Oswego & Vine: Streets at the Crossroads of History

We acknowledge that our building stands on the traditional land of the Onondaga Nation. It was on the  nearby shores of Onondaga Lake that the Onondaga and other local Nations joined together centuries ago to form the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. You can learn about the culture and traditions of the Onondaga at  the Ska-nonh Great Law of Peace Center.

Leonard Sharrer ran the store on First Street that his father founded in the late 1800s. in 1910, he decided to build a house of his own at the corner of Oswego and Vine St., on the site of a former oyster saloon. He built the house himself using materials ordered from a Sears catalog and moved in with his wife Flossie and their son Gerald.

Gerald Sharrer was blind, but he didn’t let that hinder his entrepreneurial spirit. He went on to sell insurance and opened a variety store of his own on Tulip St. (the building still stands next to Liverpool Library). His enthusiasm for communication tech prompted Gerald to advocate for accessibility. Thanks to him, the ARRL produced their amateur radio handbook in braille for the first time, ena

In 1927, Dr. Robert Hagen bought the house and moved in with his wife Elsa along with their 2 daughters, Avis and Joan. Dr. Hagen had his office on the first floor of the house and made house calls throughout the area as well. He was also heavily involved in many local community organizations in Liverpool.

After the passing of Dr. and Mrs. Hagen in the late 1960s, the building became the home of an insurance company for several decades. It was then sold and renovated in 2015 and housed several business including an ice cream shop and salon. Now, under new ownership, we look forward to the exciting stories come in this place of such rich history.

To learn more about the Village of Liverpool’s notable history you can visit Liverpool Public Library’s local history page: https://www.lpl.org/research/liverpool-ny/