This is the former Alexander T. Brown House – Built in 1895 – Architect: Gordon A. Wright – Design style – Romanesque Revival – Now a little bit of info: Brown, a prominnent industrialist and inventor, was one of the founders of the Brown-Lipe-Chapin Co., later to become part of General Motors. Among his many inventions were the Smith Premier tyoewriter, the L.C. Smith breech-loading shotgun and numerous automotive gear assembilies and other devices. The house, displaying irregular massing, the use of masonry and good craftmanship, was designed in a style made popular by well-known American architect Henry Hobson Richardson. Its design may have been directly inspired by the Wickware mansion in Cortland, with which the original owner, Alexander T. Brown, was familiar. Large Richardsonian arches and red potsdam sandstone with carved details distinguish the exterior. The roof is covered with red clay tiles. Leaded glass and woodwork of mahogany, cherry, birch and oak embellish the interior. An unusual feature was a hydraulic-powered elevator that ran from the basement to the attic. A combination of gas and electric lighting fixtures indicates that electricity was not completely trusted in these early years. The third floor is illuminated by a skylight of glass tile of the same configuration as the clay roofing tiles. After the death of Alexander’s wife Mary, in 1932, the house had many owners and the interior was extensively altered in 1947 when a group of physicians occupied it. Fortunately, much of the "debris" left from the remodeling job consisted of the original hardwood trim, mantlepieces, paneling and sliding doors, enough to restore most of the interior to its original elegance. A local architectural firm at one time owned this house. In 2003 the house was purchased by Jeanette Capria-Lazzaro who started restoring several parts of the house. The house now has another owner who is also restoring the house. Located at 726 West Onondaga Street in Syracuse, NY. (141)
