Iconic Rochester Grain Elevator elevated in the history books

The Rochester Grain Elevator has been added to the National Register of Historic Places after more than a year of work by local historians, volunteers and city officials.

The designation not only generates the possibility of drawing visitors to the city's historic landmarks, it bolsters Rochester's image as a vibrant, contemporary community that honors of its past history.

Located in a paint-thin red barn plastered with worn ads for feed, the building looks out over the city's modern-day business district .

"It was once the center of all business and agricultural life in Rochester," Mayor Jeffrey Cuthbertson says. Today it operates as a supply store -- one of the, if not the, city's longest operating businesses, Cuthbertson says.

"I think that this is part of maintaining our historical character,"  Cuthbertson says. "I think that when people come to Rochester they feel a real sense of place. The elevator is one of those iconic buildings that contribute to that."

Groups involved in pursuing the historic designation include the Rochester/Avon Historical Society and the Rochester Historical Commission. The project has the endorsement of Lawrence Smith, owner and operator of Rochester Grain Elevator, which has been owned by his family for 55 years.

Source: Rochester City Manager Jaymes Vettraino and Rochester Mayor Jeffrey Cuthbertson
Writer: Kim North Shine