The Wood Building History
by Cynthia Carrington Carter
The Wood Building was constructed in 1900 to house the manufacturing business of J. E. Wood & Company, corset manufacturers. The company began manufacturing corsets in 1881 in rented space 64 South Salina Street in downtown Syracuse under the name, E. J. & B. Wood. As the business grew, the company moved to 302 South Salina Street and Julia Wood took control of what had been a family business.
Julia Etta Wood was born in October 1854, one of the nine children of Ira and Mary Wood in DeRuyter, Madison County, New York, where her father worked as a farrier. Julia spent her youth in DeRuyter and in the 1880 census, she is listed as living with her parents and four siblings in the family home in the village. Julia is keeping house for the family, her eldest sister is a school teacher and her brother, Ahira, and her two older sisters are working in a corset factory. They were probably working in the corset factory in the nearby village of McGraw. The McGraw Corset Company was the largest industry in the area, employing over 400 men and women in the factory and, additionally, providing women in the area piece work to do in their homes. The family apparently took the knowledge they gained and decided to open their own corset manufacturing company, for in 1881, Ira and Mary Wood, with their son Ahira and daughters Emma, Julia and Blanche, moved to the City of Syracuse and opened a company they called the E. J. & B. Wood Corset Manufacturers. The company had an advertisement in the 1881 Syracuse City Directory with an address of 64 South Salina Street, upstairs.
Ahira Wood was the cutter, a job commonly reserved for a man in this female dominated industry, while his sisters were sewing the corsets. As the company grew, additional employees were hired. Blanche married corset cutter, Arthur Monroe Campbell in 1887 and both Blanche and Arthur continued to work in the family business. In 1888, Julia designed an improvement in corset stay construction for which she received a patent on September 25, 1888. At the time, it was very unusual for a woman to be a patent holder, so unusual in Syracuse that, although the local newspapers regularly announced new patents, the article was always titled “Men of Invention", no matter that one of the inventors was a woman. The Madame Wood Corset appears to have been a success and advertisements were placed in newspapers across New York State and, as far away as the Chicago, for "lady agents" to travel and solicit orders for the company now known as the J. E. Wood Company.
By the end of the 19th century, Julia Wood decided to purchase land and have a building constructed to house the manufacturing company. On March 19, 1900, she advertised that the
stores and offices now being constructed in the Wood Building, at 205-209 East Jefferson Street, would be finished to suit the tenants. Wood moved her company into an upper floor of the new four story brick building and rented out the two storefronts and the remainder of the upper floor space not occupied by her factory. Clinton C. Brown rented the 205 storefront and moved his hardware business from Warren Street into the new building shortly after it was completed. It is evident from the Syracuse City Directory that at least 2 apartments were created in the building. One for Dr. Anna Stuart, a dentist who rented an office in the building and the other for Louise Scattergood, who operated a lunch room sponsored by the Women's Exchange, in the 209 East Jefferson storefront. An announcement in the paper on November 6, 1900 indicated that a room in the Wood Building had been offered for the purpose of setting up a "Model Home School," which was to be the next project taken up by the Women's Exchange. The Women's Exchange was a charitable organization organized and operated by many of the first ladies of the city to assist working girls and women in Syracuse. Initially it served as a consignment market for handwork made by women in their homes. The organization grew by 1887 to provide a lunch room where working women could have their lunch, whether brought from home or purchased in the lunchroom in an exclusively female setting. It was a place of refuge in a male dominated business world, where many a single working woman was still uncomfortable. It is possible that Julia or one of her sisters may have been a member of the Woman's Exchange since the article states a room was offered and accepted, rather then rented.
By 1901, the building appears to have been fully occupied. The upper floors were rented to the Central City Suspenders Manufacturing Company, the Electrus Company, which manufactured medical trusses, two dressmakers, the apartments of Dr. Stuart and Mrs. Scattergood, Dr. Stuart's dentist office and Julia E. Wood's Corset manufacturing. The Syracuse City Directory lists the occupants, but gives no indication about how the upper three floors were divided. The Wood building was freestanding when it was constructed, and there were windows on all four sides on all four floors. The abundant light, and the fact that the building had an elevator, made the upper floors especially appropriate for small manufacturing concerns.
