Architectural salvage stores - Rochester NY thoughts

[Sinoed]

Not sure where else to put this but I stopped at two salvage stores while in Rochester, NY. A couple thoughts-

Historic Houseparts - These guys have a lovely website which has lots of items. The actual "store" is located in a red brick building and is filled with hardware to the brim. This is a good place to find authentic and reproduction hinges, handles, signs, lighting etc. Other salvage items like doors are located in a small side yard with a couple small barns. Although there are a lot of items here there isn't any real method of organization and things are piled all over the place. To be frank it's a bit of a mess. Upstairs where the windows and trim parts are could be considered pretty hazardous with random stuff jammed everywhere and pretty poor lighting. I saw a lot of items I noted on my last visit a few months ago so I'm not sure turnover is that great and prices are a bit high.

The major downside is the location - off the highway and easily located but in sketchy area. I've been twice and both times have been approached to buy drugs. My husband wasn't happy with the barns in the back which have squirrel pathways, and aren't really staffed. Anyone could walk in and do whatever they wanted back there. I would say it's probably better to order online if you're looking for something, I don't know enough about the area to say it's not safe but I didn't have a good feeling and was happy to leave.

Rehouse architectural salvage - We liked this place much better. Everything is located in a larger warehouse style store, which is spread out but well organized. You won't find as much hardware here but it's much easier to see what is available and everything is inside. Prices were much more reasonable and based on condition. The store was well stocked and staff were friendly and helpful. It has easy access with good parking at the back although construction in the area and all the detours is enough to give you fits. I'd go back to shop here again.

[Mick_VT]

Not sure where else to put this but...

you could put a review or two in the Professional Directory section of the Library if you like

[BlakeHillHouse]

Good to know! I'm within driving distance of Rochester. I need some hardware. If I go, I will make sure and take a buddy.

[eclecticcottage]

Haven't been to Historic Houseparts in years, I found the prices rather high, although they do have a lot of repop stuff if you can't find something original. There used to be a couple decent ones in Buffalo too, but I find the salvage places in WNY kind of lacking. Craigslist has been better for me, if I'm patient. Or, grabbing stuff curbside!

[Lily left the valley]

When I lived out that way, I found a lot of stuff (most of my baking stuff and some tools, actually, but I didn't need much hardware then except for some art projects) in Alfred/Andover/Wellsville.

I have no idea if any of those shops are still around (all independent, many barns on the owner's property type places.) This was back in the 90s, which I know doesn't help much because many if not all might be gone. I also couldn't tell you any names. Many were just kind of known by direction alone with the Alfred student crowd. They are loosely organized, and you'll spend some time digging through things. Some of the shop owners will know in a heart beat, though, if they have certain things despite the seeming disorganization.

If you have the time to travel down that way (it's about an hour south from Rochacha) they used to have fresh pie from local Mennonites at the Tinkerton Hardware store in Alfred Station which is still there (I just checked). Also, the Canacadea Country Store in Alfred seems like they might also still have the honeypot chocolates from the pic I found. I am not a big American chocolate person, but those are homemade with honey and so delicious. I miss them. If you want a place to catch a meal, I recommend the Collegiate (The Jet) in Alfred on Main Street. Try the cube steak sandwich if you like open faced with toast points--that was my go to back then. They have good soups too. (I think the son is still running it. He was just taking over from his father when I was still there.)

So even if you don't find anything taking a lazy drive around, at least you might be able to catch a little of what's left of fall foliage and bring home some tasty treats.

[eclecticcottage]

Huh, DH went to Alfred State for a short time in 92/93. If you get out from there a little, like Belmont, Friendship, etc it's a little more depressed and older stuff is just "old" to a lot of people-probably good curbside picking when someone does a reno. We usually hit the antique stores-there's one in Great Valley I think, where we've gotten a bunch of kitchen stuff. It's funny, we don't collect for display, we collect to use! I LOVE Ovenex, the pattern is sooo cool. We built a "mudroom" that's off the kitchen and have a lot of old kitchenware displayed/for easy access to use. Our nieces get a kick out of the juicer.

[Lily left the valley]

eclectic, your spouse and I were in Alfred at the same time, though I was at the U across the street. (Main street divided the campuses. We often joked that it was the Berlin Wall of Alfred, which wasn't quite true since we all met in the middle at the stores and eateries.) One of my cousins wound up marrying a fellow from the Buffalo area that also went to the U (before my time) after I went there. She and I grew up in southern NJ, so Alfred wasn't exactly a typical school for kids in our area. Our family found the later connection funny because when I said I was going there, everyone was like, "What school? Never heard of it."

I'm not much of a knick knack person, except for our marble collection. We have some geeky stuff like action figures, framed photos/art, and very few momentos from travels. I've never really done a display of kitchen things, though moving a lot kind of does that, you don't really move in ever, even when you live in the same place for a few consecutive years. I know it's one of the things we're looking forward to with the bungalow.

Almost all of my baking pans (save some bridal shower presents) came from all over Allegany County back then, and I still use them all. My half round cake pans are my favorite because it's just the two of us, so smaller cake if I halve a recipe helps prevent spouse from over snacking. Other bits and bobs for kitchen in general too, and the hand tools I mentioned before. We accidentally left behind my kitchenaid in one move (a box somehow got left behind), which I really miss. I'm not a fan of avocado green, but it still worked like a champ.

There were so many things I wanted to get back then (old windows, cabinets, lights, et al), but typical poor student, and constantly on the move so no place to store them, really, since I spent many summers away from my folks working elsewhere. If it didn't fit in my microbus, off to Salvo it went at the end of the year.

The county was the poorest in the state when I lived there. Yes, some of the stuff was just old, but often no less functional or cool as you well know. I am not familiar with Ovenex. I'll have to look that up.

Alfred was one of the places we actually thought about moving at one point for our "never move again" forever home. As much as I loved it there, I was too attached to the notion of being closer to Boston--which we still haven't managed to visit in the going on seven months since living here.

This hardware thread reminds me that one of the French Doors is missing bits of one of the art deco door hardware. I think we forgot to get a close up pic of it too, that I was going to use to try to find one locally.