Bates-Ryder House, Rochester New York
Col. Thomas C. Bates was a canal forwarder and railroad contractor who had married Maria Blossom. The Blossom family was one of the earliest to settle in the town of Brighton. Thomas Leighton, to whom Bates sold the property in 1875, was the owner of the Leighton Bridge and Iron Works, which he had moved to Rochester from Buffalo in 1873. This $1,000,000.00 a year business employed 200 people and specialized in railroad and highway bridges made of "American Riveted Lattice." Leighton was a director of the Rochester City Hospital and president of the City Bank of Rochester. Thomas B. Ryder was a prominent citizen and drygoods merchant associated with Sibley, Lindsay and Carr, the largest department store in Rochester.
Over-all dimensions: Forty-five feet by forty-eight feet; four bay north facade; two story main portion and three story tower and rear wing; L-shaped plan.
Floor plan; The north main entrance opens into a center hall with the music room to the west, the library in the base of the tower to the north, the living room to the east, and the rear hall to the south. The enclosed rear hall opens into the kitchen. The caretaker's quarters, rear stair, rear south porch, and dining room all open into the kitchen. The second floor rooms are similarly arranged, with three large bedrooms and a sitting room. A study is located in the tower.
