Hanover Square contains the finest and most intact collection of early nineteenth to early twentieth century commercial buildings in the city. Located on the Genesee Turnpike (now Genesee Street) and only one block south of the Erie Canal, Hanover Square quickly became a warehousing, office, and retail hub in the small but growing commercial hub that would become Downtown Syracuse. Common Council approved the designation of Hanover Square as a preservation district in 1977.