In 1906, an advertisement in the newspaper stated that three new offices had been finished in the Wood Building and were being offered for rent either singly or en-suite. This may indicate when at least one of the apartments was converted into office space. Also in 1906, Julia, before her marriage to Dr. Brockway Billington, transferred an undivided one-half ownership in the building to her sister, Blanche Campbell, who was still actively involved in the corset company.
On April 25, 1910, Julia Wood again made a transfer of partial ownership of the building this time to her brother Ahira. Julia died on February 1, 1912 at the age of 58 years. In her will she left an estate of $18,000 (approximately $500,000 in 2016 dollars). She left $1,000 each to her husband Brockway Billington and to her sister Emma Frederick and the remainder of her estate was to be divided equally between her sister, Blanche Campbell, and her brother, Ahira Wood, who had worked with her in the corset manufacturing business from its inception. Ahira and Blanche almost immediately sold the Wood Building.
Title to the building was transferred, on April 1, 1912, to Howard K. Brown, of Brown, Curtis & Brown, a local businessman and property owner. Brown indicated in the newspaper that he was not intending to move his business into the Wood Building and the purchase was made as an investment.
The J.E. Wood & Company continued to operate from the Wood Building in space rented from the new owner. Howard K. Brown sold the property in 1924, but, once again the Wood Corset Company stayed in their rented space and continued to manufacture corsets and skirts in the Wood Building. The New York State Census, taken on June 1, 1925, lists Ahira Wood as a manufacturer, but at age 70, it appears that Ahira and his 72-year-old sister, Blanche, were about ready to close the family business. 1925 is the final time J.E. Wood & Company is listed in the city directory.
It is interesting to wonder if it was the former location of the Wood Corset Company that was remodeled as the posh speakeasy on the third floor of the building. The National Prohibition Act, which took effect in 1920, made the production and consumption of liquor illegal in all but the most limited cases, communion wine was still allowed for religious ceremonies, but bars and taverns were closed all across the country. A law that was intended to fight moral decay, instead created a huge illegal underground market and with it smuggling and prohibited breweries and distilleries sprung up to supply the growing demand for the unlawful alcohol. "Speakeasies sprung up all over Syracuse, from small backroom operations in homes to elaborately decorated upper floors in the heart of downtown."[1] The speakeasy on the third floor of the Wood Building was described as one of the most ornate in the city. "The decor was fancier then some of the
high-class lounges in existence before Prohibition. There was a long mahogany bar in front of a large mirror, cozily furnished chairs, plush oriental rugs and softly shaded floor lamps, with
private rooms off the main lounge. Prominently displayed was a menu listing 75 drinks and cocktails."[2]
On February 7, 1931, police raided the building and when they reached the third floor the proprietor, Arthur Anklin, was doing his best to dispose of the liquor. Only a few bottles remained, most was found lying in the snow on the lower roof of the adjacent First Baptist Church, which infuriated the pastor, Rev. Bernard C. Clausen. "The police also confiscated a list of the private club's "members", which reportedly included prominent local citizens."[3] Rev. Clausen demanded the police release the names of the club's members, but to no avail. The raid had taken place without a search warrant and the case was dismissed and Anklin was freed. He soon reopened the club. However, Rev Clausen was determined to rid the neighborhood of the illegal and immoral activity and to that end he encourage members of his congregation to join him in standing vigil outside the Wood Building. There they took photographs to document the comings and goings of individuals frequenting the building in the evening. Community pressure resulted in an eviction notice, but before it was carried out, Arthur Anklin hired a moving truck and in the middle of the night packed up his operation and spirited away to open his "exclusive club" in another, unnamed downtown location.
The Wood Building had multiple owners after the Wood family sold it, but it was not owner occupied again until 1965 when Anasta M. Dimovick and Lazoras K. Kozaris, who operated the Atomic Restaurant in the 209 store-front purchased the building from Robert Bersansi. All owners between 1912 and 1965 purchased the Wood Building as an investment. Today the building stands empty awaiting redevelopment. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing member of the South Salina Street Downtown Historic District for its architectural contribution to the district, but its history as a building constructed for a female industrialist at the turn of the 20th century adds to its historic significance.
[1] Dennis Connors, "Syracuse Booze Times", Syracuse New Times, Dec.18, 2013, cover.
[2] "Drys Climb in Anklin Club", Syracuse Journal, march 28, 1931, p.2.
