41 & 41 ½ Madison Street
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This Romanesque Revival style home was constructed around 1890 by local builder, Nicholas Brayer, as his home. Brayer was a prominent contractor who built the Court Street Bridge, and was especially active in the improvement of Rochester city streets. In 1872, he was elected Republican Supervisor for the Eighth Ward, and in 1877 he served as School Commissioner for the Fifteenth Ward.
The house’s appearance suggests that it was originally built as a double house, for two families. Its unique design combines the Queen Anne complex roof line, projecting bay windows, and use of varied materials, with a Syrian arch and the rusticated stonework of the Richardson Romanesque Style. This architectural style was popularized and named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson. In 1870, he created and designed the Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane, which is now called The Richardson Olmsted Complex. |