ROME
N.P. Dodge & Co., of Omaha, Nebraska, developed three whites-only additions in Rome, New York, beginning with the Belmont Addition in 1920, followed by the Fairfax Addition in 1925 and Lenox Addition in 1929.
BELMONT ADDITION
Lots in the Belmont Addition went on sale on 23, 1920 ①. The subdivision was comprised of 137 lots on McRae, Charles, Fairfax, Lenox, McRae, and North Levitt Streets, between West Court and West Embargo. A buyer need only present the tag corresponding to the lot of their choice and $1 as down payment to a sales agent on site to have their contract drawn up on the spot. Weekly payments of $1 were paid to a local bank, the Rome Trust Company ②, and buyers paid neither interest nor taxes for two years.
All Belmont lots were advertised as "restricted to white people and neat attractive homes ③." Nathan Phillips Dodge, President of the N.P. Dodge Corporation, signed and submitted a declaration of restrictions for the Belmont Addition that included the following racial restrictive covenant ④:
FAIRFAX ADDITION
The 157 lots of the Fairfax Addition went on sale on July 8, 1925 ⑤. The subdivision was located immediately adjacent to the Belmont Addition, comprised of Hamilton, Lenox, McRae, Nassau, West Embargo, and West Liberty Streets, bounded by West Embargo, West Liberty, McRae, and St. Mary's Cemetery. N.P. Dodge charged only $1 down and $1 a week for lots in Fairfax. Buyers paid no interest or taxes for two years, and made weekly payments at the Rome Trust Company ⑥.
All Fairfax lots were advertised as "restricted to white people and neat homes ⑦," and Nathan Phillips Dodge, signed and submitted a declaration of restrictions for the Fairfax Addition that included the following racial restrictive covenant ⑧:
LENOX ACRES ADDITION
The 227 lots of the Lenox Acres Addition went on sale in July 1926 ⑨. Located on Ardmore, Centre, Douglas, Dodge, Jarvis, and Thomas Streets, and Gifford Road, the triangular subdivision was bordered by Gifford, Jarvis, Douglas, and Thomas.
Lenox Acres was advertised as "restricted to white people ⑩,"restricted to white people for all time ⑪,"
and "restricted to desirable white people ⑫,"and the following racial restrictive covenant was included in the subdivision's declaration of restrictions as signed and submitted by Nathan Phillips Dodge ⑬:
Lots measuring 50' x 150' and facing West Thomas Street were 50¢ a week, whereas "acre lots" measuring 100' x 300' and which were just off the paved street cost 75¢ a week ⑭. Every lot was "staked and tagged with a number and price" and with a $1 down payment buyers could have their contract completed and signed on site. As in the two earlier additions, new owners paid no interest or taxes for two years.
① Rome Sentinel, 28 Sept 1920 p. 2. Accessed via fultonhistory.com
② Rome Sentinel, 25 Sept 1920 p. 3. Accessed via fultonhistory.com
③ Ibid.
④ Deed, 4 October 1938, N.P. Dodge Corporation (Deed Book 986, page 162, Records Department of the Office of the Oneida County Clerk, Oneida County, NY).
⑤ Rome Sentinel, 10 July 1925 p. 2. Accessed via fultonhistory.com
⑥ Rome Sentinel, 11 July 1925 p. 5. Accessed via fultonhistory.com
⑦ Ibid.
⑧ Deed, 1 September 1939, N.P. Dodge Corporation (Deed Book 986, page 363, Records Department of the Office of the Oneida County Clerk, Oneida County, NY).
⑨ Daily Sentinel (Rome, NY), 13 July 1929 p. 14. Accessed via fultonhistory.com
⑩ Ibid.
⑪ Daily Sentinel (Rome, NY), July 10, 1926, p. 5. Accessed via fultonhistory.com
⑫ Daily Sentinel (Rome, NY), 13 July 1929 p. 14. Accessed via fultonhistory.com
⑬ Deed, 8 June 1940, N.P. Dodge Corporation (Deed Book 998, page 378-9, Records Department of the Office of the Oneida County Clerk, Oneida County, NY).
⑭ Daily Sentinel (Rome, NY), 6 July 1929 p. 14. Accessed via fultonhistory.com
© MAY 2026
“Belmont Addition to Rome, N.Y.” (Map Book 25, page 27-A, Map Room of the Office of the Oneida County Clerk, Oneida County, NY).
“Fairfax Addition, Rome, N.Y.” (Map Book 30, page 33-A, Map Room of the Office of the Oneida County Clerk, Oneida County, NY).
