Summer Events in St. Joseph's Park

Eastman @St. Joseph’s Park is back this summer!  Five lunchtime concerts, on Wednesdays at 12:30pm, will be presented by Eastman Community Music School. The concerts feature one of Rochester’s greatest musical resources: the students and faculty members of the Eastman School of Music and Eastman Community Music School. Come enjoy this magical urban park and experience FREE concerts each week.  Visit ECMS’s Facebook the day of each concert for any cancellation announcements.

July 5th: Cello Institute
July 12: Bob Sneider & Co. (jazz)
July 19: Sophia Gibbs Kim (flute) and Lynn McGrath (guitar)
July 26: Eastman Experience: Summer Classical Studies
August 2: Sandra Godwin (soprano)

Note that the July 19th and 26th Architecture for Lunch tours will end near St. Joseph’s Park so you can catch most of the Eastman @St. Joseph’s Park performance!

Shake on the Lake is returning to St. Joseph’s Park too!  On Thursday, August 3rd, the touring theater company will bring “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged),” an irreverant, fast-paced romp through the Bard’s plays. Visit Shake on the Lake for tickets and information.

Three New Historic Markers in Rochester

Yesterday was a big day for historic markers in Rochester. Deryn Pomeroy, Trustee of the William G. Pomeroy Foundation®, was in town for the unveiling of three markers throughout the city, and we were honored to attend each one.

We started the day on Lakeshore Boulevard at Durand-Eastman Park, where Monroe County Executive Adam Bello shared the tale of the “White Lady’s Castle.” The “castle” is, in fact, the remains of a 1911 dining hall that once served beachgoers and park visitors, but is now part of a well-known legend about a ghost that wanders the area in search of her long lost daughter. The marker placed in front of the castle is the first in Monroe County that is part of Pomeroy’s Legends & Lore^® Marker Grant Program. Irondequoit resident and Landmark supporter Bradley Huber spoke at the unveiling.

Later that afternoon, we visited the East Main Street headquarters and laboratory of Martha Matilda Harper, a Canadian-American entrepreneur and innovator. Harper invented, among other things, the reclining shampoo chair, an essential piece of equipment in salons across the world. She also developed the “Harper Method” of hair care, and is credited with the creation of modern retail franchising. At the peak of her success, there were 500 woman-owned “Harper Salons,” where franchisees were trained in her method. Harper biographer Jane Plitt, who has written several books about the pioneering businesswoman, spoke at the ceremony.

Finally, we witnessed the unveiling of the historic marker at Rapids Cemetery in the 19th Ward, one of the last reminders of the Castletown settlement. The cemetery is the final resting place of veterans of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War; as well as Captain Daniel Loomis, Rochester’s first architect. Neighbors and area veterans have worked to research and restore the cemetery, which contains many marked and unmarked burial plots, as well as a beautifully restored garden.

It was a day of reflection and celebration for the historians, advocates, researchers, neighbors, and friends that worked to bring these historic markers to Rochester. We are grateful to the William G. Pomeroy Foundation® for their commitment to the celebration and preservation of community history, in our region and beyond.

Architecture for Lunch Resumes in July

Today’s tour was postponed because of air quality, so that means we have four Architecture for Lunch tours left this summer.  Plan to join us for one or more of these 25-minute tours, led by former Landmark staff member and educator, Tyler Lucero. You’ll learn a little bit about the history and architecture of downtown Rochester neighborhoods while enjoying a short, brisk walk.

Architecture for Lunch tours are FREE and open to the public (no reservations required, just show up!), held rain or shine, for the most interesting lunch break you’ve ever taken.

Remaining tours:

• July 12: Four Corners & City Hall Historic District (meet at Rochester City Hall at 30 Church Street)
• July 19: St. Paul Street / Garment District (meet in front of the H.H. Warner Building – Warner Lofts at 80 St. Paul Street)
• July 26: Liberty Pole & East Main Street Historic District (meet at Liberty Pole Plaza)
• August 2: East End & Grove Place (meet at the park at the corner of Broadway and East, next to Christ Church)

All tours take place 12:15-12:40 on Wednesdays in Rochester.

Summer Architecture in the Wild Classes

Here’s the latest update on our Architecture in the Wild summer classes with Rochester Brainery:

Our Wednesday, July 26th class, Exploring Corn Hill’s Architectural History, is already sold out, along with “Exploring Upper Monroe” on August 10th. There are still spots available in one of our newest classes, “Exploring the Inner Loop Leftovers” on August 23rd, which will take you through some of the streets around the southeast section of the Inner Loop that were spared from demolition during its construction. Don’t let the name fool you – there are lots of hidden gems in this area around South Union Street and Monroe Avenue.

Don’t forget! A summer encore of “The Rocks That Built Rochester” class will be held on Monday, July 17th at Radio Social. In this class, taught by members of the Young Urban Preservationists (YUPs), you’ll learn about some of our area’s most treasured landmarks and the links to the ancient geologic processes that made them possible and influence their preservation today.

March with us in the Rochester Pride Parade

We’d love for you to march with The Landmark Society at this year’s Rochester Pride Parade! We’ve ordered colorful custom Landmark Pride t-shirts for anyone who would like to join us on July 15th at 1pm. Email or call Larry Francer at lfrancer@landmarksociety.org or (585) 537-5954 to RSVP.  And if you’re planning to be a spectator, be sure to watch for us and “The Thing,” a vintage Volkswagen vehicle provided by members John Strawway and Mark Chaplin.

Learn more about The Landmark Society’s LGBTG Landmarks Initiative and our self-guided walking tours of Rochester at the link below.

Landmark Travels - Two summer day trips left!

Upcoming Events

July 5th: Eastman @St. Joseph’s Park: Cello Institute

July 12th: Architecture for Lunch: Four Corners & City Hall Historic District

July 12th: Eastman @St. Joseph’s Park: Bob Sneider & Co. (jazz)

July 15th: Landmark at the Rochester Pride Parade

July 17th: Rochester Brainery Class: “The Rocks That Built Rochester“

July 19th: Architecture for Lunch: St. Paul Street / Garment District
July 19th: Eastman @St. Joseph’s Park: Sophia Gibbs Kim (flute) and Lynn McGrath (guitar)

July 26th: Architecture for Lunch: Liberty Pole & E. Main Historic District
July 26th: Eastman @St. Joseph’s Park: Eastman Experience: Summer Classical Studies

July 26th: Rochester Brainery Class: “Architecture in the Wild: Exploring Corn Hill’s Architectural History“

August 2nd: Eastman @St. Joseph’s Park: Sandra Godwin (soprano)

August 10th: Rochester Brainery Class: “Architecture in the Wild: Exploring Upper Monroe“

August 23rd: Rochester Brainery Class: “Architecture in the Wild: Exploring The Inner Loop Leftovers“

5 Castle Park, Rochester, NY 14620
PHONE: (585) 546-7029 x10 · FAX: (585) 546-4788