South Salina Street Downtown Historic District (Boundary Increase)

South Salina Street in downtown Syracuse was the commercial heart of central New York for nearly a century. This district covers twenty-five buildings in the 200, 300 and 400 blocks, constructed between 1855 and 1950. Styles include Italianate, High Victorian Gothic, Beaux Arts, Italian Renaissance Revival, Art Deco and Modern, and many buildings were designed by leading architects of their time, including Archimedes Russell and Charles E. Colton. Three department stores anchored the street: McCarthy & Sons, the L.A. Witherill Company, and Dey Brothers. The Dey Brothers move into a formerly residential block south of Fayette Street in the 1890s pushed the business district southward, and surrounding buildings housed smaller shops, restaurants and a large movie theater. The district is also tied to the broader story of the department store, which changed how people shopped and gave women new public and working roles. Several facades have been modernized, though some historic material may survive beneath newer coverings.