ISAAC AND LUCRETIA PERRY, THE PERRY BUILDING Portrayed by Scott and Maureen Hause

I am Isaac Perry. You are surrounded by many of the buildings I designed, this cast iron building, the Courthouse, Centenary Methodist Church, now the Landmark church and the Phelps mansion down the street. I was born and raised in Keeseville, NY. I served as an apprentice to my father who was a carpenter-joiner and then I went to work for an architect in NYC. At the age of 35 I won a competition for the design of the Inebriate Asylum, which was built in 1858 on a hill east of the city. This cast iron building has been called a monument to me. It illustrates my use of technology to create large window openings. My office and living quarters were on the upper floors. My last project was to design the gates to the Spring Forest Cemetery and in 1904 my funeral cortege was the first to pass through the gates.

I am Truman I. Lacey. I came from Susquehanna , Pa. and moved to Binghamton in 1872 to work with Isaac Perry. Binghamton was experiencing rapid growth and my services were needed. Let’s look at one of my finest buildings, erected in 1904. Note the massive Romanesque arch at the entrance. I created this in the image of the company’s original emblem, a bridge spanning a river with a setting sun in the background. This design is echoed around the windows of the upper floors. Look into the magnificent ornate lobby with twin marble staircases. I am pleased that the company commissioned local artists to paint murals on the walls.

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