Photos

Clinton Square is named after New York Governor De Witt Clinton who was a strong proponent of the Erie Canal, a shipping route between Albany and Buffalo. The Erie canal was completed in 1828 and operated until 1918, it created a navigation route between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes. The reflecting pool shown on this picture was made in 1981 on a recovered section of the now buried canal. During the time when the canal was used Syracuse grew rapidly, and many historically significant buildings were constructed, five of them is shown on this picture, they are from left to right:

1. The Third National Bank Building, erected in 1885, a Queen Anne style structure, features rusticated sandstone trim, decorative banding, a multi-gabled roof.

2. The Syracuse Savings Bank building, now Bank of America, was built in 1876. The building is a masterpiece of the Victorian Gothic style, in contrasting tan and red sandstone.

3. The Gridley Building was designed in 1867. This trapezoidal building with clock tower was originally built for the Onondaga County Savings Bank.

4. The State Tower Building, built in 1927, and still the tallest building in Syracuse. It is a nice example of the “Metropolitan” style of Art Deco; its vertical stripes emphasize its height.

5. Onondaga County Savings Bank building, now OnBank, was built in 1897. This eleven-story steel frame building represents an early phase of skyscraper development.