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Elfred Bartoo Bio
| Known for his Queen Anne style of architecture, Elfred Bartoo left his definite style on many buildings in the Binghamton area. Born in Oxford, NY in 1866, he graduated from Greene high school in 1885 and later trained under architect Allen B. Brown and Audley W. Reynolds.
He is accredited with 37 structures (1886-1926) in the Binghamton area. Many of these structures have been altered or demolished. However, three churches ( First Presbyterian Church, Main St. Baptist Church, and the Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church) remain.
Perhaps his most widely known decoration in Binghamton is what is termed as the " Bartoo diamond". A diamond is created by angling the shingles. There are very few of these on Binghamton houses. Bartoo often placed second story porches and balconies over first floor porches and bays. Also, the upper porches rarely are roofed. He also designed orielled staircase landings in which the support underneath is exposed and viewable. The stone he used was different in that he used lighter and yellower than most construction stone found in the area. Bartoo chose a small block, tightly cut and fitted style. it appears to be almost unique to this architect. (See the Bayless House on 79 Main St in Binghamton). List of Bartoo’s accredited structures More information:
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