Slow news day over here, so I’d just like to post a little historical information about RIT, which you may not know, was originally located in the 3rd Ward/Corn Hill. They probably weren’t the best stewards of the neighborhood (famously buying up houses and tearing them down for parking). But they are inextricably linked with the area’s history, and only made the decision to move once it was clear most of thecurrent campus would be torn down for I490.
I’ve attached an image of the campus map from 1957 as well as a photo of a row of fraternity houses. I would love help identifying the location of the frat houses. I have the sneaking suspicion that they were on Clarissa St. and were all torn down shortly after RIT left, but if anyone can help locate them (they’re pretty distinctive), please let me know.
Many of the houses associated with RIT were on Troup Street and would be found where the ramp from Plymouth Avenue to 490 now sits. At least that was the fate of the last downtown Student Union.
Can’t believe what a parking shitshow that map portrays already in 1957. Hardly anyone even had a car back then by today’s standards. Compounding, that was a downtown district!
BTW, here’s the gold mine I used when I was writing about that. https://ritdml.rit.edu/handle/1850/3581
Every RIT student news magazine from 1951 to 1972!
Never Forget
http://hellskitchen.org/gdt/
Wow guys! Somehow I completely missed these comments. This is incredible. I’m going to have to spend some real time digging for more photos and such. And GDT – oh yeah!
It’s surreal how much parking there ‘needed’ to be by 1957. It goes to show just how elite something like the school was vs. say the GM plant at driving park. In 1957, the subway had only been closed for a year – and it stopped right at RIT. That’s just crazy.