If you are a Warner’s Safe Cure collector, you owe it to yourself to visit the center of the Warner universe, Rochester, New York. I did so in 2001 and have written about it before in this blog. During my visit, Jack Stecher and I were able to go into the building, but found that much of the space was carved up into commercial uses and undoubtedly bore little resemblence to the hustle and bustle of the patent medicine business that flourished there in the late-19th Century. Nevertheless, the fact that this wonderful piece of Victorian architecture was still standing for us to admire was no small thing. Rochester has lost more than its fair share of wonderful buildings to the wrecking ball, including other structures associated with H. H. Warner, such as his mansion and the Warner Observatory.
I was delighed recently to find that the Warner’s Safe Remedies Building has found yet another adaptive reuse in the form of the H. H. Warner Lofts. Although I had not been back to the building to tour these new residential spaces, they appear to make wonderful use of unique architecture of this building and will hopefully ensure that it lasts for many more years.
Best of all, the developers of this project have been mindful of the significance of the building’s history and its progenitor and have included photos of Warner’s Safe almanacs and trade cards on their website. I say “Bravo” to the H. H. Warner Lofts. If I lived in Rochester, I might be considering a new address.
