117 Rugby Avenue 

117 Rugby Avenue: A Classic 19th Ward Home

Exquisite decorative hand-carved woodwork, stained glass, leaded glass, and hardwood floors are all architectural delights that instantly catch the eye upon entering 117 Rugby Avenue of Southwest Rochester’s 19th Ward neighborhood. At the front entrance of this American Foursquare home, by way of an expansive Roman brick covered-porch, is a vestibule with artfully carved wooden coat hooks. Just past the vestibule is an L-shaped corner wooden window seat offering a cozy place to sit and wait for the school bus in the morning. Across the front hallway is the living room featuring a working fireplace with hardwood mantelpiece and a built-in bookcase on either side. Above each bookcase is a leaded-glass window.

Hardwood pillars with Corinthian style carved tops stand proudly at the entrance to the dining room. Similar Corinthian style carvings decorate the edges of the room's beamed ceiling. Square leaded glass windows grace one outside wall while on the other is a large window with built-in seat. The entrance to a spacious pantry area lies through a swinging door in the corner of the room. The kitchen is adjacent to the dining room so that food can be carried conveniently between rooms.

The home has two staircases, which meet at the landing to the second floor. One staircase begins near the kitchen and the other from the front hall. At the landing a yellow and blue stained-glass window attracts sparkling sunlight. Four bedrooms, each with a spacious closet, face the upstairs hallway. An entrance to an outside covered-porch is located off one of the bedrooms. The hallway includes a built-in cabinet and drawers perfect for storing linens. A bathroom with bathtub and shower is also upstairs.

Rugby, tree lined and sun dappled, travels between Chili Avenue and Roslyn Street. The home, built in 1903, sits on the block between Frost and Chili Avenues. The 19th Ward has the wonderful feeling of a small town in the midst of a larger city. Within short walking distance of 117 Rugby is the Arnett Boulevard branch library and the Southwest Family YMCA on Thurston Road. A full-service U.S. Post Office and many churches, including, St. Stephen’s Episcopal, and New Life Fellowship, are also only a few minutes away by foot.

Many doctors, lawyers, school teachers, college professors and students are pleased to call the 19th Ward home because of the area’s close proximity to downtown offices, RIT, the various campuses of the University of Rochester, and the airport. Each of these locations is about 10 minutes or less travel time by car. The cultural experiences and the businesses of downtown are also easily accessible via the Arnett Boulevard and Chili Avenue RTS Bus lines.

The property at 117 Rugby includes a one-car garage. The asking price for the 2,325 square foot home is $72,900 and taxes are $2,684. To learn more about the home please contact Warner Fisher of First Team ERA at 585-303-6652.

by Padraic Michael Collins-Bohrer

Mr. Collins-Bohrer grew up in the 19th Ward. He currently resides in bustling Downtown Rochester.