50-54 Main Street

Messenger/Taylor Hall block:

The Taylor Hall block is chock-full of history and stories, that it is simply impossible to cover it all here! To dive into all the events, performances, dances, masquerades, concerts, and speakers that graced the Taylor Hall stage alone would likely fill a book. Therefore, this will simply be a brief, surface-level overview.

Our hint to what this spot was first used for comes from Smith’s “History of Cortland County,” where it is described that “passing along upon the west side of Main street, the corner is reached where once stood a tavern which for several years was the principal inn of the village—afterwards converted into a female seminary and finally crumbled away to make room for the Taylor Hall block,” (p.261).

Our first sure marker on the timeline of the history of 50-54 Main Street begins with H.J. Messenger and his Messenger Hall block built in 1865.

The Cortland Standard described the building in 1928 as being the “first public hall of any distinction the town had at the time, although the Squires block on the east side of Main Street possessed a small hall where various functions were held. The general lines of the Messenger Hall show few changes today from the time that it was built with the exception of the balcony, which was removed from the front after it had served for many years for the “bally-hooing” of bands which accompanied show companies, which appeared in the old hall and for political speeches from its platform…The ground floor has always been devoted to business enterprises…the second floor devoted to offices mainly and at one time was the home of the YMCA (1869-1882) while the spacious hall on the third floor has always served for public functions, such as theatricals, sports, fairs, amusements and dancing…The old stage being located at the west side of the third floor, the butterfly type gas lights serving for both the foot and border lights, while dark colored benches with stools pressed into service for the overflows accommodated the audiences. The ticket window was located on the second floor, the present stairway leading to the hall…the famous Cortland Athletics basketball team which gained state wide reputation played many of its home games in this hall.”

Just a few years after Messenger built the hall, he went bankrupt. A deed from 1869 shows the transfer of ownership to William E. Taylor. At this point, there’s a name change to “Taylor hall.”

A notable business found in the Taylor Hall block is the book and stationary store of D.F. Wallace. Smith covers the history as follows:

“The first store in Cortland devoted to the exclusive sale of books, stationery, wall paper, and kindred goods, was that of the Apgar Brothers, which was opened in the Taylor Hall block about the close of the last war. The business was moderately successful, and in 1868 was sold to A. Mahan, an enterprising young man who had been engaged in the produce business in Virgil for several years previous. Mr. Mahan is a man of exceptional business capacity and under his enterprising and discreet management the trade of the establishment was rapidly extended and the range of stock enlarged. Musical merchandise was added, and subsequently sewing machines and other specialties. In 1870 D.F. Wallace entered the firm where he remained a member until 1874, the business meanwhile becoming largely increased. In the year last named the firm divided their interests, Mr. Wallace retaining the book and stationery branch and Mr. Mahan taking the musical merchandise and sewing-machine interest into the new building which he erected on Court Street…Since the dissolution of the firm of Mahan & Wallace, the latter has carried on the book and stationery, and wall paper business in his store in the Taylor Hall block, in which he has achieved the most flattering success, there being but two or three firms in the country who handle more wall paper than he, outside the manufacturers.” Wallace would move into the newly erected Wallace block next door around 1884/5.

In 1868, other businesses in the block included Kent & Sperry (clothing); Delos Sanders (watches & jewelry); and Mrs. C.S. Downes (millinery & dressmaking).

A burst lamp in the basement of the store occupied by Burdick & Co. (clothing) and Delos Sanders started a fire in April of 1880. Willis Brown, who occupied a room on the fourth floor was awakened by smoke, ran downstairs, and located the fire by feeling the windows and finding which was hot. He gave alarm, and the firemen from the firehouse located just a few buildings down were quickly able to quench the fire, confining the majority of the damage to the basement. The law library of John W. Suggett (who lived in our very own Suggett house museum!) in the second story was damaged to the amount of $75.

There were plans to remodel the building in 1883, but some parties in the block were dissatisfied as the building of the proposed stage would spoil their light. The plans were dropped, but the newspaper pressed that the building of a larger house would be necessary. There were additional concerns about there only being one large entrance and a smaller exit, and improper ventilation. The concerns certainly seemed reasonable providing the previous threat of destruction by fire!

Shortly after, someone must have pushed the plans through after another fire scare in May 1884. This time, the fire began in the neighboring Wallace block, and “Taylor Hall caught fire at the wooden cornice and spread into the interior a little way, burning a hole through the corner, but the firemen carried ladders into the Hall; pushed one of them through a ventilator and taking hose up into the attic had the flames quenched in a few minutes, no damage being done sufficient to weaken the timbers in the least.” Any further damage done to any of the other stores and offices and the goods within was primarily from water.

In July 1884, it was reported that “the repairs to Taylor Hall are expected to be finished in three weeks. The gallery on the north side over the hallway is being put in, the entrance to which will be by a stairway opposite the doors leading into the rear of the hall. This gallery will have seats for 200 persons, all of whom will have a fine view of the stage. The hall will, when the improvements are finished, seat about 1,000 persons.” They also added a fire escape through the neighboring Wallace block. Thank goodness!

A cyanotype from about 1891 shows the businesses of Fitz Boynton & Co. (drug store); Kellogg & Curtis (dry goods); and Collins & Daehler (clothiers).

William H. McGraw and Charles H.V. Elliott first opened their drug store in 1901 in the Wickwire building at 29 Main Street, before purchasing the Taylor hall block from Miss Elizabeth Taylor Smith in 1928. McGraw was born in Whitewater, Wis., and prior to partnering with Elliott, worked for 10 years in the drug store of C.F. Brown at 53 Main Street. Mr. Elliot was a native of Auburn and served his apprenticeship in the store of his father, J.L. Elliott, then worked for seven years in the drug store of W.J. Perkins at 54 Main Street before partnering with McGraw.

When they purchased the building, they practically rebuilt the premises at 50 Main St., and officially opened in September of 1929. In this period, the Ladies Toggery was located at 52 and the Victory Lunch occupied 54 Main Street.

Alas, this building was finally destroyed by fire May 20, 1960. The Cortland Standard described the event as “a little bit of hell” that welled up, and that the fire was “like an angry dragon.” The McGraw-Elliot Drug Store, Singer Sewing Center, and a vacant store were located on the ground floor, with the Varsity Billiards Parlor on the second. The third and fourth floors were not occupied.

It was rebuilt as two storefronts housing McGraw & Elliot, and Payne Bros. office outfitters. “The building’s one story appearance and its sidewalk canopy and metal paneled front reflect the design of the suburban shopping center of the period, which downtown was now trying to imitate.”

Sarvay Shoe Co. purchased the building at 50 Main Street from the Cortland County Chamber of Commerce in 1987, and moved the business along with the stained-glass Sarvay sign that topped the storefront on Central Ave since 1917. Here they served the community until 2014. Most recently, Seven Valley Crossfit located themselves in 50 Main before moving to the Crescent Commons, and the Deli Downtown opened in 2003 and operated at 54 Main Street for twenty years.