{"nrhp_refnum":"72000894","name":"Gere Bank Building","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"121 E. Water St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Syracuse","county":"Onondaga County","state":"NY","lat":43.050642276000076,"lon":-76.15160172699996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1972-03-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A five-story commercial office building at 121 East Water Street in Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York, built in 1894 for James J. Belden and designed by Colton.","why_significant":"The nomination presents it as probably the finest design by its architect, Colton. Its five-story facade follows a scheme popularized by H. H. Richardson and Louis Sullivan, with rhythmic arcades broken by spandrels. Careful proportions and contrasting materials (granite, light red brick and terra cotta) are noted, as are its interior features, including an open elevator with bronze well screen and marble flooring.","narrative":"Rising five stories on a narrow site between two office buildings at 121 East Water Street in Syracuse, this commercial building was completed in 1894 for James J. Belden and named for his father-in-law, Robert Gere. The Leamy Brothers Construction Company built it at a reported cost of $150,000. Its architect, Colton, is credited with probably his finest work here. The front facade has a rusticated gray granite base, with upper stories of light red brick piers and darker terra cotta spandrels beneath a richly ornamented cornice. The window arrangement follows a pattern popularized by H. H. Richardson and Louis Sullivan. Inside, an open elevator with a bronze well screen and marble flooring and wainscoting survive. Fireproof vaults beneath the sidewalk were considered among the finest in the country. The building was recognized for the quality of its design, its proportions and its use of contrasting materials. Offices in the building continued to be occupied by several business firms.","period_of_significance":"19th Century (specific date 1894)","architect_builder":"Charles Colton (architect); Leamy Brothers Construction Company (builder)","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed in good condition, unaltered and on its original site. Offices were occupied by several business firms, still using the original open elevator.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:39.955659-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/72000894.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/72000894/2c12663865-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/72000894/2c12663865-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Crazyale","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gere_Bank_Building.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Crazyale</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gere_Bank_Building.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75320349","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gere_Bank_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5550540"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/onondaga-county/gere-bank-building-72000894/"}