Aunt Edith's
Photo of two men standing outside Aunt Edith’s lunch counter taken during the 1950’s and retrieved from the Beauchamp Collection at the Onondaga Historical Society
Photo of a young man and woman outside Aunt Edith’s taken during the 1950’s and retrieved from the Beauchamp Collection at the Onondaga Historical Society. The man is atop a bike
Photo of four young people outside Aunt Edith’s taken during the 1950’s and retrieved from the Beauchamp Collection at the Onondaga Historical Society
Known Name(s)
Aunt Edith's
Address
601 1/2 Harrison St. Syracuse, NY 13202
Establishment Type(s)
Restaurant
Physical Status
Demolished
Description
601 1/2 Harrison St. was a one-story cinder block building according to Sanborn maps. Photos show a brick veneer on the front with large display windows and a central inset door.
Detailed History
Aunt Edith's was a lunch counter described in contemporary photographs as "the Heart of the 15th Ward" in Syracuse. It was a popular hangout spot for young men and women until the building was destroyed with the creation of Interstate 81. The 15th ward was described by the Onondaga Historical Society as "a refuge from discrimination" in Syracuse. In 1950, during the middle of the Green Book's publication run, 8 of every 9 Black people in Syracuse (4,000) lived in this area of Syracuse. During the early 1960s, over 27 blocks of the 15th Ward were targeted for demolition by Syracuse's Urban Development program, which replaced the thriving community with the current landscape. At some point prior to being torn down, the restaurant became known as Althea's Chicken Inn. It was referred to as such in a 1958 Syracuse Post-Standard article which described a burglary at the restaurant by three young men.
