431-439 South Warren Street

1914

Demolition Now Under Consideration
 

This building is actually two early 20th century buildings, one three story and the other two story, joined by a common facade. This facade, installed about 1947, united the two buildings when they housed radio station WFBL.

This glazed, terra cotta tiled facade is unique to Syracuse. Its streamlined appearance, smooth wall finish and rounded corner section are hallmarks of the Art Moderne* style.

The taller of the two original buildings, 431-433 S. Warren, was built in 1914 as the home for the City Club of Syracuse, which occupied the building until 1918. From 1918 to 1926 this building was home to the Syracuse Chamber of Commerce. After 1926 the building changed hands several times and was used for retail and offices. The retail occupants included the Sadye Ann Dress Shop and the Emily Mundy Book Shop.

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400 block of South Warren	Three-story portion of the building
Two-story portion of the building	Close-up of the terra cotta facade

In 1941 Onondaga Savings Bank sold the building to the Onondaga Broadcasting Company to be used as the home for radio station WFBL.

Also in 1941, the two-story building just to the south at 435-439 S. Warren was purchased by well known Syracuse businessman and financier Oscar F. Soule. Soule family businesses included the Merrell-Soule Company (1868), which canned vegetables and mincemeat for national  distribution. Soule was President of the Syracuse Public Library from 1951 to 1968. The Soule Branch Library in East Syracuse is named after Oscar Soule.

Shortly after 1947, the new facade was constructed uniting the two buildings. The combined buildings were sold in 1960 to Bache & Co. and in 1980 to the law firm of Scott, Sardano & Pomeranz. Roger Scott was among the select group of attorneys admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court.  Scott had professional dealings with Chief Justice Earl Warren, Thurgood Marshall, Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Vice-President Hubert Humphrey and Scott used these connections to bring community and economic development funds to Syracuse and Central New York. In addition to his office on Warren Street, Scott had offices in Florida, Nevada, the Middle East and the European Common Market. Due to charges of theft, fraud and ethical misconduct, Scott was disbarred in the mid-1990s.

The current owner has requested permission to demolish the building, most likely to join it with the surface parking lot at the back with entrances on East Onondaga Street.
 

* The Art Moderne style is sometimes confused with the slightly earlier Art Deco. While both have geometric-based ornamentation, Moderne designs are usually horizontal in orientation while Deco is vertical (for instance, the State Tower Building); Moderne is also sleek and unornamented while the Deco style can be quite elaborate.