munition Explosion Tragedy – July 12 1922
Explosion At 423 Dimmick Street Leaves 8 Children Dead In Watertown Tragedy, July 12, 1922 On a warm, sunny summer afternoon, eight children ranging from the ages of 8 to 16 gathered at 423 Dimmick Street in Watertown, N.Y., to play a game of croquet. The residence, a two-story concrete block building, belonged to Mr. […]
Paddock Carriage House – Huested Studio – Curtis-Holmes Music (1876 – 1971)
The History Of The Oscar Paddock Carriage House – The Finest Of Its Time The Oscar Paddock carriage house, built with a barn and stable in 1876 when Oscar Paddock remodeled his home at 216 Washington Street, was a two-story brick building fronting Stone Street at its original address of 9 (it would later be […]
Judge Donahue Summer Home – Steamboat Island – 1000 Islands
New York City Supreme Court Judge Donahue Summer Home On Steamboat Island One of the early mansions in the Thousand Islands, the Judge Donahue summer home on Steamboat Island, has been a bit of a challenge to find information on as is Judge Donahue himself. Once Judge Donahue, a Supreme Court judge from New York […]
Oscar Paddock Mansion – 216 Washington Street
The Oscar Paddock Mansion On Washington St. Along With The Other Paddock Mansions Were Sights To Behold One of the old homes on Washington Street that has long since departed is the Oscar Paddock mansion, once located next to sibling Edwin Paddock‘s mansion, which has been home to the Jefferson County Historical Society for 100 […]
Brainard Mansion – Elks Club – 215 Washington Street
The Palatial Orville Brainard Mansion Became Elks Club In 1913 One of the earlier palatial homes on Washington Street in Watertown, N.Y., was the Orville V. Brainard mansion. Although no definite date could be established for its construction, references to it as the Brainard address on Washington Street appear as early as the 1860s. Its […]
Woolworth – Woolworth Building – Public Square (1921 – Present)
F. W. Woolworth’s Vision Of The Woolworth Building on Public Square Was Much Different Although F. W. Woolworth had architectural plans in development for a new Woolworth building in Watertown, completed by Cass Gilbert, a notable architect of the Woolworth Building in New York City and then the largest building in the world, it was […]
Imperial Isle – 1000 Islands
Imperial Isle in the 1000 Islands Long before Gilbert T. Rafferty built his castle-like summer home on Imperial Isle in “Millionaire’s Row,” the island was described in the book Meanderings Among A Thousand Islands as once being “not much more than a little cluster of rocks with a few trees on one of them.” It would […]
Remembering 1000 Islands WaterFun Village (1981-1989)
Frank Augsbury, Who Renovated Madison Barracks, Brings Northern New York WaterFun Village The first attempt at building WaterFun Village at Collins Landing near the foot of the 1000 Islands Bridge began in 1979 when Interstate Recreation Co., Hilton Head, South Carolina, in conjunction with 20 limited partners, sought to lease property from the Thousand Islands […]
Westcott Beach State Park (1946 – Present)
Westcott Family Property Since 1803 Becomes Part Of Westcott Beach State Park Westcott Beach had long been part of the Wescott family, going back to their building a farm on Chestnut Ridge in 1803. In the 1930s, then-owner Charles Wescott operated it as a private beach, charging 25¢ per vehicle for admission. Within a few […]
Kirby House – Hotel Hardiman – Roosevelt Hotel (1850 – 1966)
From Kirby House, to Earll Hotel, Hotel Hardiman and Roosevelt Hotel, the Old Court Street Hotel Saw a Lot In Its 116 Years The Kirby House on Court Street was built in 1850 when the village of Watertown was experiencing unprecedented re-construction after the great fire of 1849. Occupying the site previously was a house […]
Manatauk Hotel – 1000 Islands
High Upon Bartlett Point Once Sat Manatauk Hotel Overlooking Clayton and The St. Lawrence River Completed around 1901, what was most commonly known as the Manatauk Hotel was briefly named both the St. Lawrence Club House and the Clayton Clubhouse. Perched high atop what was then named Prospect Point, formerly (and currently once again) Bartlett […]
Jean’s Beans – 259 Eastern Blvd (1953-Present)
Last of The Jean’s Beans Still Going Strong At Same Location Despite Difficulties Launching In 1953 Even if you’ve never been able to walk into Jean’s Beans on Eastern Boulevard and savor the aroma on any given day, chances are you may very well be familiar with Jean’s Potato Chips, established in 1924. In their […]