[3] "Club Raid Near Church is Attacked as Illegal", Syracuse American, Feb. 15, 1931, p. 18.
by Cynthia Carrington Carter
The Wood Building was constructed in 1900 to house the manufacturing business of J. E. Wood & Company, corset manufacturers. The company began manufacturing corsets in 1881 in rented space 64 South Salina Street in downtown Syracuse under the name, E. J. & B. Wood. As the business grew, the company moved to 302 South Salina Street and Julia Wood took control of what had been a family business.
Julia Etta Wood was born in October 1854, one of the nine children of Ira and Mary Wood in DeRuyter, Madison County, New York, where her father worked as a farrier. Julia spent her youth in DeRuyter and in the 1880 census, she is listed as living with her parents and four siblings in the family home in the village. Julia is keeping house for the family, her eldest sister is a school teacher and her brother, Ahira, and her two older sisters are working in a corset factory. They were probably working in the corset factory in the nearby village of McGraw. The McGraw Corset Company was the largest industry in the area, employing over 400 men and women in the factory and, additionally, providing women in the area piece work to do in their homes. The family apparently took the knowledge they gained and decided to open their own corset manufacturing company, for in 1881, Ira and Mary Wood, with their son Ahira and daughters Emma, Julia and Blanche, moved to the City of Syracuse and opened a company they called the E. J. & B. Wood Corset Manufacturers. The company had an advertisement in the 1881 Syracuse City Directory with an address of 64 South Salina Street, upstairs.
Ahira Wood was the cutter, a job commonly reserved for a man in this female dominated industry, while his sisters were sewing the corsets. As the company grew, additional employees were hired. Blanche married corset cutter, Arthur Monroe Campbell in 1887 and both Blanche and Arthur continued to work in the family business. In 1888, Julia designed an improvement in corset stay construction for which she received a patent on September 25, 1888. At the time, it was very unusual for a woman to be a patent holder, so unusual in Syracuse that, although the local newspapers regularly announced new patents, the article was always titled “Men of Invention", no matter that one of the inventors was a woman. The Madame Wood Corset appears to have been a success and advertisements were placed in newspapers across New York State and, as far away as the Chicago, for "lady agents" to travel and solicit orders for the company now known as the J. E. Wood Company.
By the end of the 19th century, Julia Wood decided to purchase land and have a building constructed to house the manufacturing company. On March 19, 1900, she advertised that the
stores and offices now being constructed in the Wood Building, at 205-209 East Jefferson Street, would be finished to suit the tenants. Wood moved her company into an upper floor of the new four story brick building and rented out the two storefronts and the remainder of the upper floor space not occupied by her factory. Clinton C. Brown rented the 205 storefront and moved his hardware business from Warren Street into the new building shortly after it was completed. It is evident from the Syracuse City Directory that at least 2 apartments were created in the building. One for Dr. Anna Stuart, a dentist who rented an office in the building and the other for Louise Scattergood, who operated a lunch room sponsored by the Women's Exchange, in the 209 East Jefferson storefront. An announcement in the paper on November 6, 1900 indicated that a room in the Wood Building had been offered for the purpose of setting up a "Model Home School," which was to be the next project taken up by the Women's Exchange. The Women's Exchange was a charitable organization organized and operated by many of the first ladies of the city to assist working girls and women in Syracuse. Initially it served as a consignment market for handwork made by women in their homes. The organization grew by 1887 to provide a lunch room where working women could have their lunch, whether brought from home or purchased in the lunchroom in an exclusively female setting. It was a place of refuge in a male dominated business world, where many a single working woman was still uncomfortable. It is possible that Julia or one of her sisters may have been a member of the Woman's Exchange since the article states a room was offered and accepted, rather then rented.
By 1901, the building appears to have been fully occupied. The upper floors were rented to the Central City Suspenders Manufacturing Company, the Electrus Company, which manufactured medical trusses, two dressmakers, the apartments of Dr. Stuart and Mrs. Scattergood, Dr. Stuart's dentist office and Julia E. Wood's Corset manufacturing. The Syracuse City Directory lists the occupants, but gives no indication about how the upper three floors were divided. The Wood building was freestanding when it was constructed, and there were windows on all four sides on all four floors. The abundant light, and the fact that the building had an elevator, made the upper floors especially appropriate for small manufacturing concerns.
