From Station 2, viewing the Powers building, you are going to continue east to the southwest corner of Main St. and South Ave. From here you will look across to the northeast corner of Main and St. Paul St. at The Granite Building.
The Granite building was designed by J foster Warner, A.J. Warner's son , and built in 1893. It was the first steel skeletal building in Rochester and considered to be indestructible. As was often the case of this time period - that statement came back to haunt them. In 1904 Rochester suffered what is still considered the worst fire to befall the city, called the Sibley Fire. While the exteriors walls and steel structure did hold up the fire was so intense that the building was left gutted as well as 3 blocks of destruction along side from St. Paul to Clinton Ave.
What drew me to this building was the ornate details included in what would be considered a "Mundane" business building. The demand for detail on the facade was normal practice for the time, even down to the Floral bolts used on the nuts tying the I beams together that no one can see.
The fact that it was restored rather than demolished shows the importance that was placed on this building. Possibly by the architect and builder to prove their belief in its indestructability.
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