Jefferson County Almshouse – County Poorhouse (1832 – 1966)
Jefferson County Almshouse, Once An Orphanage, County Home For The Aged And Deathbed Of Famed Musician Nick Goodall The long history of the Jefferson County Almshouse, also known as the County Home for the Aged and “Poor House,” began back in 1825 when prominent citizens were appointed to find a suitable site for erecting a […]
Ely Store – Wooster Sherman Bank (1828 – 1894)
The Adriel Ely Store Has A Long and Notable History Of Connections To Who’s Who In Watertown History The Adriel Ely store was just one of many businesses to occupy the two-story stone building that long ago graced the south corner of Washington and Stone Streets in the 19th century. For clarity’s sake and having […]
Neh-Mahbin – 1000 Islands
Neh-Mahbin, Summer Home To James H. Oliphant And Family One of the more curiously named islands of the Thousand Islands region, Neh-Mahbin, has outdone its landbound neighbor, Keewaydin, in the various spellings found over the years in various media. They include Neh-Nahbin, Neh-Mahbin, Neh-Mahdin, Nehmahdin, Ne-mah-bin, Neh Mahin, Neh Nabbin, Nehmabin, Nemabbin, Neh-Mabin, and finally, […]
Fairgrounds Pool – Steve D. Alteri Pool (1975 – Present)
The Fairgrounds Pool, Later Renamed Steve D. Alteri Pool, And A Strange Case Of Déjà Vu. When it comes to the Steve D. Alteri Pool, aka the Fairgrounds Pool, and its history, one is reminded of the quote from philosopher George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Various iterations of […]
Judge Sawyer Mansion – 141 Ten Eyck St
Judge Sawyer Mansion at 141 Ten Eyck Street One of the large, old homes in the city is located at 141 Ten Eyck Street and was the Judge Sawyer mansion back around the turn of the 20th century. The only construction date located, its address changing at least three times from 5, to 111, to […]
Bide-A-Wee Hospital – Bradley Street (1916 – 1946)
Emma Flower Taylor Gifts The city A Bide-A-Wee Hospital Prior to the creation of the Bide-A-Wee Hospital on Bradley Street, Emma Flower Taylor would gift the House of the Good Samaritan the Taylor building, originally intended for use a contagious hospital for care of those with communicable diseases, in 1905. However, the board of the […]
Singer Castle – Dark Island – 1000 Islands
Singer Castle Built For Frederick G. Bourne, President Of Singer Manufacturing Company Singer Castle on Dark Island was the last castle built among the Thousand Islands, and it was originally named The Towers. Long before that, Native Americans called the island Lone Star. Its current name, Dark Island, comes from the dense evergreens that cast […]
The Strand Theater (1914 – Present)
The Strand Opened in 1914 as a Modern Theater on Franklin Street Watertown, NY, would see the opening of The Strand, a “new moving picture theatre” on lower Franklin Street, on Christmas 1914, three years before the Olympic Theater on lower State Street and about seven years after the Orpheum opened on Polk Street and […]
Hillcrest Farm (1816 – Present)
Hillcrest Farm on Ives Street Has An Impressive History Of Ownership Hillcrest Farm on Ives Street was named as such by Anson R. Flower, who purchased it in 1901. Its rich history dates back to 1816, and through the long ownership of former congressman Willard Ives in the mid-to-late 1800s. Former longtime Watertown mayor John […]
Hardiman-Woolworth – 147 Court Street
Hardiman-Woolworth Co., One of the Largest Furnishing Houses in New York State The Hardiman-Woolworth store was a long-time fixture on Court Street, having grown from a small store to one of the three largest furnishing houses in New York State outside of greater New York, according to the Watertown Daily Times. A good deal of […]
Harris House – Public Square (c.1827 – 1905)
The Harris House, One of Watertown’s Earliest Taverns and Hotels on Public Square Built in the late 1820s by Nathan F. Butts as a Butler’s tavern, the Harris House had many owners over the decades and was purchased in 1852 by Silas Gates, father of Edward M. Gates, who would later become city postmaster. The hotel/tavern […]
War of the Worlds – October 30, 1938 – Northern New York Hysteria
October 30, 1938 War of the Worlds Old Time Radio Broadcast Causes Mass Hysteria Before the golden age of television became the popular mode of home entertainment, H. G. Wells’s 1897 War of the Worlds serial in Pearson’s Magazine would make its dramatic debut on October 30, 1938, on the era’s more popular medium, the […]
