Tipperary Hill

Tipperary Hill's green-over-red traffic light

Tipperary Hill, sometimes known as Tipp Hill, is a district in the city of Syracuse, New York, largely settled by immigrants from Ireland, especially from County Tipperary. It makes up half of Syracuse's Far Westside neighborhood.

History

See also: Irish in Syracuse, New York

In the 1820s, when the Erie Canal was built from Albany to Buffalo, New York, the Irish were the chief laborers. Syracuse is located in the middle of the route and was considered the "hub" of the system. After the canal was finished, many of the Irish settled west of Syracuse on a hill overlooking the canal. This area became known as Tipperary Hill.

Green over red

When the city first installed traffic signal lights in 1925, manufactured by Crouse-Hinds Company of Syracuse, they placed one at a major intersection on Tipperary Hill at the corner of Tompkins Street and Milton Avenue. This was the main business district of the area.

The "Green-on-Top" or "Red-on-Bottom" Traffic Light

Local Irish youths, incensed that anyone would dare to put the "British" red above the "Irish" green, threw stones at the signal and broke the red light. The city replaced it, but the Irish soon threw more stones and broke the replacement.

John "Huckle" Ryan, then alderman of the Tipperary Hill section, requested that Tipperary Hill's first traffic signal be hung with the green above the red in deference to its Irish residents. This was done, but soon the State of New York stepped in with regulations. City officials reversed the colors. This despite assurances from local residents that what they were doing was "against nature and would never stand the test of time."

Once again, the red topped the green and officials noted that the signal light began to fail on a regular basis. The local press reported it "was the work of the Little People." Officials doubted this theory, but still were reported to have commented that the marksmanship of those responsible for shattering each red light they installed was "nothing short of miraculous." As fast as a red lens was replaced, it disintegrated.

A contingent of residents went to the city fathers including local businessmen John R. O'Reilley, Dinty Gilmartin, Jim Kernan, Dr. Raymond Devine, and Isadore Wichman. They were members of a group called Tipperary Hill Protective Association.

On March 17, 1928, Commissioner Bradley handled the meeting with the Tipp Hill residents. It was explained to him carefully, "Directing traffic's one thing, but an insult's another, and a thing like that on a day like this is an insult." When the commissioner did not quite get the point, it was explained to him carefully, "It's that light at Tompkins and Milton. If you don't do something about it at once, you won't have a light there tonight."

When the commissioner questioned what the problem with the light was, he was told, "Why, what do you think is the matter with it? Here it is St. Patrick's Day and darned if that light isn't flashing; first green, which is all right, and then orange, and then red. It's got to stop. I want to tell you this and I want you to get it straight and don't get excited about it. That light isn't going to stand there all day flashing its red and orange all over Tipperary Hill. Not while there's any stones on the hill."

The city leaders relented, to a point, and green was given the place of honor, however, they would not remove the traffic signal despite the members request. To this day, the green light is still above the red.

Throughout the years, the local youths are remembered fondly by Tipp Hill residents as the Stonethrower's.

Columnist, Jean Rausch, wrote about the neighborhood on March 17, 1968, in the Syracuse Herald-American;

"Sure, a little bit of Heaven fell from out the sky one day...and pieces of it have been landing all over the world ever since. A little piece of it found roots in Syracuse, on the west side of the city where Irishmen from County Tipperary began to settle during the early years of the last (19th) century. The Irish called it Tipperary Hill, which it is still called today, in spite of the fact that now perhaps only 50 per cent of the residents are of Irish ancestry."

Early settlers

See also: Westside, Syracuse and Far Westside, Syracuse

When the neighborhood in the Far Westside was originally populated, it was by people of English descent. They named their streets after famous English poets: Lowell, Milton, Whittier, Bryant, Coleridge and Tennyson as well as common English fruits and nuts such as Quince, Chestnut and Filbert.

The section south of West Genesee Street was "indelibly" labeled Tipperary Hill around 1860 when it was only pasture land and the neighborhood was described as "the locality bounded by West Genesee Street, Lowell Avenue, Tompkins Street and Banana Street (Avoca Street);" however, this was long before the area south of Tompkins Street was developed as the Burnet Park Extension.

The name Tipperary Hill was a nickname chosen because an early informal poll of several families employed in the "rolling mill" all happened to come from County Tipperary, Ireland and "from that fact by common consent" the Irish end of the city was dubbed Tipperary Hill.

What is now Cody Avenue between the 600 block of Ulster Street was once open land. Additionally, the land south of Tompkins Street was owned by W. B. Smith Corporation who originally planned to build a plant on the property.

