The Greece Historical Society (GHS) is sponsoring a Cultural Resource Survey of The Architecture of Thomas W. Boyde, Jr., Rochester’s first African American architect. The project is funded by grants from the Rochester Area Community Foundation, the Preservation League of New York State/New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), and individual donations.
Thomas W. Boyde, Jr. was a prolific designer of Mid-Century Modern homes and businesses, but also did significant work designing buildings for economically disadvantaged communities. The survey will help identify Boyde’s built work which spans across Western New York, including several houses in the town of Greece, and bring new appreciation to the work of this supremely talented architect who left a remarkable legacy in the greater Rochester area.
The project team includes: Christopher Brandt, architect at Bero Architecture PLLC; Jeffrey A. “Free” Harris, independent historian and historic preservation consultant from Hampton, VA; Katie Eggers Comeau, former architectural historian at Bero; Gina M. DiBella, preservation consultant from Greece; Jenna Huizinga, Brighton Historian’s Office intern and SUNY Geneseo student; and Alexis Rivers, research assistant.
While conducting research, the project team discovered additional drawings, correspondence, and interviews that went beyond the original scope of the project. They are now working to raise additional funds to include this new information and complete the project.
Please consider making a contribution to further the research on Mr. Boyde. Click Boyde Project to make a donation.
For more information on Thomas W. Boyde, Jr. and some of the work the project team has already completed, read this AIA Rochester article or view the Thomas W. Boyde, Jr. presentation recorded by the Greece Historical Society on April 12, 2022.