George Boldt’s Wellesley House – 1000 Islands
George Boldt’s Wellesley House on Wellesley Island George Boldt‘s Wellesley House is often overshadowed by the Waldorf-Astoria proprietor’s construction of Boldt Castle on Heart Island, which was conducted around the same time. While overshadowed is an appropriate term for perhaps any property on the St. Lawrence in comparison to Boldt Castle, with over 50 rooms […]
Partridge Berry Inn (1972 – 2009, 2010 – 2013)
After 37 Years, Partridge Berry Inn Rekindles Anew By The Fireside The Partridge Berry Inn was a vision William J. Monnat had of owning a barn-beamed fine dining establishment in Watertown, N.Y. A landscape architect with a penchant for historical buildings and preservation, Mr. Monnat started his enterprise of the Black River Garden Center on Route […]
CW&SHRR Depot – Marcy-Buck Building (1871 – 1967)
Carthage, Watertown & Sackets Harbor Rail Road Depot, Built in 1871, Becomes Marcy-Buck Building Before becoming the Marcy-Buck building, which was only one of many variations of business names attributed to Richard Marcy‘s initial coal business over the years, the three-story brick building on the corner of Mill and Factory Streets was initially built as […]
The Carlisle – 273 Paddock Street
The Carlisle At 273 Paddock Street – Named After 3rd Owner, Floyd L. Carlisle The story of The Carlisle, as it would later become known, starts with Mrs. Grace L Devendorf Hunting purchasing the property at the corner of Paddock and Holcomb Streets in 1905 from Edwin L. and Olive A. Paddock. Grace and her […]
Court Street City Hall (1897 – 1966)
Old Court Street City Hall – Erected In Controversy, Demolished In Controversy The city forefathers who built the Court Street city hall didn’t have crystal balls. Nor did their forefathers who deeded the land to the then village of Watertown for use as a burial ground, for that matter. One can only imagine the dismay […]
Woolworth – 146 Arsenal Street
Woolworth Relocating To 146 Arsenal Street – The Urban Renewal’s “Success” Story When the city of Watertown started kicking around the idea of Urban Renewal in 1959, Woolworth’s most likely was never even considered a possibility for relocating to what would become a huge empty parcel between Court and Arsenal Streets—why would they? The Woolworth […]
Starbuck Mansion – 253 Clinton Street
James F. Starbuck, Prominent Attorney, and Later State Senator, Builds Starbuck Mansion At 253 Clinton Street The Starbuck mansion at 253 Clinton Street, once declared by Watertown Daily Times writer David F. Lane to be “One of the Watertown’s most imposing mansions,” was completed in 1866, nearly 40 years before its arguably more imposing neighbor, […]
Orville Hungerford Mansion (1824 – 1959, 1959-Present)
The Hungerford Mansion Will Be 200 Years Old In 2025 Orville Hungerford had the Hungerford mansion constructed in 1824-25 on the corner of now Washington and Mullin Streets in Watertown, N.Y. As it approaches its 200th year in existence, the mansion, long considered one of the showpieces of Northern New York, has seen a lot […]
Belle Island – 1000 Islands
George C. Boldt Builds Mansion On Belle Island, Sells It To Former Carnegie Vice President Alexander R. Peacock One of the lost treasures of the Thousand Islands was built on Belle Island, oft-referenced to as Belle Isle, by none other than George C. Boldt. Sometime before the summer of 1902 and during the construction of […]
Crystal Restaurant – 87 Public Square
The Crystal Restaurant On Public Square, Since 1925 In the opening of his review of the Crystal Restaurant for the Watertown Daily Times in 2005, Walter E. Siebel wrote, “If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was on the set of a 1920s movie being filmed in downtown Watertown. The overhanging neon sign out […]
Shaughnessy Knitting Mill – 208-210 Moulton Street
Watertown Chamber of Commerce Lures Shaughnessy Knitting Mill To City in 1909 According to a news brief in Fibre & Fabric printed in 1909, the Shaughnessy Knitting Mill located in Amsterdam, N.Y., accepted a proposition made by the Watertown Chamber of Commerce to move their plant to Northern New York. The company worked temporarily in […]
216 Keyes Ave (1870 – Present)
Many Prominent Owners Of The Old O’Brien House At 216 Keyes Ave Over The Years The early history involving 216 Keyes Ave is quite interesting due to its ownership by prominent citizens and the changes made over its first 50 years, making it hardly recognizable in later years compared to its original incarnation. Keyes Ave […]
