Tipperary Hill - Syracuse NY

TIPPERARY HILL
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK
In the 1820s, many Irish immigrants from
Co. Tipperary migrated to this area to
help build the Erie Canal. When the canal
was completed in 1825, the Irish stayed
knowing that Syracuse now would
become a larger town.
The Irish district mainly revolved around
the corners of Tompkins Street and
Milton Avenue. As the Irish began to
settle in they named the area “Tipperary Hill” or “Tipp Hill” in honor of the county in Ireland they had
left behind. Soon factories in the late 1800s began to be built nearby and good jobs were available to all.
In 1884, St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church was built nearby, and is still a part
of the local community today. Then in the 1920s the City of Syracuse began to
install traffic lights and did so on the corner of Milton and Tompkins. Local Irish
youths soon to become known as the “stonethrowers” were angered by the
traditional ‘red light’ positioned higher than the ‘green light’. They somehow saw
this as Britain’s dominance over Ireland. So they began to break the red light
every time it was replaced by the city. Soon the city relented and positioned the
green light on top, and the red light on the bottom. It has remained that way ever
since.
Later a park was built on the corner with a flagpole and Irish flag
installed, along with a statue honoring the “1920s Stonethrowers”.
Keep in mind that this was the same time period when Ireland
became the Irish Free State (Saorstát Éireann 1922-1937). The
descendents of the original Co. Tipperary immigrants living on
‘Tipp Hill’ took pride in knowing their Co. Tipperary had become
part of the Irish Free State.
Currently, you can attend a free Music Fest that takes place every
September. In 2011, some 18 bands came and performed, not far
from the traffic light that gave the area its notoriety. After nearly
90 years, it is the only traffic light with the “green” light on top.