Postcards & Photos
Chemung County NY
East Water Street in Elmira - Between Baldwin St., and Lake Street
The flood of 1972 devastated the downtown district of Elmira. Many dozens of the old business buildings were razed or altered. This block of East Water Street between Baldwin Street & Lake Street, retains several on the north side of the street. The south side of the street is now a park and this photo was taken from that park September 2003. 
East Water street - Block between Baldwin St. & Lake Street
Township: City of Elmira, Chemung County NY
East Water Street, north side of street
Year: 1910-2003
NOW photos Submitted by: Joyce M. Tice
THEN Postcards from Joyce's Collection
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The photo above was taken by Joan NASH O'Dell in 1996. It shows the same three buildings with the empty space to the east. On the NW corner of Baldwin & East Water, the Chemung Canal Bank stands where the Rathbun Hotel had been. The three story building on the NE corner is the same as shown in the postcard at right, but with the top story removed. It was the Iszard's Store for many decades. Views below.  The First three buildings in this postcard of East Water Street in the days of the Trolley car are the same as the ones in the top photo. In this photo you can see the old Rathbun Hotel on the NW corner of E. Water & Baldwin (rounded corner), Iszard's is on the NE corner.
At Left -  the NE corner of Baldwin & East Water giving a better view of the three story building that has four floors in above postcard. (The Old Iszard's seen again below.) Buildings can be identified by looking at the number of windows, their arrangement and shape. What first appears to be an entirely different building turns out to be the same with major changes in facade. 
The Building on the NE corner of Water and Baldwin is the old Iszard's Store shown here with all of its original four floors. 
Another view of the Iszard's Building at a later date. ( I liked it better before the renovation). The postcard maker erased the rest of the buildings on the street.
Chemung County NY

Published On 9/12/2003
By Joyce M. Tice

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