The Ledges – Anthony Point – 1000 Islands (1884 – 1937)
Wall Street Broker Charles I. Hudson Built “The Ledges” at Anthony Point In 1885 In 1885, one of the lost gems of the Thousand Islands, The Ledges, was built on the mainland peninsula of Anthony Point and near the entrance to Carnegie Bay. Built by Charles I. Hudson of the brokerage firm C. I. Hudson […]
Benny’s Steak House – 1050 Arsenal St
Benny’s Steak House Had Three Different Locations Before Closing In 2006 Benny’s Steak House was one of the most recognizable landmarks on Arsenal Street, first located at its 1262 address for several years starting in 1968. In 1972, Benny Tufo purchased the one-story brick building at 1050 Arsenal Street that once was home to the […]
Sterling Mansion – Holy Family School (1826 – Present)
Micah Sterling Builds Sterling Mansion, Later Becomes Home To Holy Family School Micah Sterling built the Sterling Mansion in 1826 on a sprawling estate that spanned several blocks and formed a park, Sterling Place. Born in Lyme, Conn., on November 5, 1784, Micah entered Yale in 1800 at 16, where he was a classmate and […]
Trinity Church – (1890 – Present)
Anson R. And Roswell P. Flower Erect A New Trinity Church On Sherman Street With the old, wooden Trinity Church on Court Street in need of a modern replacement by the mid-1880s, the vestry would soon be seeking greener pastures. The cornerstone to Trinity House, a gift from Anson R. Flower and Roswell P. Flower […]
Casa Blanca – 1000 Islands
Louis Marx Purchases Melrose Lodge, Expands Upon It And Renames “Casa Blanca” Casa Blanca (also known as Casablanca) on Cherry Island began in what was originally known as Melrose Lodge, built sometime around 1880 by Albert Benton Pullman, brother to George Mortimer Pullman. George was one of the earliest pioneers of the Thousand Islands and would […]
Carolands Chateau (1916 – Present)
Harriett Pullman Carolan Builds Carolands Chateau In San Francisco Bay Area Taking nearly two years two complete with construction finishing in 1916, Carolands was the ambitious creation of Harriett Pullman Carolan who was brought up in the large mansions and summer homes of her parents, George and Harriet Pullman. Whether it was the family home […]
Giovanni’s Ristorante – 616 LeRay St
Giovanni’s: A Terrific Trattoria on LeRay Street Giovanni’s first opened in the late 1960s at 302 State St., where the Time Warp is presently, and since 1979, a fitting name when taking a trip down memory lane. The State Street location previously had been home to the National Restaurant and Sboro’s in the 1940s, then […]
Hamilton Street School (1899 – 1959)
Hamilton Street School Built In 1899 To Relieve Overcrowding At Lamon Street School In April of 1898, Watertown’s board of education requested to the common council for $6,000 to be used to build Hamilton Street School to help relieve the overcrowding conditions at the nearby Lamon Street school. A committee looking to resolve […]
Stony Crest Island – 1000 Islands
Stony Crest Island, aka Warner Island and Jewel Island The first mention of Warner Island, later named Jewell and Stony Crest Island, in the local press came from the Watertown Daily Times in 1873 when the Watertown Commandery No. 11 of the Knights Templar made a daylong excursion to the Thousand Islands. There, they came […]
Shadow Lawn (1903 – 1927)
Shadow Lawn, the “White House by the Sea” John A. McCall, President of the New York Life Insurance Company, would have the mammoth 52-room mansion known as the original Shadow Lawn constructed in the early 1900s. Located in West Long Branch, New Jersey, which neighbors Elberon, home to the other “lawn” in the area, George Pullman‘s […]
Emma Flower Taylor Residence – 224 S Massey St (1918 – 1967)
Emma Flower Taylor Residence 224 S Massey St Built After Divorce From J. B. Taylor The Emma Flower Taylor residence, located at 224 S Massey St., was erected in 1917-18, eight years after the divorce of Emma Flower Taylor and J. B. Taylor. Emma took leave of the brownstone mansion on Clinton Street, built by […]
Johnston and Hudson Residence – 246 S Massey St
Johnston and Hudson Residence Erected by William Johnston in 1895 at 246 S Massey St, Later Sold To Supreme Court Justice Henry Hudson The Johnston and Hudson residence located at 246 S Massey Street was erected by William Johnston in 1895. That year, Johnston purchased the former house owned at times by Hiram Holcomb, who […]
Dutch Elm Disease Toll On Washington Street 1950s – 70s
