An old factory building in Syracuse was among 21 properties that the New York State Board for Historic Preservation is sending to Governor Hochul's office for possible historic status.

The nearly 200,000 square foot, five-story brick building has one extremely bizarre feature -- a house on the roof.

syracuse.com via YouTube
syracuse.com via YouTube
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The factory dates back to the late 1800s and was initially a carriage factory. The H.A. Moyer Carriage Company manufactured horse-drawn carriages years before the first Model T rolled off the Ford assembly line. When motorized vehicles gained popularity, Moyer attempted to switch gears, making "horseless carriages" one at a time, but he was no match for Ford's groundbreaking assembly line method of production. The building later became home to the Penfield Manufacturing Company, which made mattresses and box springs. That name is still plastered on the building.

The factory was purchased in 2005 by Yiorgos Kyriakopoulos for $200,000. Kyriakopoulos passed away in 2017.

The sprawling Syracuse factory is probably best known for the unusual house that sits on the roof. So what's the deal with that?

Well, some historians claim it was an advertising stunt, something to catch a customer's eye from the road. Others say it was built to conceal rooftop machinery that powered the factory's freight elevator. The "house" is more of a façade than an abode, and isn't really inhabitable.

syracuse.com via YouTube
syracuse.com via YouTube
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It remains to be seen whether this unique property will be granted historic status. For more information on sites registered as historical by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, visit parks.ny.gov.

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