Sedgwick-Highland-James Preservation District

The James Street section contains properties located on both the north and south sides of the street from DeWitt Street to the intersection of James Street & Teall Avenue. The residences were constructed primarily between 1900-1930 and reflect a variety of Colonial Revival and other turn-of-the-century styles including Spanish Colonial, Dutch Revival, Tudor, Georgian Revival and Arts & Crafts. The homes are a continuation of the grand mansions constructed on lower James Street during the nineteenth century but mostly demolished after 1950.

The Sedgwick Farm section includes Sedgwick Drive, Brattle Road, Rugby Road, Wendell Terrace, Farmer Street, part of DeWitt Street, Hampshire Road, and Burlingame Road. These residences were built primarily between 1908 and 1930, although both newer and older homes are present. The Sedgwick Farm Tract reflects a late 19th century national development trend known as the “City Beautiful” movement that was popularized by the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893. Coupled with regional and local transportation improvements, the City Beautiful ethic greatly influenced the built environment of Syracuse. Essentially a reaction against drab Victorianism, City Beautiful advocates envisioned pastoral urban settings joined by wide boulevards with extensive vegetation as part of a wider societal desire for more healthful living.

Created and controlled by the heirs of Charles and Deborah Sedgwick, the Sedgwick Farm Land Company laid out over 80 lots by 1908 (the c. 1880 residence at 100 Burlingame Road is the only property in the Tract built prior to 1908). Tree-lined streets curved gently through the area. A tennis club provided diversion for the residents. A majority of these aspiring suburbanites chose eclectic Colonial Revival styles just gaining popularity during the early 20th century. Mediterranean, Arts-and-Crafts, Prairie, and Bungalow styles were also utilized to a lesser degree. These homes featured modern kitchens and bathrooms, plus sunrooms, terraces, and porte-cocheres. Many prominent architects designed homes in the Sedgwick Tract, including Ward Wellington Ward (and his close collaborators glass designer Henry Keck and ceramist Henry Chapman Mercer), Dwight James Baum, Paul Hueber, Charles Umbrecht, James Randall, and Merton Granger.

Highland Avenue contains the oldest homes in the Sedgwick-Highland-James Preservation District. These include the Italian Villa Style homes at 213 (c. 1856) and the three Italian Villa Style homes at 205, 207, and 209 (all c. 1874). Neoclassical and Shingle Styles are also present.