The Dutch Elm Disease Forever Changed the Landscape of Washington Street Ice Storms and a microburst. Neither has had a more lasting impact on the landscape than the Dutch elm disease that spread like wildfire throughout not just Watertown, but most of North America, Europe, and New Zealand. First reported in the United States in 1928 […]
St. Elmo Island – 1000 Islands
Neil Hunt, a neighbor of Henry Heath, purchased St. Elmo Island in 1884 St. Elmo Island in the Thousand Islands was first owned by Elisha Kemp back in 1823. What it was named at that time is uncertain, but it eventually was purchased by that dynamic duo of Cornwall & Walton, who gobbled up islands […]
Mrs. George Pullman Mansion – Russian Embassy (1910 – Present)
Mrs. George Pullman Mansion in Washington, D.C., Becomes Russian Embassy then Russian Ambassador Residence The history of what would be known as the Mrs. George Pullman Mansion erected in 1910 in Washington, D. C., really begins in 1896 with the marriage of eldest daughter Florence to a Chicago lawyer with political ambitions, Frank Orren Lowden. […]
A&W Drive-In – 728 Bradley St (1959 – 1985)
A&W Drive-In, 728 Bradley Street “Come As You Are – Eat In Your Car!” Who doesn’t remember A&W and that “frosty mug taste”? Or better yet, who could forget the bees always buzzing around that Bradley Street Location? A&W Root Beer was the creation of Roy W. Allen, who in 1918 was a hotelier in […]
Roth Mansion – Sisters of St. Joseph Music Conservatory (1889 – 1961)
The Florentine D. Roth Mansion Becomes Home to Sisters of St. Joseph’s Music Conservatory The Roth mansion, which stood on the south corner of Washington and Mullin Street, was built by Florentine Daniel Roth about seven years after he moved to Watertown in 1882 with his wife, Emily Santee Roth, from Nazareth, Pennsylvania. After rising […]
Streeter Block – J B Wise Block (1843 – 1958)
Streeter Block becomes J B Wise Block, Home to the Victoria Theater The Streeter Block was built in 1843 by Nelson W. Streeter, a clothier and clothing manufacturer. Throughout its history, the four-story block building was host to numerous stores ranging from the aforementioned clothing to grocers, meat markets, liquor stores, restaurants, and tobacco shops on […]
Nobby Island – 1000 Islands
Nobby Island: Henry Heath’s Vision of Utopia in the 1000 Islands The “recorded” history of Nobby Island begins with George Pullman having purchased it along with one of its neighbors, which would become Pullman Island. Pullman subsequently invited Henry Roswell Heath to the island in 1868 to help recover from bad health (some references note […]
Lincoln Restaurant – Aldimar Restaurant – 93 Public Square (1957 – c.1985)
The Lincoln Restaurant and Aldimar Restaurant Nearly 30 years on Public Square in the Lincoln Building Nicholas Zaferis opened the Lincoln Restaurant, later the Aldimar Restaurant, in April of 1957 at the Lincoln Building on Public Square. At that time, the city of Watertown had many well-known restaurants, including Morgia’s; the New Parrot Restaurant, the […]
The Unsolved Taylor Stable Murders – November 28, 1911
The Emma Flower Taylor Stable Murders – Double Murder By Shooting Still Unsolved The Taylor stable murders are one of the more intriguing unsolved murders in local history, dating back 111 years now. The double homicide and investigation seemed straight out of a Sherlock Holmes story and happened on the property of one of Watertown’s […]
Sport Island – Little Lehigh Island – 1000 Islands
Sport Island and its short-bridged neighbor, Little Lehigh The history of Sport Island and Little Lehigh began with the Packer and Wilbur families in 1872, when Cornwall & Walton sold an unnamed island to Harry E. Packer for $100. Harry was only 22 years old at the time and lived a relatively short life, passing […]
Madison Barracks – Sackets Harbor (1816 – Present)
Madison Barracks Erected after Sackets Harbor Becomes an Important Military Installation During the War of 1812 Named after President James Madison, who visited during construction, Madison Barracks would be the logical progression to Fort Pike and Fort Tompkins. Both played a vital role in the War of 1812, as Sackets Harbor was attacked twice by […]
Black River Valley Club Building (1907 – Present)
A Look at the History of the Black River Valley Club (BRVC) Building The Black River Valley Club was formed in 1905 under the name “Kamargo Club.” One of their first meetings was held in a room at the Chamber of Commerce, where the name would officially change to the Black River Valley Club due […]
Fairlawn – Pullman Summer Residence (1874 – ?)
