{"nrhp_refnum":"85002862","name":"Gannett Building","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"55 Exchange St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Rochester","county":"Monroe County","state":"NY","lat":43.154109005000066,"lon":-77.61223926299994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-10-04","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Literature","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A limestone-faced newspaper plant at 55 Exchange Street, Rochester, New York, built in 1927-1928 to designs by Cleveland architects Howell and Thomas, at the corner of Exchange and West Broad Streets.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is architecturally significant as an unusual use of Neoclassical design in an industrial and commercial building, with quality materials such as limestone and bronze spandrels rare among Rochester's industrial buildings. It is historically significant for its link to Rochester journalism and the Gannett newspaper chain, whose offices and printing were consolidated here.","narrative":"Built in 1927-1928 at 55 Exchange Street in Rochester, this limestone-faced newspaper plant was designed by Cleveland architects Carl E. Howell and James W. Thomas. Its simplified Neoclassical styling includes Tuscan-like piers, bronze window spandrels, a round-arched arcade along Broad Street, and a denticulated cornice. Sculptural reliefs and the newspaper's name in bronze letters mark the entablature. Large Broad Street windows originally let passers-by watch the presses at work. Inside, plaster ceilings show constellations and wrought-iron grillework survives in the northeast office. The building was listed for its unusually refined design among Rochester's industrial architecture and for its role in local journalism. It housed the consolidated offices and printing of the Gannett newspaper chain, founded in Rochester by Frank Gannett, who acquired the Times-Union and the Democrat and Chronicle. A 1949 wing by Albert Kahn and Associates continued the original massing and cornice line, though later additions are considered non-contributing.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Howell and Thomas, Cleveland (Carl E. Howell and James W. Thomas); builder unknown. 1949 addition by Albert Kahn and Associates of Detroit.","architectural_style":"Neoclassical","criteria":[],"status_note":"Described as in excellent condition and still used as a newspaper plant and Gannett headquarters; the building fills its entire site and has four later additions (1949, 1957, 1966, 1977).","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:45.87275-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/85002862.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85002862/b0c4bf795f-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85002862/b0c4bf795f-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Drpetit","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Gannett_Building.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Drpetit</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Gannett_Building.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"100010188","name":"Four Corners-Genesee Crossroads Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/new-york/four-corners-genesee-crossroads-historic-district-100010188/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75313644","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gannett_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5521422"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/monroe-county/gannett-building-85002862/"}