Near Westside, Syracuse

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The Near Westside is one of the oldest Syracuse neighborhoods. In the early 1900s there were many wealthy families, including the Mayor of Syracuse, living along West Onondaga Street in many very large homes. A beautiful fountain with many statues was located at Onondaga Circle, the junction of West Onondaga Street and Delaware Street. Streets like Delaware Street were lined with large elm trees and large beautiful homes.

Along the borders of the neighborhood were many factories that employed many neighborhood residents such as the Franklin Automobile complex along Geddes Street (current location of the George Fowler High School) that produced luxury air cooled cars from 1904 to 1934. There were typewriter factories, machinery factories and a large railroad yard along West Fayette Street. Irish families who settled in the neighborhood were attracted to St. Lucy's Catholic Church.

Until the year 1886 the western boundary of Syracuse was Geddes Street. All the land west of there was either in the Village of Geddes or the Town of Geddes. In 1886 the Village and parts of the town joined Syracuse. Major Burnet gave the land now known as Burnet Park to Syracuse in that same year on the condition that the city spend at least $6,000 per year for several years to build roads and to plant trees on the land.

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