Fairlawn, the Pullman Summer Residence on Ocean Ave, Elberon, N.J. Built in 1874 at Elberon, New Jersey, Fairlawn would be the Pullman’s second summer retreat aside from their Pullman Island cottage in the Thousand Islands and eventual home to their Castle Rest completed in 1888. The Pullman family would be introduced to the upscale, coastal community […]
Mid 19th Century Mill Street Mills
Union and Jefferson Mills Were Two of the Old Mill Street Mills from the 1800s The first of the Mill Street Mills to be erected goes all the way back to 1806, when Jonathan Cowan built a grist mill right on the south side of the Black River, approximately where Derouin’s Plumbing & Heating was […]
Manhattan Island – 1000 Islands
A Look Back at the History of Manhattan Island in the 1000 Islands The first cottage to be built in the 1000 Islands was purportedly on Manhattan Island’s main island and credited to Seth Green, who had purchased it back in 1853 and named it Green Island. After residing in the small cottage he built […]
Pullman Mansion – S Prairie Ave (1876 – 1922)
The Pullman Mansion on South Prairie Ave, Chicago, Illinois Construction on the Pullman Mansion in South Chicago would begin in 1873 after George Pullman paid top dollar for the land on South Prairie Ave. The area, located just southeast of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, would become the city’s epicenter for social and cultural […]
Starbuck Arena – January 4 1939 – Sweet As Sugar
Starbuck Arena Saw The Birth of “Sugar” Ray Robinson on January 4, 1939 On January 4, 1939, a 17-year-old Walter “Walker” Smith, Jr., arrived on the boxing scene at Starbuck Arena, in Watertown, N.Y, having assumed the name Raymond Robinson from a friend’s birth certificate to meet the age requirements for AAU. Ray would make […]
Neuschwanstein Castle (1869 – Present)
Neuschwanstein Castle: Construction Started in 1869 But Never Completed For King Ludwig II Of Bavaria Construction on Neuschwanstein Castle started in 1869, six years after King Ludwig II took the throne at 18. An ode to Richard Wagner, whose opera works the King adored to the point of becoming his patron, Neuschwanstein Castle, along with […]
Musselman’s (1923 – 1953)
Musselman’s Confectionary at the Y.M.C.A. Bldg 1922 – 1944 In December of 1923, J. Joseph Musselman would open a new candy store, Musselman’s, in Watertown having great success in Utica for a number of years where he continued to be invested as well. At the time, Watertown had a number of confectioners including Nicholas D. […]
Martello Towers – Kingston (1847 – Present)
The Martello Towers of Kingston, Ontario If ever taking a road-trip to Kingston, Ontario (or a ferry, for that matter), one is likely to have noticed the Martello towers, three in all, standing near the shoreline while a fourth, the Shoal Tower, is off shore on the water a short distance (the three others are […]
Theological Hall – Queen’s University (1880 – Present)
Completed in 1880, Theological Hall is the Third Oldest Building on Queen’s University Campus Like many construction efforts in its era, Theological Hall was built on donations, or subscriptions, made my citizens as a means of building something that would benefit the community. It would be the third building constructed as part of what was […]
E. W. Dewey Cottage – 1000 Islands
The E. W. Dewey Cottage on Friendly Island, 1887 – 1947 One of the more obscure summer homes in the Thousand Islands was the E. W. Dewey Cottage located on Friendly Island. I use the word obscure as it was often overshadowed by the likes of Castle Rest, Hopewell Hall, and Boldt Castle, all within […]
Globe Hotel and Otis House – Arsenal St (1851 – 1903)
The Otis House Fire Was The Most Destructive In Watertown Since 1849 The Otis House on Arsenal Street opened in 1891, but it was actually the result of a major renovation and remodeling of the Globe Hotel, which opened 40 years prior, just after the great fire of 1849. The Otis House drew rave reviews […]
1991 Ice Storm – Watertown NY
1991 Ice Storm Marked The Beginning Of A Memorable Decade In Northern New York From Mother Nature The 1991 Ice Storm that hit a good portion of Upstate New York began in earnest the afternoon of Sunday, March 3, following a high of 62º on Saturday. Sunday’s forecast in the Watertown Daily Times for Jefferson, […]
Castle Rest – 1000 Islands (1888 – Present)
