Hiram Sibley Buidling
Photographer Unknown
Where it all began…
Built in 1925, the Hiram Sibley Building stands on the southwest corner of East Avenue and Alexander Street, on the border of Rochester’s popular East & Alex district.
Named in memory of one of Rochester’s most distinguished citizens of the 19th century, the building is a stunning architectural tribute to the city’s rich history.
Co-founder and first president of Western Union Telegraph Co., Hiram Sibley epitomized the self-made man, working his way up from humble origins to become one of the wealthiest people in the region.
Born in Massachusetts in 1807, Sibley moved to western New York when he was 16. Although he had no formal schooling, he mastered five trades, including shoemaker, machinist and wool carder.
In 1843, he was elected Monroe County sheriff and moved to Rochester.
Mechanically gifted, Sibley’s true passion was electrical telegraphy, a budding technology in the mid-19th century. Instrumental in consolidating the telegraph industry, he became president of Western Union in 1856, a post he held for 17 years.
Sibley also was president of the Bank of Monroe, owner of Hiram Sibley & Co. seed supply, and a mining and real estate investor. A generous philanthropist, he funded the Sibley College of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanic Arts at Cornell University and provided the University of Rochester with its first library building.
Hiram Sibley died in Rochester in 1888. He was interred at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Built by his son Hiram Watson Sibley and designed by Shepley, Bulfinch and Abbot of Boston, the Hiram Sibley Building is a magnificent four-story brick and stone structure that features ornate carvings, grand arches, classical columns and tall windows, as depicted in this photograph from 1932.
The interior of the building has been restored to its original décor, with marble floors, vintage wallpaper, mahogany doors and an old-fashioned elevator.
A fitting neighbor of the stately edifices that line the East Avenue Preservation District, the Hiram Sibley Building replicates the Hampton Court Palace in England.
Courtesy of: Michelle Finn, Deputy Historian, City of Rochester, NY