Geddes annexed

Village of Geddes, 1624 West Genesee Street - old town square about 1875 - by Robert N. Dennis

See also: Geddes, New York

Although most people in Syracuse are familiar with the Tipp Hill neighborhood, there is little agreement as to the exact boundaries. Most maps show that it is the area bounded by West Genesee Street on the north, Coleridge Avenue on the south, Myrtle Street on the west and Wilbur Avenue on the east.

Before 1886, the entire Far Westside of what is now Syracuse from Burnet Park north to Milton Avenue in Solvay was known as the village of Geddes which was incorporated in 1832.

Geddes officially became a town in 1848. "It then included the west side of Syracuse to Geddes Street, which was the eastern boundary of the town." An 1874 map of the village of Geddes shows that many streets were named after fruits and nuts including Banana Street (Avoca Street), Filbert Street (Avery Avenue), Quince Street (Willis Avenue), Pear Street (Milton Avenue), Chestnut Street (North Lowell Avenue) and Orchard Street (Emerson Avenue). Additionally, east to west running streets had names such as Fifth South Street (Tompkins Street), Fourth South Street (Ulster Street) and Third South Street (Schuyler Street). Genesee Street (later Route 5) was the main drag through town and St. Mark's Square, where Hazard Library and Porter School now stand, was the town center.

In the early days, the old village of Geddes was composed predominantly of Protestant residents. The first church in the area was The First Methodist Episcopal Church (Methodist Episcopal) and streets added in south Geddes after 1874 were named for famous English poets. The local burial ground, Myrtle Hill Cemetery on Myrtle Street, situated on the western border of the village, was a Protestant cemetery.

Rev. Patrick Magee from St. Patrick's Church aided materially in bringing about the annexation of Geddes. Before the annexation, Major John P. Burnet, a major landholder in south Geddes, met with Magee and informed him that he was anxious to see the village merge with the city and if that were to happen, he would donate 100 acres (0.40 km²) of his farm for a public park. Burnet wanted Magee to help him get the word out. Father Magee started out on a speaking campaign.

Meetings were called in the old "G" hall with Father Magee as one of the chief speakers and he pleaded annexation "with all the energy eloquence at his command."

"Any of you who are not for annexation have no sense in you. The city can give everything and all we have to give is a little more territory and more dollars in taxes. There is no comparison at all between the benefits that are given and those received. We have no lights, protection against fire, almost nothing that we need." Years later, Rev. Patrick Magee noted that; "For all that time, I used to make my sick calls after dark carrying a lighted lantern to see my way without stumbling, and more than once when there was a fire, I had seen the Syracuse Fire Department who came up to help us, trying to put out the fire with buckets of water thrown from across the bridge."

The village of Geddes was annexed by Syracuse on May 20, 1886. "In one day, Geddes lost its town hall, town supervisor, town clerk, town justice, most town board members and three-quarters of its population." The residents in the area encouraged the annexation. Twice, entire commercial blocks along Furnace Street (now West Fayette Street) burned to the ground for lack of water and fire protection.

At the time of the annexation there were ten houses in Tennyson Avenue, twenty-four in Whittier Avenue and thirty-five on Bryant Avenue. "Coleridge Avenue was not credited with a single house."

Local industry

See also: Salt industry in Syracuse, New York

During 1874, some of the major industries in the town of Geddes were Ashton Salt Mills, Onondaga Pottery Company, Syracuse Iron Works, Bessemer Iron Works, Williams' Reaper and Mower Works and the Blast Furnace.

By 1878, Geddes was the center of the salt industry and had many salt producers including; Western Coarse Salt Company, Turk's Island Coarse Salt Company, Geddes Coarse Salt Company, Union Coarse Salt Company, Cape Cod Coarse Salt Company, W. & D. Kirkpatrick of No. 7 Wieting Block, Draper & Porter, W. B. Boyd, Mrs. S. O. Ely and J. F. Paige.

That same year, the town of Geddes was home to Onondaga Iron Company located north of the Erie Canal near Quince Street (Willis Avenue) and Sanderson Bros. Steel Company were south of Magnolia Street. Additionally, Syracuse Iron Works was north of Magnolia Street and Sterling Iron Ore Company was north of the canal on Quince Street.

Irish arrive

The Irish laborers helped to build the Erie Canal and gravitated to the hill on the Far Westside of Syracuse beginning in the mid 19th century. They settled in the south of the old village of Geddes, before it was annexed into the city, and lived on top of the hill overlooking what was later called Automobile row where industries like Franklin Automobile Company and Onondaga Pottery abounded. The men would walk down from the hill on their way to work each day at the factories east of Tipperary Hill that lined Geddes, Fayette, Marcellus and Oswego streets on the city's Near Westside. To the north, Solvay Process Company provided many jobs to local residents in the manufacture of soda ash on the shores of Onondaga Lake. Many Irish were also employed in the local salt mills on the North side of Geddes.