George Pullman Spurs Thousand Islands Growth With Guest President Grant’s Visit In 1872, Later Builds Castle Rest Twenty-four years before building Castle Rest in 1888, George Pullman purchased what was then known as Sweet Island for a reported $25.00 from Cornwall and Walton, who, eleven years earlier, bought up many of the islands for mere […]
Wing Wagon – 71 Public Square (1982 – 2021)
The Wing Wagon: a Taste of Buffalo on Public Square The Wing Wagon would make its Watertown debut all the way back on December 22, 1982. Chuck & Mary Ann Wert would open the 2nd store of the new chain, started by Buffalo native William Demma in New Hartford, by taking over the former Sylvia’s […]
Schwab Mansion – Riverside Drive, 73rd and 74th Streets (1906 – 1948)
Charles M. Schwab Mansion, “Riverside,” Upper West Side of Manhattan Taking four years to complete, the Charles M. Schwab mansion on Riverside, known to some simply as “Riverside,” is a prime example of some of the excesses of the Gilded Age. Designed by Maurice Hébert, the 75-room mansion was located between 73rd and 74th streets, […]
Keewaydin – 1000 Islands (1893 – 1966)
Keewaydin, “Northwest Wind,” Constructed In 1893 For J. W. Jackson Built in 1893 on the mainland shore opposite Comfort Island just southwest of Alexandria Bay, Keewaydin was the summer home for James Wesley Jackson, or J. W. Jackson, of Plainfield, New Jersey (though also referenced as being from New York City.) Its architecture of the Renaissance […]
Downtown Watertown Christmas Decorations
A Look at the Downtown Watertown Christmas Decorations Over the Years It’s beginning to look like Christmas can be said when the downtown Watertown Christmas decorations are put up, usually before Thanksgiving, with a tree-lighting ceremony the week or so afterward. Not every year has had decorations or a tree put up, though. In 1942 […]
H. H. Babcock Co. – Factory Square (1845- 1926)
H. H. Babcock Co., Makers of Fine Carriages And Automobiles In Watertown, N.Y. The H. H. Babcock Co. is mostly credited with starting in 1845, though it wouldn’t start building carriages until the 1870s. In its early days, the company manufactured wooden pumps in a building located on Factory Square. By 1871, it would change […]
2 and 4 Lower State Street, Once Upon a Hill
Lower State Street Was Once Prime Real Estate If one weren’t given the addresses of 2 and 4 on Lower State Street, they most likely would have no idea where the two houses in the photo below were located. That’s how much the topography of the area has changed over the years to its current […]
Dexter Sulphite Mill Explosion – January 18 1903
Dexter Sulphite Mill Explosion of January 18, 1903 Constructed in 1837, the Dexter Sulphite Mill was originally a woolen mill erected by the Jefferson Woolen Co and operated as such through the 1860s. It would have a long run of production as a sulphite mill from c.1890 to its closing in 1953. Unfortunately, a string […]
Hopewell Hall – 1000 Islands (1891 – Present)
Hopewell Hall On Wellesley Island, Completed In 1891 Construction on William C. Browning’s Hopewell Hall on what was then known as Wells Island initially began in 1890. Browning was one of the founders of Browning, King & Co., based in New York City, which at one point was the largest clothing manufacturer in the world. […]
Thompson Park Zoo – Zoo New York (1920 – Present)
The Thompson Park Zoo: A Look Back At The Turning Point Toward Natural Habitation In The Early 1980s Nearly two decades after Thompson Park was opened to the public, the Thompson Park Zoo was created in 1920 when Northern New York Trust donated two white-tailed deer to the park. Per the zoo’s official website, “The […]
Sterling Street School – Grace Church (1846 – 1891)
The Little Sterling Street School House Becomes Grace Church The history of Grace Church that was on the corner of Jay (now Gotham) and Sterling Streets begins with it as the Sterling Street School. The schoolhouse was erected in 1846, but it wasn’t the first structure to serve the purpose of the Sterling Street School […]
Taggart Paper Mill (1845 – 1959)
Taggart Paper Mill Had Served Many Purposes Over The Years, Destroyed By Fire In 1972 Constructed of limestone in 1843-45 by General William H. Angell, the former Taggart Paper Mill on West Main Street was originally used as a distillery and grist mill. It wasn’t until 1866, when the West, Palmer & Taggarts Co. purchased […]
House of the Good Samaritan – Samaritan Medical Center (1881 – Present)
