Syracuse Savings Bank
Why it's listed
Rising five and a half stories with a 170-foot central tower, this bank building at 102 North Salina Street in Syracuse was completed in 1876 for the Syracuse Savings Bank. Architect Joseph Lyman Silsbee won the commission over designs from firms in Syracuse, New York, Rochester and Boston. Walls of pale buff Ohio sandstone are banded with red sandstone, and steep roofs and pointed-arch windows give it a Gothic character. John Moore, who also built the Colorado State Capitol, served as builder. Construction cost $281,000 and was considered the finest fireproof work of its day. It was the city's first office building with a passenger elevator, and for years visitors rode to the tower top for views of Syracuse. Silsbee kept his office in the tower until the mid-1880s, before moving to Chicago. The interior was rebuilt with steel framing in the 1930s, but the exterior remains largely as designed, and the same bank still occupies it.
Significance in brief: The building was the first office building in Syracuse built with a passenger elevator, and its 170-foot tower made it the tallest structure in the city when erected. It is a Gothic-influenced design by Joseph Lyman Silsbee, who later had a distinguished practice in Chicago. It is still occupied by the bank that commissioned it and is one of the city's best-known landmarks.
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 71000551, listed February 18, 1971. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 102 N. Salina St., Syracuse |
|---|---|
| County | Onondaga County |
| Listed | February 18, 1971 |
| Reference number | 71000551 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century; specific date 1876 |
| Architect / builder | Architect Joseph Lyman Silsbee; builder John Moore |
| Architectural style | Gothic details (steep roofs, pointed-arch windows) |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Engineering, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied, in good condition, altered; still used by the original banking institution. The interior was rebuilt with steel framing in the 1930s, and the exterior has only minor alterations at the entrance. |
| Acreage | 9.9 |
| Coordinates | 43.05100, -76.15185 (NPS GIS) |
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 71000551.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7663056
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.