Historic Brighton 24th Annual Meeting
& Program to Follow
- Sunday, October 1, 2023 – 2 p.m.
- Brighton Town Hall – 2300 Elmwood Avenue
- Presented by:
- Christopher Brandt
- Katie Eggers Comeau
- Jeffrey A.”Free” Harris
- Free and open to the public
Program – A Legacy Deferred:
The Architecture of Thomas W. Boyde Jr.
During the 1930s-70s, architect Thomas W. Boyde Jr. (1905-1981) designed over seven hundred projects, approximately three hundred of which are buildings in the Rochester region. Boyde was the first African American architect in Rochester, and would not have been welcome as a resident of many suburban neighborhoods where he worked.
Photo:Thomas W. Boyde Jr. Collection at Rochester Museum & Science Center
This presentation will explore Boyde’s life and his prolific career, challenges in documenting the work of African American architects practicing in the mid-twentieth century, and ways to bring new appreciation to the work of a supremely talented architect who left a remarkable legacy in the Town of Brighton, and in the greater Rochester region.
About the speakers:
- Christopher Brandt, Architect and Project Manager at Bero
Architecture, PLLC - Katie Eggers Comeau, Architectural Historian at Bero Architecture,
PLLC - Jeffrey A. “Free” Harris, Historian and Independent Preservation
Consultant

In our new Fall 2023 Newsletter issue, some of the featured topics include:
- A Legacy Deferred: The Architecture of Thomas W. Boyde, Jr.
- Tragedy on the Rails: A Fatal Subway Accident in Brighton
- Rocks of Ages: Recycling History
- Merchants of Monroe – Mario Daniele & Family
Genealogy Resources – NEW!
Access an extensive set of links and other online resources to explore your own genealogy! Compiled by Kory Yerkes, Media, Network, and Volunteer Services Manager at the Brighton Memorial Library and the basis of her recent presentation to Historic Brighton members.