The Tipperary Hill section has always been a residential neighborhood and the majority of industry was located close by. Construction of electric railway lines between 1888 and 1900 brought an era of expansion to the area. In 1889, the railway line was extended from Park Avenue to Willis Avenue and eventually to Solvay where easy access to jobs at the Solvay Process Company gave fresh impetus to the population growth of the Westside.

By December 1927, a local newspaper reflecting on the growth of the area published an article that stated; "The West End of today, with its far spread rail yards to Belle Isle, steel works, potteries, automotive and gear plants, residential hills, parks, circles and business centers, is only beginning to emerge into the character it will play in the drama of the greater city."

Tip versus Patch

In May 1889, mention was made in the local newspaper about the original settlers of the neighborhood, referred to as Celts, in reference to both the English and Irish residents in the Geddes neighborhood;

"In the western part of the city it is enough to say that a man, woman or child is a "Tip" to know that his abiding place is somewhere on Tipperary Hill, a cairn just south of West Genesee Street Methodist Church.

It was originally peopled by Celts who have been known to make many a sudden and successful raid on rival settlements, and especially desperate have been the encounters of the Tips (Irish) with another tribe of Celts about a 1 mile (1.6 km) farther north on what has acquired fame as the Patch (English). Though their forefathers sprang from the same stock and only the differing natural surroundings can account for the rivalry between the Tips and dwellers in the Patch which took the form of intense hatred. In past years the Hill of Tipperary as more sparsely settled, the people taking more to rural pursuits and often counting their wealth by the number of goats in their herds, which were allowed to browse the sides of the hill tended by the offspring of the thrifty Tips.

On the other hand, the Patchites lived closely together in humble cottages, with no dwellings for a considerable distance on either side. This gave the clustered homes the appearance of a veritable patch on the green fields around it, and although other houses have since sprung up near them, the cottages of the first Patch remain yet overflowing with population just east of where Emerson Avenue crosses the Auburn railroad in the Tenth ward. The first inhabitants of the Patch were almost entirely devoted to the boiling of suit in large kettles set near their settlement, and their disputes with their rural neighbors on Tipperary Hill generally occurred at night.

Between the rival clans was a high hill, one of the steepest thereabout, and which some years earlier had been the property of Dr. W. W. Porter. Long before he owned it, however, it was looked upon as the dividing line between the two clans. At times, it was unsafe for members of one settlement to be found alone in the bounds of the other.

Village of Geddes - old church on corner of Milton Avenue and West Genesee Street in Syracuse, New York about 1875

There was much folklore in the story by 1889. There was talk about a marriage between the son of one of the leading families of the Patch and a daughter of a Tip. Their wooing was done at clandestine meetings on the steep hill between the settlements. The couple were not welcomed back in the neighborhood and "were said to have become a part of another little colony which has since grown to about three dozen unpainted shanties called Little Ireland on a depressed piece of ground east of the Central tracks and north of West Genesee Street."

Whatever proportion of truth or of tradition there may be in the tale, the steep dividing "pinnacle" was known to the people in the area as "Matrimony Hill."

Churches

At early as 1872, there were only two churches in the town of Geddes: St. Patrick's Church (Roman Catholic) and The First Methodist Episcopal Church (Methodist Episcopal). Many Irish immigrants were attracted to the neighborhood because of the close proximity to a Catholic church and local factories.

As the years passed and the community grew, several more churches of all denominations were built in the Tipp Hill area. St. John's Ukrainian Catholic Church was constructed in 1913 and St. Brigid's Church, also Roman Catholic, was built on the north side of West Genesee Street at 806 Willis Avenue in 1926.

St. Peter's and Paul's Orthodox Church is located on the southwest corner of Emerson and Hamilton streets and First Christian Assembly is located on the corner of Avery Avenue and Hamilton Street.

First church

During 1852, Rev. Charles E. Bragdon, of Auburn, New York, established a Sunday school. Wilfred W. Porter M.D., recently arrived in the village was elected superintendent on May 9, 1852. A local druggist, J. Arnold M. D., was called to the pastorate and stayed for one year when he was succeeded by Rev. Reuben Reynolds and later by Rev. A. S. Wrightman in 1854.

The church attained its legal existence after it was incorporated with a board of trustees under the name, First Methodist Episcopal Church of Geddes on February 6, 1854. Services were held in the local schoolhouse. In 1856, a plain wooden church was built at a cost of $2,000.

A new church edifice, "a fine brick structure," was completed in 1872 at a cost of $27,000. The membership numbered 175.

