State Street Historic District
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Twelve masonry commercial buildings line the west side of State Street in downtown Rochester, forming the last unbroken row of nineteenth-century commercial architecture inside the city's Inner-Loop. Built between about 1825 and the early twentieth century, nearly all are four stories tall, and most share a vernacular brick design with corbelled cornices and sandstone and limestone trim. The oldest is the two-story Palmer Fish building, a Federal style structure from about 1825. The northern end building, the 1878 Sayer Block, is the only stone-faced one and has rare Eastlake detailing. Number 169 keeps its original cast-iron Corinthian storefront. The row was once part of the State Street and Front Street wholesale and market area, home to seed dealers, carriage painters, liquor wholesalers and leather goods makers. Urban renewal after World War II cleared most similar rows, so this group is the main reminder of that commercial district. Storefronts have been altered, but the upper facades still read as a cohesive historic unit.
Significance in brief: The district is the last surviving continuous row of nineteenth-century commercial buildings within Rochester's Inner-Loop. It is the only remaining row from the city's nineteenth-century State Street and Front Street wholesale and market area. Urban renewal and modern construction removed nearly all comparable rows. The buildings share a vernacular brick commercial style, with distinctive examples including a Federal style building and an Eastlake stone building.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 84000402, listed October 11, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 109-173 State St., Rochester |
|---|---|
| County | Monroe County |
| Listed | October 11, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000402 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1825-1900 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular brick commercial; also Federal and Eastlake |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The row was described as neglected over the years, and its storefronts are mostly modern. Two buildings (171-173 and 125-127 State) have been redeveloped for office and commercial space, and the city has targeted the area for facade subsidies and office redevelopment. |
| Acreage | 1.2 |
| Coordinates | 43.15765, -77.61510 (NPS GIS) |
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.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 84000402.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7603557
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.