INTRODUCTION

"At that moment I felt much as Noah might have felt when he first beheld the rainbow from the sky." (Claude Bragdon, More Lives Than One, 1938, page 167)

 With these words, Claude Fayette Bragdon described his satisfaction at the moment the first of the roof trusses was erected over his architectural masterpiece, the New York Central Railroad Station of Rochester, New York.  After four years of involvement in the project, Bragdon could still feel the thrill of his creative work. In many ways, the words also describe Bragdon's love affair with life in general, as witnessed by his forward-thinking mind, his quest for spirituality, his family life and friendships and his determination to push the boundaries of architecture, art, theater and philosophy. Claude Bragdon gave the Rochester area some of its most intriguing buildings, several of which, (although unfortunately the train station is not among them), remain standing for all to enjoy. This story is about the man and his architectural legacy in Rochester.