by Caden Velazquez
When people think of Upstate New York, specifically Brockport, many things come to mind, such as the village, places to eat, or even the bridges. Some may not know that the village houses some of the most fantastical history of Monroe County. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries a style became known as the Victorian style. It inspired many cities and even lots of towns all over the nation until The Roaring Twenties when it was rejected.
Morgan Manning House, Caden Velazquez, September 16th 2024.
This is one of several notable historic houses in the Brockport village known as the Morgan-Manning house inspired by a classical style known as Italianate. Its history stretches as far back as 1854 when it was first built and shows off how savvy Victorians lived in an era filled with disease, the ongoing Civil War, and religion stretched so far. Brockport is also a part of the Burnover District which includes several counties of upstate and central New York all affected by an over-extended welcome of a new revival of religion. This in turn could have affected the architecture inside the village with its near eerie features.
Even with the Victorian era long since past, at least in terms of architectural integrity, historic houses such as the Morgan-Manning house still stand as it was a house lived in by members of the Morgan-Manning family for a century. The last member of the family, Sara Morgan Manning, died in 1964 after a fire broke out inside the house and consumed her at the age of 96.
Morgan Manning House, Caden Velazquez, September 16th, 2024
After all the tragedy the house had suffered through in its many years of standing, it had turned out that Sara had left behind her house to the community. As a result, a group of locals then formed the Western Monroe County Historical Society to help restore the house. Several items of furnishing and many portraits of prominent residents from the time are currently mounted on the walls as well as the ceilings having been raised. The house has since been added to the National Register of Historic Places back in 1991.
On a rather different note, while Victorian-style architecture did a lot to influence the structure of the modern-day in different cities and towns, Victorian architecture has influenced fashion that has, in turn certainly had a number on the dark fashion sense of today. Luckily for the people of Monroe County, a shop does exist where you can buy clothes much similar to the styles Victorians wore back then.
Eclipse Store, Brockport, NY, Caden Velazquez, September 16th, 2024
Eclipse Boutique is the store in question. This shop prides itself as being the largest goth shop in Western New York attracts people from all sides and counties of the state to come in and have a look around. “There was no such thing as fast fashion, but clothes weren’t mass produced,” says Steve Brown, one of the workers at Eclipse. “Maybe as far back as like, Syracuse to Buffalo as far down as supporting, so it's over a 50 mile radius.”
The type of crowd that Eclipse attracts seems to range from people completely new to the lifestyle of dark Victorian/Goth fashion or those who may be going through a rough time in life and are in need of an outlet to brood. “It brings out people who are Metalheads and Goths” says customer Gavin Podsiadlo. While many may see people who dress in this fashion as frightening, many people who dress in Victorian fashion are in fact quite nice people. “A lot of Goths actually are very happy and personable people” Steve Brown says when talking about this.
One key thing about an outfit that ties the entire thing together is the shoes. Eclipse is certainly no stranger to shoe choice as they have an eclectic collection of boots no other store in West New York has. The designs on the boots are very reminiscent of what Victorian men and women used to wear on a regular basis albeit with a slightly different theme in mind. “The boots form the foundation, because it changes your posture. It changes your height, everything about how you carry yourself” Steve Brown once more said.
From architecture to fashion and much more, the age of Victorian style is never truly dead in the village of Brockport. Whether you dress as a druidess or merely glance at it from a distance, there will always be an existence of shadows wherever you shall roam.
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