Irish Catholic parish

St. Patrick's Church on the south corner of Lowell Avenue and Schuyler Street in Syracuse, New York in 1890

Rev. James P. Magee (born December 25, 1841), a graduate of St. Joseph's Seminary in Troy, New York in 1869, was instrumental in the early days of St. Patrick's Church and in the establishment of St. Patrick's School. The church, located at 216 North Lowell Avenue, was completed in 1872 and was constructed of red brick. The original steeples were destroyed by lightening after 1890.

Father Magee came to the area in the fall of 1879 to find a small and struggling parish burdened with a debt of $39,000. The parish had been organized in June 1870, with a congregation of about 70 persons and the first mass was celebrated on June 31, 1870, in Cool's Hall at No. 101 Herkimer Street. The Rev. Hugh Shields was the first pastor and within a week after he began his ministry, he had already performed a wedding ceremony and baptized a child.

Two years later, 300 boys and girls were administered the sacrament of confirmation. Father Shields gave up his pastorate in the fall of 1870 due to illness and Monsignor James S. M. Lynch of Utica, New York became the second pastor of the church in February 1871, and immediately began planning for a new church building.

Lynch was permitted by the school board of the town of Geddes to use the basement of Porter School as a chapel and celebrate mass there on Sunday's and week days.

In 1870, the site for the new church was purchased at the corner of Lowell Avenue and Schuyler Street for a cost of $2,800. A building fund was secured by a "house to house" subscription, the pastor himself "taking charge of the campaign."

In a few months time, enough money had been secured to build the basement of the church, the cornerstone of which was laid on Sunday, June 4, 1871. In August 1872, Father Lynch was called to Albany, New York by Bishop John J. Conroy and the Rev. Patrick F. Smith of Camillus was appointed third pastor.

On Sunday, September 15, 1872, the church was dedicated by Bishop Francis McNierny, with Father Lynch celebrating the solemn mass of dedication.

Father Smith remained as pastor until October 1875, when at his own request, he was transferred to St. Mary's Hudson, a larger and more important parish. During his time at St. Patrick's Church, he built a parochial residence at a cost of $3,000 which was located next door to the church on North Lowell Avenue. After Father Smith's departure, Rev. James P. Magee was named at once as his replacement.

A major fire gutted the church building on January 14, 1966. Under the direction of Monsignor Thomas J. Driscoll, the church was quickly rebuilt and restored to original condition.

In 2007, the parish was merged with St. Brigid—St.Joseph.

Parochial school

St. Patrick's School on the north corner of Lowell Avenue and Schuyler Street in Syracuse, New York in 1917

From the beginning of his ministry, Father Magee had "cherished" plans to build a parochial school. It was an ambitious project and even Bishop Patrick A. Ludden (1836–1912) did not believe that a school could be built in Geddes at that time, however, in 1887, he gave Father Magee permission to purchase a plot of land opposite the church from the Mead Belden estate. The cost of the land was $3,000. It was not until 1909, however, that the construction of both the school and Sisters' convent was begun.

The contracts were awarded for construction of the new school on September 7, 1909, to the Delmonico Brothers. The new schoolhouse and Sisters' home would be built on the lot opposite St. Patrick's Church and "will be a decided addition to that neighborhood."

The school building, located at 210 Schuyler Street, is three-stories high and 79 feet (24 m) by 103 feet (31 m). The first floor contained four classrooms and an office. Each of the classrooms was 28 feet (8.5 m) by 30 feet (9.1 m). The second floor also contained four classrooms as well as a recitation room. On the third floor an auditorium with stage and various "auto rooms" were planned. "This building will be a first class structure in every way and will come up to all State school building requirements."

The new buildings were constructed with gray pressed brick and ornamented with Indiana limestone. The Sisters' Home was 48 feet (15 m) by 68 feet (21 m) of the same gray pressed brick. On the first floor a music room, parlor, chapel, dining room and kitchen were planned. The second floor contained the Sisters' rooms and bath rooms.

Both buildings cost approximately $50,000 to build and were designed by local architect, James A. Randall. A total of $40,000 was "paid in" for the new school before the building was even erected. St. Patrick's School was completed in late 1910 and opened in January 1911, with an enrollment of 285 students.

By 1917, the church property was valued at $80,000 and was "altogether free from debt."

St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in 1913

Today, both St. Patrick's School and St. Brigid's School are closed, and the neighborhood does not have any Catholic School ties but All Saints School, the neighborhood has many strong connections with Bishop Ludden Jr. Sr. High School.