House of the Good Samaritan, often referred to as City Hospital in its early years, eventually became Samaritan Medical Center. It would be an understatement to say the House of the Good Samaritan has undergone some changes since its creation in 1881. Founded by ministers of Trinity and Grace churches, the first hospital was located […]
Brownville Hotel (1820 – 1995)
The Brownville Hotel: 1820 – 1995, 175 Years a Landmark The first Brownville Hotel was constructed in 1805 on land that Major Gen. Jacob Brown had once owned. The wooden structure would have a short lifespan, destroyed by fire. In its place, a three-story structure native limestone structure was built by Henry Caswell of Brownville […]
Wyckoff Villa – CarletonVilla – Carleton Island – 1000 Islands
Wyckoff Villa, A Deteriorating Mansion Built On The Island Of A Strategic Revolutionary War British Naval Base Over a century before William O. Wyckoff built his palatial summer home, Wyckoff Villa, on Carleton Island, it was a strategic base for the British military and naval supply efforts as well as Mohawks led by powerful clan […]
Gorri’s Market – 901 Arsenal Street
Gorri’s Market: First a Grocery Store, Then Resurrected as a Meat Market If Gorri’s Market were in the motion picture business, its second coming after a 12-year absence might be called a reboot. The earliest advertisement of the original Gorri’s Market, opened by Frank Gorri and brother-in-law Joseph Spano at 901 Arsenal Street in 1924, […]
New Orleans – War Of 1812 – Sackets Harbor
Battleship New Orleans And Its Shiphouse At Sackets Harbor, Built For The War Of 1812 Constructed after the end of the War of 1812 with England, the battleship New Orleans, a 72, 74, or even 110-gunned ship, depending on the source, was never completed—yet it sat in stock for nearly 70 years before being razed. […]
Trinity Church – Burial Ground – Court Street (1850 – 1888)
Trinity Church On Court Street And Watertown’s Dark Past With Its First Burial Ground The first Trinity Church on Court Street was completed in 1833, but like many structures in the vicinity of downtown Watertown, it was destroyed in the great fire of 1849. A new, wooden structure was built to replace it in 1850, […]
Great Flood Of 1869 – Watertown NY
It’s Not Called Watertown For Nothing: The Great Flood Of 1869 The great flood of 1869 was a result, in part, of an unusual amount of snowfall in early April, followed by two inches of rain. The root cause, however, was the failure of the dam at North Lake in the Adirondacks that sent a […]
Wilcox Residence – National Hotel (1873 – 1957)
Chaumont Landmark For Many Years, O. S. Wilcox Residence Became National Hotel Then Carlier Hotel In Later Years Oren Schuyler Wilcox, O. S. Wilcox herein, began construction on the Wilcox residence, later the National Hotel, on a Monday in June of 1873 with the digging of the cellar to his new house. On the corner […]
Bonniecastle – 1000 Islands (1877 – Present)
Bonniecastle, Named After Fictional Character and 1874 Novel “Arthur Bonnicastle” The history of Bonniecastle, the original spelling of its name, is one of the many intriguing stories of the 1,000 Islands. Built on what was Root’s Island in 1877 for Dr. Josiah Gilbert Holland, M.D., the channel separating it from Alexandria Bay would be filled […]
O’Toole’s – Salmon Run Mall (1988 – 1993)
O’Toole’s Roadhouse Restaurant at Salmon Run Mall In 1988, O’Toole’s Roadhouse Restaurant joined the Ground Round, which opened two years prior, as another sit-down restaurant at the Salmon Run Mall. The two eateries catered to tastes similar to typical American bar food and late-night clientele. Ground Round began as a venture by the Howard Johnson’s […]
Forge House – Old Forge, NY (1871 – 1924)
The Forge House In Old Forge, NY, Constructed In 1871 And Destroyed By Fire In 1924 Built just inside the Adirondacks in Old Forge, New York, The Forge House was initially constructed with one wing in 1871 and would be expanded on in the following years. Much like the great hotels in the Thousand Islands, […]
District No 10 School House – Dry Hill-Farm School Rd
District No 10 School House – Intersection Of Dry Hill-Farm School Rd And Minkler Rd. The old photo at the bottom of the District No 10 school house and sledders was originally published in the December 30, 1950 Farm and Garden section of the Watertown Daily Times which describes the location as the intersection of […]