Dryer architectural collection
Biographical/Historical note
Firm History
The firm began with Mr. Jay J. Fay (1856-1913). Mr. Fay was a draughtsman for the firm of J. R. Thomas at 55 Arcade Building in Rochester from 1872 to 1878. He then moved to St. Paul, Minnesota. He returned to Rochester and worked at 73 Arcade Building from 1880 to 1882. He moved to New York City, returning to Rochester in 1884 where he opened his own office at 28 Osburn Building. In the same year, Mr. Otis Walter Dryer (1858-1957) was working as an architect at 104 Powers Block.
The next year, 1885, Mr. Dryer began working as a draughtsman for Mr. Fay at 28-29 Osburn Building. In 1888 the two men formed the partnership of Fay and Dryer at 25-27 Osburn Building.
The firm of Fay and Dryer moved its offices three times before it was dissolved by mutual consent in 1912. In 1892, they moved to 927-943 Granite Building. Then in 1903, they moved to 62 East Avenue, 2-4 Studio Building. Finally in 1910, they moved to 309-310 Cutler Building.
Little in the collection indicates why the firm broke up. However, O. W. Dryer opened a firm under his name in the old offices of 309-310 Cutler Building, while Jay Fay opened his own office at 343 Cutler Building. Both conducted business separately beginning in January 1913, until Mr. Fay died after a brief illness in August of the same year. Mr. Dryer then took on Mr. Fay's unfinished jobs, such as the First Presbyterian Church in Williamson.
Mr. Dryer's son, Harwood Brownell Dryer (1895-1992), began to study architecture in 1914 at Cornell University's College of Architecture. During the summers, he worked as a draughtsman in his father's firm until he graduated in 1918. He was a draughtsman for a short time in 1919 for the firm of Gordon and Kaelber before returning to his father's firm as an architect.
In 1924, the firm of O. W. Dryer moved its offices to 217 East Ave. In 1925, the father and son formed the partnership of Dryer and Dryer, which moved its offices twice before reaching its final location. In 1928, they moved to the Fitch Building at 315 Alexander St., where they designed their own office layout (See Loc. 539). Then in 1937, they moved into their residence at 2550 East Avenue, corner of Penfield Road. In 1951, O. W. Dryer retired. H. B. Dryer kept the firm name of Dryer and Dryer until his father died in 1957.
The firm of H. B. Dryer continued to be fully active until Mr. Dryer retired in 1976. Mr. Dryer was very interested in historical preservation, and he continued working on preservation projects after retirement, such as the reconstruction of the Livingston Park Mansion at Genesee Country Museum. Several years before he died in 1992, Mr. Dryer donated Claude Bragdon's architectural drawings to the University of Rochester Library, foreshadowing the placement of his own collection in the Library.
Scope and Contents
Introduction
The collection includes architectural drawings, specifications, correspondence, and business records spanning more than a hundred years.
The collection contains architectural drawings and specifications, correspondence, date books, and business papers regarding the buildings designed by Jay M. Fay, Fay and Dryer, Dryer and Dryer, and H.B. Dryer. Most of their projects were located in Rochester and in near-by communities. The drawings and specifications cover nearly the entire period of the collection (1886-1983?), while the correspondence, date books, and business records, are from about 1902 to 1989.
The buildings designed by the architects vary in type and design, but the overall specialty of the firms was churches and, to a somewhat lesser extent, schools. The firm of Fay and Dryer, however, designed many of Rochester's homes.
The condition of the collection varies greatly. While the correspondence and business papers are in reasonably good shape, there are five volumes of letter books that are difficult to read. The condition of the specifications is generally fair, but a number of them are soiled. The drawings have the greatest variation. Some are in excellent condition, particularly those drawn on linen; however, a number of drawings are torn and soiled. Those in the worst condition were photographed to save them from further deterioration.
Previously, details about the correspondence, business papers, and architectural drawings had been organized in two computer databases for researcher perusal. Updates to the finding aid system have allowed us to work these details back into this finding aid, and researchers familiar with the old search system should be assured that all effort has been made to keep all relevant details from the database during the data migration. The architectural drawings are arranged in Series V, listed by subcontractor, then job site. Please reach out to the consulting archivist with any questions you may have.
Dates
- Creation: 1886-1989
Language of Materials
English
Extent
15 box(es)
Access
The Dryer Architectural Collection is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact the Rare Books Special Collections & Preservation Department prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.
Use
In consultation with a curator, reproductions may be made upon request. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from a curator. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
In 2008, a purchase was made of a few photographs of buildings designed by the firm; a deed of the land purchased on Argyle Street in Rochester, NY for one dollar by O.W. Dryer and some personal letters written by members of the Dryer family. There is also a small unidentified portrait of a young man. The photographs were integrated into the existing collection and the personal letters and small portrait were placed in a folder after folder 39 in Box 12.
The collection was donated by Virginia Smith Dryer, wife of architect Harwood Brownell Dryer, in May, 1993. The Landmark Society of Western New York assisted in the transmittal of the collection.
Preferred Citation
[Item title, item date], Dryer Architectural Collection, D.242, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester
Arrangement
Container Overview
Box 1 - Box 11:18 Client Files
Box 11:19 - Box 11:28 General Business Files
Box 12:01 - Box 12:38 Correspondence
Box 12:39 - Box 13 Financial Files
Box 14 - Box 15 Volumes
Definitions
Schedule of hardware - a listing of the hardware to be used in a project.
Shop drawings - Contractor drawings showing a particular part of a job for the architect to approve.
Genre / Form
Geographic
Occupation
Topical
- Title
- Dryer architectural collection
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Rare Books and Special Collections staff
- Date
- undated
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- September 2023: Finding aid was updated to incorporate the indexed architectural drawing files previously listed in the Architectural Drawings Database.
Library Details
Part of the Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation Library