Ukrainian parish

Main article: St. John the Baptist Greek Catholic Church (Syracuse, New York)

St. John the Baptist Greek Catholic Church of Syracuse, New York was constructed in 1913 at the corner of Tompkins Street and Wilbur Avenue. A campaign to raise the money was led by Rev. Alexander Prystay, pastor. It was the first "Eastern Catholic" church in the city.

The church rectory is located at 207 Tompkins Street. The name of the parish was officially changed to St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in 1944 and is still in operation today.

In recent years, local business owner, Peter Coleman, erected a statue of Ukrainian Freedom fighter Taras Schevchenko in front of the church.

Business district

Tompkins Street, Burnet Park Drive and Milton Avenue were the center of the business district on Tipperary Hill.

Map of Tipperary Hill neighborhood in Syracuse, New York in 1895

Burnet Park Drive extends south of the intersection and ends at Burnet Park while Milton Avenue, north of the intersection, runs all the way to Solvay 1 mile (1.6 km) away.

By 1925, when the controversial traffic signal was installed at the intersection, Dinty Gilmartin, who had a wooden leg as a result of injuries suffered in World War I, was proprietor of Gilmartin's Corner Store on the northwest corner of the intersection at 102 Burnet Park Drive. He was known by locals as the mayor of Tipperary Hill.

The green-over-red traffic light was once surrounded by Hennigan's Silver Star Grocery on the southeast corner and on the northeast corner, Groucho Hewitt's Fish Fry which was later renamed to Casey's Fish Market. Because they were closed during the long winter months, the neighborhood anticipated their reopening each spring and they were a local favorite all summer. Brigandi's tailors were next to Hennigan's on Tompkins Street.

Michael Callahan's Funeral Home on the northwest corner, now known as Callahan-Hanley Mooney Funeral Home, are still in business today.

The old James Kernan Theater was located on the east side of the block in 1924 and "once showed the spine-tingling adventures of Harry Carey and Tom Mix" while Kernan's wife, Ann, played the piano accompaniment. The name was later changed to Park Theatre. Next door, to the south, were Corbett's Hardware Store and Shanahan's Grocery Store.

Dennis O'Riley's Ice Cream Parlor, situated at the top of Burnet Park Drive on the west side in 1924, was later replaced by the Shamrock Grill and is known today as Stone Throwers Cafe. Isadore Wichman, a Jewish tailor, had a shop on the corner.

“	You could get just about anything in that tiny little strip - you could go to the doctor's, or get a suit mended, or get your shoes repaired. Local old-timer, 2009	”

In 1968, Ralph DeGuglielmo's Shoe Repair was a well-known fixture on the east side of the Burnet Park Drive. He had been in business for 37 years in the same location and could see the traffic light from his front window while he worked. O'Brien's Pharmacy was located on the west side of the street.

Further down the block, at 500 Ulster Street on the northwest corner of Milton Avenue, F. J. Manton operated the corner grocery store by 1927. During the 1950s the store was known as Sam's Market and was located next to MacVicker's Machine Shop on 214 Milton Avenue owned by Frank MacVicker who went on record in May 1913, for inventing a bench grinding machine.

Public schools

In the early years, most residents sent their children to parochial schools in the neighborhood including St. Patrick's Catholic School on Lowell Avenue and St. John the Baptist now known as All Saints Elementary School on South Wilbur Avenue. The first public school constructed in the neighborhood was Tompkins Primary School, now defunct, located at 305 Tompkins Street.

Public school students on the Northside of Tipperary Hill attended Porter School, located at 512 Emerson Avenue to the north of West Genesee Street, just outside the border of the Irish neighborhood.

During 1973, George W. Fowler High School at 227 Magnolia Street was built on the southern border of the Tipp Hill neighborhood next to Burnet Park.

Tompkins school

Tompkins Primary School on Tompkins Street in Syracuse, New York in 1910 - First floor main hallway

Tompkins Primary School opened its doors on September 3, 1895, at 305 Tompkins Street The new school was constructed in response to the needs of a fast growing population in Syracuse and many young families. It had a capacity of 448 students. The facility was originally considered a primary school because it housed grades one through eight. The building was specifically designed for that purpose and had exactly eight classrooms, four on the first floor and four on the second floor. Each classroom was a "corner" room and had windows on two sides; as well as two doors and a large "cloakroom".

In May 1896, Alderman Troendle succeeded in putting through a resolution authoring the Board of Education to enter into a contract for 418 adjustable desks for the school at a cost of $2.70 each.

Tompkins was already so overcrowded by 1901 that one of the upper grades had to be transferred to nearby Porter School.

By the January 1951, the Board of Education announced plans to move the fourth grade class to Porter School. From that point on, the school was in use only for grades kindergarten to third grade until it was condemned by the city due to fire hazards. Closing ceremonies were held on June 4, 1959, and officiated by Thomas H. Ingraham, principal. Students were transferred to Frazer School.

