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Eastman Dental Dispensary
Rochester
threat: demolition by neglect; legal challenge to local landmarking
The Eastman Dental Dispensary,
built in 1917 by George Eastman of the Eastman Kodak Company, contributed
significantly to the improvement of dental hygiene in America and
Europe, and was also the first school in the United States licensed
to train dental hygienists. The design of this brick Italian Renaissance
Style landmark inspired similar buildings in Stockholm, London,
Rome, Paris and Brussels. Four of the five still function as originally
intended. Rochester's dispensary has been vacant for about twenty
years, and it now faces the threat of demolition by its current
owner to make way for a fast food restaurant and “big-box” store.
The dispensary is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
and a designated local landmark. Its local landmark status requires
the owner to obtain approval for its demolition. The local preservation
commission denied the permit, and the owner filed suit against
the city under Article 78 of the state civil code, claiming the
commission's actions were arbitrary and capricious. The future
of this internationally significant building must be secured.
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