Program

NYS Historic

Subject

Arts & Culture, House, People

Location

310 W Bloomfield St, Rome, NY 13440, USA

Lat/Long

43.219577, -75.457253

Grant Recipient

Rome Art and Community Center

In 1923, Arthur Carpenter (1874-1943) and his wife Grace (1880-1966) built their home at 308 W. Bloomfield Street in the city of Rome in Oneida County, New York. At the time of its construction, it was referred to as one of the finest homes in the city (Daily Sentinel, April 28, 1923; Utica Observer-Dispatch, April 29, 1923).

Arthur and Grace both grew up in Rome and both graduated from Rome Free Academy. They married in October 1902. Arthur was an 1895 graduate of Yale and a local businessman, serving as the head of the Rome Metallic Bedstead Company, a manufacturer of iron and brass beds. In 1912, he helped establish the Rome Chamber of Commerce. He also served on the Jervis Library Association board of trustees from 1925 until his passing in December 1943. His obituary published in the December 20, 1943 edition of the Rome Daily Sentinel described a more personal side to the businessman, stating:

“This man was the quiet, retiring student, the man who loved his books, his library and his home. His happiest moments were those spent with his well-read volumes or in the fields fishing or hunting.”

His wife Grace was a lifelong patron of the arts, supporting the Rome Art League and the School of Related Arts and Science, an area art school for adults. Grace was a founder of the Woman’s Community Center and gave generously to area organizations, including the Rome Woman’s Club and Rome Hospital. She also served as a director of the Rome Home, a home for elderly women, and on the education and youth commissions of the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York. After her husband’s passing, she gave a gift of 300-acres of land in the foothills of the Adirondacks to the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York, with the property intended to be used for educational conferences. Grace passed away in March 1966 and was buried alongside her husband in the Rome Cemetery.

In late 1966, the city of Rome purchased the Carpenter House for use as an art and cultural center. As of 2024, it continues to be home to the Rome Art and Community Center, a nonprofit arts center offering art galleries, performance spaces, and a variety of programming including a pre-school, summer camp, art classes, musical events, and community gatherings.