{"nrhp_refnum":"85002844","name":"Kirstein Building","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"242 Andrews St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Rochester","county":"Monroe County","state":"NY","lat":43.16007113500007,"lon":-77.60745053299996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-10-04","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Industry","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A six-story yellow brick industrial building at 242 Andrews Street in Rochester, Monroe County, New York, built in 1908 for an eyeglass manufacturer on a triangular lot.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is a rare and distinctive example of early twentieth century industrial architecture, with functional lines and refined Neoclassically-inspired brick detailing. It is one of few such buildings left intact in the Inner Loop area after 1960s urban renewal demolition. It also reflects the labor-intensive manufacturing, including the optical industry, that grew along the east side of the Genesee River.","narrative":"Rising six stories on a triangular lot at 242 Andrews Street in Rochester, this yellow brick building was constructed in 1908 for Edward Kirstein's optical company. Its two main facades are eight bays wide, with a chamfered east corner. The lower two floors have brick courses simulating rustication, while the upper floors feature brick pilasters with corbelled capitals, mostly six-over-six windows, steel headers over the windows, and a decorative corbelled cornice. Inside are open floor plans and heavy timber framing. The company later became the Shur-On Optical Company and then Shuron Optical Company, a national producer of reading glasses, and used the building for offices and production until 1965. It stands in what was Rochester's garment district, most of which was demolished through urban renewal in the 1960s. It is valued as one of the few early twentieth century industrial buildings remaining intact in the Inner Loop area, with a rear addition in 1919 and first-floor alterations in 1969.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Early twentieth century industrial architecture with Neoclassically-inspired brick detailing","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed in fair condition and currently used as offices; originally industrial. Alterations include a rear addition in 1919 and first-floor entrance and window changes in 1969.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:45.532589-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/85002844.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85002844/2138479acd-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85002844/2138479acd-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Tim Pierce","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kirstein_Building.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Tim Pierce</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kirstein_Building.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75313636","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirstein_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6416057"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/monroe-county/kirstein-building-85002844/"}