The old building was put on the auction block in November 1960. The land was assessed at $8,300 and both the land and building were assessed at $56,100, roughly the same value as a 1935 appraisal of the property. The dimensions of the lot were 132 feet (40 m) by 216 feet (66 m). Sales of the old school property, under terms of the city ordinance, would be to the highest bidder.

During October 1988, the building was torn down to make way for a parking lot for local businesses.

Fowler high school

George W. Fowler High School was approved for construction on November 17, 1970, by the Syracuse Board of Education on the southeast corner of Burnet Park, to the north of Grand Avenue and west of the old state school property.

The new school was ready in 1973 and was located on a hillside area of the park, south of the Burnet Park Zoo.

Residential

The earliest homes in the area were situated along West Genesee Street which was the main business district and center of the old village of Geddes. Many of the homes on West Genesee Street, North Lowell Avenue, Emerson Avenue and North Avery Avenue were built by prominent members of Geddes beginning in the 1850s.

Growth in the area forced expansion to the south of Geddes and more modest homes were constructed along Cayuga, Hamilton and Schuyler Streets.

After the town of Geddes was annexed by Syracuse in 1886, a new sub-division called the Burnet Park Extension was opened south of Tompkins Street in a previously undeveloped area.

Burnet Park extension

Tipp Hill, planned Burnet Park Extension, June 18, 1890

The land south of Tompkins Street was opened up for development in 1890 and was called the Burnet Park Extension. It was advertised by Burnet & Westcott, of 10 Snow Building in Syracuse as "the most beautiful building lots for residences in the city of Syracuse." The land belonged to Major John P. Burnet and was subdivided into over 100 lots which "commanded views of the lake, the entire city, and the Harbor Brook and Onondaga Valleys."

Burnet Park c.1900

The realtors advertised that Burnet Park Extension was the healthiest place in the city to live because it was "over 200 feet above the canal, and the prevailing winds being from the northwest and west you will have no smoke or foul smells from the city, as are had upon the east side."

The homes in the new development were designed for working class families. Many were practical two-family homes where homeowners would live in one of the flats, and rent the other out. The lots on Tompkins Street were priced at $20 per front foot and the realtor bragged that "each lot will have all of Burnet Park as grounds."

It took until 1902 for sales to really "heat up" in the Burnet Park Extension. One and two family homes of "modern construction" were sought by "parties desiring to secure improved property for a home." Quite a number of people also purchased vacant lots "in view of erecting modern houses for their own use."

Elmer Porter, a new homeowner, had under construction in Whittier Avenue, "one of the largest and best equipped houses erected thus far this year" in Burnet Park Extension. Porter was planning on taking possession of the house by September 1, 1902. It was of frame construction with a broad front porch and had eight rooms. The first floor featured a large reception hall, "which comprises a large portion of the first floor." In addition, the house had a parlor, dining room, kitchen and pantries. The second floor had four bedrooms and a tiled bathroom with open plumbing. The floors were of hard wood and quartered oak was used to finish the first floor rooms with North Carolina pine on the second floor. The building contractor was D. C. Head and the total cost was $3,000.

Northeast elegance

Lowell Avenue - Queen Anne - 2007

House at 2000 West Genesee Street at Myrtle Street - Dutch Colonial

A news article on August 23, 1901, talked about some of the new construction in the neighborhood in the northeast corner of Tipperary Hill near St. Patrick's Church surrounding Lowell Avenue. This also includes homes on West Genesee Street. The majority of homes built in this section of Tipperary Hill were large and stately. Many were in the Victorian Queen Anne style:

W. K. Monahan built a home at 202 South Lowell Avenue with a large reception hall with oak staircase, parlor, dining room and kitchen on the first floor and four chambers and toilet room on the second. The home was finished in natural wood and had hardwood floors.

John Walsh built a two-family dwelling in South Lowell Avenue. There were nine rooms in each "flat" which were finished in natural wood. The final cost was $4,000.

Frank Eckel's home on Emerson Avenue was "one of colonial style." A wide porch extended across the front, from which "one enters a reception hall finished in oak as in all the house." There were ten rooms and a bath.

In Ulster Street, John Ryan built a single family dwelling with ten rooms and "open plumbing." The house was finished in North Carolina pine and had a broad porch which extended across the front. On the second floor, the home had a balcony of the same size as the downstairs porch. The total cost was $2,800.

A neighbor, Walter Van Eseltine built an addition at the front of his home in Lowell Avenue. The new part contained downstairs, a reception hall and parlor and on the second floor, sleeping rooms.

