Times Square Building
No coordinates published for this listing.
Why it's listed
Rising twelve stories in downtown Rochester, this Art Deco skyscraper was built in 1929-1930 for the Genesee Valley Trust Company and designed by the New York firm Voorhees, Gmelin and Walker. Its buff Indiana limestone and bronze exterior curves outward on the east front, and a central tower carries four cast-aluminum wings, locally called the wings of progress, which were meant to serve as a night beacon for aviators. Carved panels by sculptor Leo Friedlander flank the lower windows, and a stylized wheat motif recalls Rochester's days as the Flour City. Inside, an octagonal lobby with red marble walls and a painted geometric ceiling survives, along with the bank vault, a director's room and other banking spaces. The bank left in 1955, and the building was renamed for the nearby intersection known as Times Square. It is valued as an exceptional example of streamlined Art Deco design and as a familiar city landmark.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a fine commercial example of the later, streamlined phase of Art Deco, designed by the prominent New York firm Voorhees, Gmelin and Walker. Its aluminum-winged signal tower, bas-relief panels by sculptor Leo Friedlander and wheat motif tied to Rochester's "Flour City" past make it a landmark of the city's skyline.
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 14000767, listed August 11, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 45 Exchange St., Rochester |
|---|---|
| County | Monroe County |
| Listed | August 11, 1982 |
| Reference number | 14000767 |
| Resource type | Property |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific date 1929) |
| Architect / builder | Voorhees, Gmelin and Walker |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied: a savings bank uses part of the first-floor banking room, upper-floor offices are rented mainly to lawyers, and the basement became a restaurant-bar in 1974. Exterior largely intact; interiors altered in 1957, 1968 and 1974. |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 14000767.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.