In 1906, an advertisement in the newspaper stated that three new offices had been finished in the Wood Building and were being offered for rent either singly or en-suite. This may indicate when at least one of the apartments was converted into office space. Also in 1906, Julia, before her marriage to Dr. Brockway Billington, transferred an undivided one-half ownership in the building to her sister, Blanche Campbell, who was still actively involved in the corset company.
On April 25, 1910, Julia Wood again made a transfer of partial ownership of the building this time to her brother Ahira. Julia died on February 1, 1912 at the age of 58 years. In her will she left an estate of $18,000 (approximately $500,000 in 2016 dollars). She left $1,000 each to her husband Brockway Billington and to her sister Emma Frederick and the remainder of her estate was to be divided equally between her sister, Blanche Campbell, and her brother, Ahira Wood, who had worked with her in the corset manufacturing business from its inception. Ahira and Blanche almost immediately sold the Wood Building.
Title to the building was transferred, on April 1, 1912, to Howard K. Brown, of Brown, Curtis & Brown, a local businessman and property owner. Brown indicated in the newspaper that he was not intending to move his business into the Wood Building and the purchase was made as an investment.
The J.E. Wood & Company continued to operate from the Wood Building in space rented from the new owner. Howard K. Brown sold the property in 1924, but, once again the Wood Corset Company stayed in their rented space and continued to manufacture corsets and skirts in the Wood Building. The New York State Census, taken on June 1, 1925, lists Ahira Wood as a manufacturer, but at age 70, it appears that Ahira and his 72-year-old sister, Blanche, were about ready to close the family business. 1925 is the final time J.E. Wood & Company is listed in the city directory.
It is interesting to wonder if it was the former location of the Wood Corset Company that was remodeled as the posh speakeasy on the third floor of the building. The National Prohibition Act, which took effect in 1920, made the production and consumption of liquor illegal in all but the most limited cases, communion wine was still allowed for religious ceremonies, but bars and taverns were closed all across the country. A law that was intended to fight moral decay, instead created a huge illegal underground market and with it smuggling and prohibited breweries and distilleries sprung up to supply the growing demand for the unlawful alcohol. "Speakeasies sprung up all over Syracuse, from small backroom operations in homes to elaborately decorated upper floors in the heart of downtown."[1] The speakeasy on the third floor of the Wood Building was described as one of the most ornate in the city. "The decor was fancier then some of the
high-class lounges in existence before Prohibition. There was a long mahogany bar in front of a large mirror, cozily furnished chairs, plush oriental rugs and softly shaded floor lamps, with
private rooms off the main lounge. Prominently displayed was a menu listing 75 drinks and cocktails."[2]
On February 7, 1931, police raided the building and when they reached the third floor the proprietor, Arthur Anklin, was doing his best to dispose of the liquor. Only a few bottles remained, most was found lying in the snow on the lower roof of the adjacent First Baptist Church, which infuriated the pastor, Rev. Bernard C. Clausen. "The police also confiscated a list of the private club's "members", which reportedly included prominent local citizens."[3] Rev. Clausen demanded the police release the names of the club's members, but to no avail. The raid had taken place without a search warrant and the case was dismissed and Anklin was freed. He soon reopened the club. However, Rev Clausen was determined to rid the neighborhood of the illegal and immoral activity and to that end he encourage members of his congregation to join him in standing vigil outside the Wood Building. There they took photographs to document the comings and goings of individuals frequenting the building in the evening. Community pressure resulted in an eviction notice, but before it was carried out, Arthur Anklin hired a moving truck and in the middle of the night packed up his operation and spirited away to open his "exclusive club" in another, unnamed downtown location.
The Wood Building had multiple owners after the Wood family sold it, but it was not owner occupied again until 1965 when Anasta M. Dimovick and Lazoras K. Kozaris, who operated the Atomic Restaurant in the 209 store-front purchased the building from Robert Bersansi. All owners between 1912 and 1965 purchased the Wood Building as an investment. Today the building stands empty awaiting redevelopment. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing member of the South Salina Street Downtown Historic District for its architectural contribution to the district, but its history as a building constructed for a female industrialist at the turn of the 20th century adds to its historic significance.
[1] Dennis Connors, "Syracuse Booze Times", Syracuse New Times, Dec.18, 2013, cover.
[2] "Drys Climb in Anklin Club", Syracuse Journal, march 28, 1931, p.2.
[3] "Club Raid Near Church is Attacked as Illegal", Syracuse American, Feb. 15, 1931, p. 18.