Burnet Park c.1910

Philip Eckel's colonial styled house on West Genesee Street was finished inside with oak. The dining room had paneled wainscoting and there were mantels and grates upstairs and down. Steam heat was used and the lights were a combination of both gas and electric. French plate glass was used in the windows. The house cost $4,000.

City parks

Tipperary Hill hugged the western border of the city of Syracuse and had abundant open areas which were donated by early residents for use as city parks.

Burnet Park

See also: Burnet Park

What is now Burnet Park was the farm of Major John Burnet who willed his acreage to the city of Syracuse in 1886. The park is the largest in the city with 88 acres (360,000 m²). It is bounded by South Avery Avenue on the west, Coleridge Avenue on the north, Wilbur Avenue on the east and Grand Avenue on the south. The park has many features including the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, swimming pool, skating rink and many athletic fields and courts including; tennis, basketball, baseball, softball and handball courts.

Rosamond Gifford Zoo in 2006

There is also a 9-hole golf course that was added in 1901 which is open from May to October. Additionally, the park contains several multi-purpose fields for lacrosse, football and soccer as well as a playground and picnic area.

Rosamond Gifford Zoo

See also: Rosamond Gifford Zoo

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo was originally named Burnet Park Zoo. It is no longer run by the city, but rather, the Onondaga County Department of Parks. It features over 600 animals in diverse habitats ranging from the tropics to woodlands. There are indoor and outdoor exhibitions.

Pass home in 1970, view southwest from S. Avery and Coleridge Ave. - Salisbury Rd. on other side of intersection

James Pass Arboretum

See also: James Pass Arboretum

James Pass Arboretum

Adjourning Burnet Park on the northwest, James Pass Arboretum was once named Pass' Field and is still called that by many residents.

James Pass, originally owned the property, which was down the street from his residence. He was an English potter who came to Geddes and along with his father, Richard Pass, was instrumental in the formation of the Onondaga Pottery Company which later became Syracuse China. He also founded Pass & Seymour Inc.

About 1880, Pass built a house on the southwest corner of South Avery Avenue and Salisbury Road. He died in 1913 and on Arbor Day, March 21, 1925, his family donated the 12.1 acres (49,000 m²) on the northwest corner of South Avery Avenue and Salisbury Road, formerly known as Salisbury Farm, to the city for use as an arboretum.

St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery on Salisbury Road in 2010

The Pass home, a traditional English Tudor, was demolished in the early 1980s for a private school.

Myrtle Hill Cemetery looking east to Myrtle Street in 1971

Cemeteries

Sacred Heart Cemetery, a Catholic burial ground, is located on the western border of Tipperary Hill with main entry on the north side of Salisbury Road in the town of Geddes. The cemetery is affiliated with Sacred Heart Basilica located on 927 Park Avenue on the Westside of Syracuse.

The Myrtle Hill Cemetery, a Protestant burial ground, was located on Myrtle Street along the western edge of Tipperary Hill as early as 1874 and in the early years was called Geddes Cemetery. The main entrance is at 112 Andrews Street in the town of Geddes.

St. John the Baptist Greek Cemetery, later renamed to St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery is located on the south side of Salisbury Road in the town of Geddes directly across the street from the Sacred Heart Cemetery and is situated half a block to the west of South Avery Avenue.

State school

Syracuse Idiot Asylum on Wilbur Avenue in Syracuse, New York in 1906

See also: Syracuse State School

The New York State Asylum for Idiots was authorized by the New York State Legislature in 1851 for mentally disabled children and adults. Hervey B. Wilbur, M.D., was appointed the first superintendent and remained in that position for 32 years until his death in 1883.

Wilbur collaborated with Edward Seguin, M.D., the originator of the physiological method of training. Much of the Montessori Method is based on foundations laid by Wilbur and Sequin in Syracuse.

The facility was located on Wilbur Avenue on the southeast border of Tipperary Hill. The site selected was about 1 mile (1.6 km) southwest of Syracuse, in the town of Geddes, and was "one of the finest that could have been found in the State of New York." The building was constructed of brick, "plain but substantial, and admirably fitted for the purpose for which it is designed."

The institution was located upon the eastern slope of the range of hills in the western part of the city and about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of the head of Onondaga Lake. The asylum grounds covered an area of about sixty-five acres, immediately adjacent to Burnet Park, the most of which was high land, overlooking the city and lake. The principal group of buildings, which were clustered around the original structure, facing the western extremity of Seymour Street, accommodated about 450 individuals.

In the 1970s, the Syracuse State School building was torn down and replaced by a residential facility called the Syracuse Developmental Center.

