Rochester from Above

This scene was mostly likely taken from atop the standpipe in College Hill Park. Coffman high school is the large red building in left foreground, the white Kahler Hotel behind it, and the red 1914 Mayo Clinic building to the right of the Kahler.

 

If one looks closely just above and to the right of Plummer's tower, there is a rectangular structure which I believe is the bandshell in Mayo Park.

This aerial photo of Rochester from the mid-1930s is a good map of change. Three major surviving landmarks run in a diagonal line from north to south through the image: the Kahler Grand Hotel at upper left, the Mayo Clinic's Plummer building at center, and the Franklin power plant in the lower right. Facing the Kahler at extreme left is the Damon Hotel, once the original Kahler Hotel. Mayo Clinic's Gonda building now stands there. Adjascent to that is Central School, now the site of the main Mayo building. Across the street, emerging from the lower center of the frame, is the Congregational Church, built in 1916 and demolished in 1963 to make way for Mayo's Hilton research building. Between Plummer and the Kahler is the 1914 Mayo Clinic building, now the site of the Siebens building. The brown building with rooftop signs across the other side of 2nd street from Plummer is the Martin Hotel, now the Colonial Inn. Next to the Martin are the YMCA and the public library. Both buildings were torn down in 1938. The white building behind the library and backing up to the Franklin plant is the Model Laundry, which replaced the Rochester Hotel in 1929. The Lawler Theatre stands next to that, just at the edge of frame. Both buildings are gone now, replaced by a parking lot. Directly across the street from Model Laundry is Holland's Market. The building is still there, has added a storey, and is now City Cafe and Newt's pub.

Across from the library at the intersection of 2nd St and 1st Ave is the Masonic Temple. The International Order of Odd Fellows building is across 1st from it, and the Massey building rounds out the four corners. Continuing east down 2nd from the I.O.O.F. are the Brackenridge building, First State Bank, and E.A. Knowlton and Co dept store. E.A. Knowlton's was replaced by a boxy Dayton's store, and is now a Mayo Clinic building which also houses a Red Lobster restaurant. On the NW corner of the block straight up 1st Ave from the I.O.O.F. is the old Post Office. Across 1st St from the PO and one building down is the Chateau Theatre, which is still there, mostly intact and now a Barnes & Noble bookstore.

Just north of the Kahler is Colonial Hospital, now mostly destroyed and part of Rochester Methodist Hospital. Across 1st Ave from Colonial is the Carlton Hotel, which is still there and is now a Day's Inn.