Armory Square


Armory Square is a small neighborhood on the west side of Downtown Syracuse, New York. It began life as a busy commercial and industrial area just to the west of the central city. After World War II, Syracuse's central city became less and less populated as more housing and business facilities were built in the suburbs. In the 1980s, plans were first made to transform the languishing district into a small shopping/arts/nightlife district surrounding the former Syracuse Armory. These plans came to fruition during the 1990s, when new stores and restaurants opened, and several new buildings were constructed in a compatible style to the middle and late 1800s and early 1900s architecture dominating the district.

Current day

Today, Armory Square is the home of some of Syracuse's better restaurants, at least two coffeehouses, a radio station company, dozens of small shops selling everything from band instruments to used records to women's clothing, several bars and nightclubs, Urban Outfitters, Armory Massage Therapy, a newly restored upscale hotel, and two tattoo parlors. A number of professional firms are also located in Armory Square, including Eric Mower and Associates, O'Brien & Gere, and the Sugarman Law Firm. The area is popular with students from Syracuse University and Le Moyne College.
Its borders are generally considered to be the circular road around the armory to the south, Onondaga Creek to the west, Washington Street to the north, and Clinton Street to the east.
Armory Square is also home to the Shot Clock Monument.
A paved multi-use trail, the Onondaga Creekwalk, connects the neighborhood with Onondaga Lake.
In June 2009 the book was published by Arcadia Publishing. Written by Robert J. Podfigurny and George W. Curry, the book contains side by side historic and current pictures of historic buildings in Armory Square along with information about the buildings, architecture, past tenants, and more. Historic pictures were contributed in part by the .

Armory Square Historic District

Forty-six industrial and commercial buildings make up the Armory Square Historic District. West Fayette Street is the northern boundary of the district, the rear property lines of the buildings on South Clinton Street the eastern boundary. The southern boundary is a raised railroad track, while the western boundary includes the buildings on Walton Street. The buildings in the district include the Armory, a railroad station, hotels, warehouses and commercial buildings. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

Contributing properties

Landmark nameImageDate BuiltStyleLocationDescription
1874307-09 South Clinton Street5 stories; brick commercial building; segmental window arches; fifth story added 1885
1874311-13 South Clinton Street4 stories; brick commercial building; recessed windows; fancy cornice
Donohue Building c. 1885Queen Anne312-16 South Clinton Street4 stories; red brick; decorative sandstone, granite and terra cotta elements
Butler Block1893Romanesque317-21 South Clinton Street5 stories; red brick; broad arches; cast-iron columns
Neal and Hyde Block c. 1887Queen Anne-Romanesque318-22 South Clinton Street5 stories; brick warehouse; limestone trim; architect Asa Merrick
Clinton Building1876400-08 South Clinton Street3 stories; brick; 1920s alterations
Onondaga Music Building1914410-416 South Clinton Street4 stories; buff brick commercial building
1874415-17 South Clinton Street4 stories; patterned brick commercial building;
Loew Building1928423-31 South Clinton Street2 stories on S. Clinton St.; 8 stories on S. Salina St.; large theater, also known as Loews State Theater or the Landmark Theatre; individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977
Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Passenger Station1941Art Moderne500 South Clinton Street2 stories; buff brick; arched windows
c. 1874306 South Franklin Street2 stories; brick; arched windows
c. 1880s308-10 South Franklin Street3 stories; brick; original storefront
c. 1887309-15 South Franklin Street4 stories; brick; granite piers
c. 1900317-21 South Franklin Street2 stories; brick; originally carriage makers; 1940 became garage; 1983 offices
Hall & McChesney Buildingc. 1892/1906402-10 South Franklin Street4 stories; brick; warehouse
Bentley & Settle Warehousec. 1894-5120-24 Walton Street6 stories; brick; intact loading dock
c. 1885128 Walton Street2 stories; yellow brick; second floor loading door
c. 1890s134 Walton Street2 stories; brick; plate glass windows
c. 1890s136 Walton Street2 stories; brick; paired windows
Gray Brothers Shoe Factory1873200-02 Walton Street4 stories; brick walls and window hoods
c. 1930204-10 Walton Street2 stories; factory; brick
c. 1872215-19 Walton Street3 stories; brick; arched windows
c. 1870s-1880s216 Walton Street2 stories; ornamental brick
c. 1902221-23 Walton Street3 stories; commercial building; brick piers
c. 1910Renaissance113-17 West Fayette Street5 stories; brick
Kirk Blockc. 1869127-29 West Fayette Street4 stories; brick; commercial building
c. 1871215-17 West Fayette Street4 stories; brick; commercial building; 1930s modern facade
Tallman Blockc. 1871Italianate219-25 West Fayette Street3 stories; brick; commercial building; rear entrance on Walton Street; architect Archimedes Russell
Piper-Phillips Blockc. 1872Italianate227-37 West Fayette Street3 stories; brick; commercial building; original storefronts
Seubert & Warner Buildingc. 1875Romanesque239-41 West Fayette Street3 stories; brick; commercial building; rear entrance on Walton Street; architect Charles Colton
c. 1895Italianate227-37 West Fayette Street3 stories; brick with stone trim; commercial building; prism glass in storefronts
Hogan Blockc. 1892Romanesque247-59 West Fayette Street5 stories; brick with limestone trim; factory building; prism panels in storefronts
Crown Hotelc. 1876Italianate301-27 West Fayette Street3 stories; brick; commercial building
c. 1872309-11 West Fayette Street3 stories; brick; commercial building
c. 1873313-17 West Fayette Street2 stories; brick; commercial building; molded keystones
Stag Hotel1869321 West Fayette Street3 stories; brick; intact storefront
1875329-31 West Fayette Street4 stories; brick; warehouse; rear entrance on Walton Street
Jefferson Clinton Hotel1927227-37 West Jefferson Street10 stories; brick; stone facade first two floors; architect Gustavas A. Young
New York State Armory1907/1932West Jefferson StreetHoused Army National Guard; brick and limestone; central drill hall added in 1932