Pubs and bars

Tipperary Hill has always been known for its pubs and bars. Some of the local favorites included the Shamrock Grill on Burnet Park Drive which is known today as Stone Throwers Cafe. The old Blarney Stone Tavern is still in business on the corner of Avery Avenue and Hamilton Street. Wheeler's Tavern is a few doors to the north on the opposite side of Avery Avenue.

Nibsy Ryan's Saloon has been a landmark in Tipperary Hill since 1887 at 201 Ulster Street on the corner of South Wilbur Avenue, west of Syracuse Street. Dennis F. "Nibsy" Ryan came from Pompey, New York and opened the place back in 1887 and raised ten children in the rooms upstairs. Nibsy ran the place until the mid-1930s when his son, William "Nibsy" Ryan, took over. Nibsy Jr. ran the saloon until 1967 when "Groucho" Hewitt, whose parents were born in Tipperary County, Ireland, became owner. After all these years, Nibsy Ryan's Saloon is still a popular place to lift a pint after work or on a cold winter's evening.

Peter Coleman, saloonkeeper for over 50 years, is owner and proprietor of Coleman's Authentic Irish Pub at 100 South Lowell Avenue on the corner of Tompkins Street, east of the green-over-red traffic signal.

There are also many other taverns on the Tipperary Hill. All of them family owned and operated, Steve's Restaurant, McAvan's Pub, George O'Dea's are a few of the other places locals frequent.

Most recently Coleman purchased Rosie O’Grady’s and transformed it into a popular sports bar renamed Rosie’s Sports Pub and Grill at the gateway to Tipperary Hill on the corner of West Fayette and Hamilton Streets.

Prohibition on the hill

The Prohibition hit the Tipp Hill area hard. This was a neighborhood filled with bars and grills and pubs.

On October 3, 1927, it was reported that a "terrific battle, which started Friday night, continued Saturday night and culminated Sunday when police answered in response to a riot call," practically wrecked a saloon that was formerly owned by Lawrence Coleman and located at the corner of Milton Avenue and Tompkins Street. According to witnesses, more than a dozen men took part in the fray and attacked the saloon.

Establishment of night patrols of prohibition agents and organization of a brewery squad which operated from Kingston, New York to Malone, New York staged a third raid in the Westend on January 26, 1929. John Mara's saloon on Milton Avenue and Chemung Street was raided by federal agents.

The fifteen patrons in the saloon were "driven outside" by the raiders while they searched the place. The bartender was ordered to stand away from the bar while the search was taking place. "Guarding the 194 pound barkeep, who described himself as John Mara, was a five-foot prohibition agent who weighed less than 100 pounds. He told Mara to 'stand still or take a poke in the nose.'"

The raiders found 24 pints of the fake Golden Wedding rye whiskey that had been flooding bootleg resorts in Syracuse. The whiskey, 100 gallons of home brew mash and three half barrels of beer were in the cellar.

Recent years

See also: Tipperary Hill Heritage Memorial

The Tipperary Hill Heritage Memorial

In recent years, long time neighborhood residents of Irish ancestry and local business owners gathered resources and encouraged the city to demolish an old run-down commercial building that was located on the northeast corner of the intersection.

During 1997, the neighborhood group convinced the city to build a small park called the Tipperary Hill Memorial Park and erect a statue which is known as the Tipperary Hill Heritage Memorial on the same corner. The memorial is dedicated to those who, in the opinion of local resident's, were brave sons of Ireland who stood up to City Hall and won the battle of the "Green over Red" traffic light.

The statue was created by sculptor, Dexter Benedict. The park and statue are still in place, as is the traffic light. On the eve of every Saint Patrick's Day, an anonymous visitor(s) paints a green shamrock in the middle of the intersection, underneath the light.

On March 15, 2005, Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern visited Tipperary Hill where he had his photo taken by the Green-on-Top traffic light and dined at a local Irish pub.

The placement of a green light over red is a direct violation of New York State traffic law. The standardization of the red-yellow-green traffic light pattern is intended to aid those with color blindness. A color-blind person who approaches Tipperary Hill, not knowing about the different color pattern at that particular traffic light, could cause a severe accident by seeing the light at the bottom and assuming it is green when it in fact is red, or vice versa.

External links

• Tipperary Hill Neighborhood Association
• Tipperary Hill Neighborhood Association - Tipp Hill light (video) - S. J. Velasquez. Narrated by Janice McKenna
• Top 'o the Hill
• Living on Tipperary Hill (PDF article in a city publication)
• Syracuse St. Patrick's Parade
• St. Patrick’s Day in Syracuse: Where Green Takes Precedence
• St. Patrick's Tipperary Hill
• Map of Syracuse Westside including Geddes, 1874
• St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church Photos