Linden-South Historic District
Why it's listed
Linden-South Historic District is a compact residential area in the South Wedge neighborhood of Rochester, about a mile south of downtown. It takes in 136 buildings along Linden Street and the west side of South Avenue, including a former Baptist church now used as a Greek Orthodox church. Most are two- and two-and-one-half-story houses built between 1872 and 1913 on narrow lots with shallow, uniform setbacks. The Ellwanger & Barry Realty Company developed much of the area and often rented houses for years before selling them to tenants. It hired local architects such as Warner & Brockett, Otis & Crandall and Claude Bragdon, so the houses are largely architect-designed. Styles range from Gothic Revival cottages with pierced verge boards to exuberant Queen Anne and Stick examples and a group of brick Queen Anne houses with Shingle and Richardsonian touches on South Avenue. Some houses have later siding, but they keep enough original detail and massing to contribute to the district.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Styles | Late 19th and early 20th century American Movements; Late Gothic Revival, with Italianate, Queen Anne, Stick, Shingle, Romanesque, American Foursquare and Colonial Revival |
|---|---|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development |
| Acreage | 15.5 |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | Linden-South Historic District (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.