South Salina Street Downtown Historic District
Why it's listed
South Salina Street in downtown Syracuse holds a group of 25 commercial buildings in the 200, 300 and 400 blocks, built between 1855 and 1950. For nearly a century this was the shopping center of central New York. A major department store anchored each block: McCarthy & Sons, designed by Charles E. Colton in 1894; the L.A. Witherill Company in the 1855 Pike Block; and Dey Brothers, designed by Archimedes Russell in 1893. The Dey Brothers move into a former residential block south of Fayette Street surprised local merchants, but it pulled the business district southward. Styles range from Italianate and High Victorian Gothic to Beaux Arts, Italian Renaissance Revival, Art Deco and Modern. The district also includes Loew's State Theater, which was individually listed in 1977. Although later alterations hid some facades and shopping has moved to highway centers, the street preserves the architecture of the department store era and the growth of Syracuse's commercial core.
Significance in brief: The district was the commercial hub of central New York for nearly a century, anchored by three major department stores at the corners of its blocks. It shows the growth of Syracuse's downtown southward from the Erie Canal and the role of the department store in American commerce and society. Many buildings are high-style works by prominent architects such as Archimedes Russell and Charles E. Colton.
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 09000832, listed October 16, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S. Salina St., Syracuse |
|---|---|
| County | Onondaga County |
| Listed | October 16, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000832 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Archimedes Russell; Charles E. Colton; Joseph Lyman Silsbee; Henry Pike; Horatio Nelson White; Charles D. Wilsey |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Italianate, Renaissance; Late 19th and Early 20th Century Revivals: Beaux Arts |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce, Community Planning and Development, Entertainment/Recreation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Many storefronts have been modernized and some facades are covered by modern sheathing; two buildings are noted as non-contributing. Current function is still listed as commerce/trade and theater. |
| Acreage | 9.3 |
| Coordinates | 43.04997, -76.15176 (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 09000832.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7568363
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.