The Rochester House Directory and the City Directory for the years show that the city's elite, many company presidents among them, lived on East Avenue. Changes began to take place in the early 20 th century. Horse races turned into races between horse and automobile, then between automobile and automobile.
The avenue needed to be resurfaced to accommodate the new mode of transportation. George Eastman was on the committee to recommend pavement for the avenue. Hargrave, president of Eastman Kodak Company, cuts the strip of motion picture film at the formal opening of George Eastman House, November 9, Photography symposium in conjunction with the opening.
Entrepreneur George Eastman — , the pioneer of popular photography, completed his Colonial Revival mansion on East Avenue in Rochester in and resided there until his death. He bequeathed most of his assets to the University of Rochester, expressing a desire that his mansion serve as the residence for the university president. The three-story rectangular edifice has a Dutch gable roof topped with a balustrade. There is a supplementary wing to the north, a side porch to the east, and a car entrance to the west.
The exterior is composed of Roman brick with limestone accents, a material approach that mimics a house Eastman had admired in Buffalo: the Robert Root House designed by McKim, Mead and White , now demolished.
The interior surfaces are coated in wood, plaster, or marble. The public rooms display impeccable detail, intricate craftsmanship, and elegant decor.
Davenport Company was responsible for most of the interior decoration and furniture. In contrast to its historical aesthetic, the house was outfitted with every modern convenience.
The complex had its own electric generator, along with telephone and vacuum cleaning systems, a clock network, an elevator, thermostats, and a heating system.
The grand double staircase that separates the foyer from the conservatory designed by Mead is the defining feature of the space, leading the eye both to the two-story conservatory beyond and to the oval oculus above. It contains an elephant head, an array of potted plantings, plenty of windows that allow for ample natural light, a beautiful iron arch leading to the dining room, and an organ that extends into the depths of the building. He took breakfast there every morning accompanied by the sounds of the Aeolian organ and presided over concerts in the conservatory on Sunday evenings.
Nonetheless, its square plan never pleased him. In , the Eichleay Corporation expanded the conservatory by splitting the house in two and filling the gap with the nine-foot extension. The grounds of the house are also a study in contrasts. Gardener at work in the west garden, May Chauffeur and automobile in front of carriage house, — Close-up view of mahogany and glass door looking into conservatory, — View of side of staircase showing oriental carpets, bench, and flower arrangement, — Front view of grand staircase showing french doors and windows opening into the conservatory, — View through doorway of conservatory looking into the terrace garden, — Aerial view of estate taken from the east, — View of conservatory showing stained glass window closed, ca.
Dining room fireplace, — Living room, — View of conservatory with elephant hung and ivory tusk mounted below,
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