Bayberry Community History

The following letter is from the 40th anniversary, 1996
By Tom and June McCall

We moved to Syracuse from Schenectady in September 1957, to a sales engineering assignment with the General Electric apparatus sales division. We rented for a while and searched the area for affordable housing and a safe place to raise our children.

We learned of Bayberry early on from associates at work. The reports were good: safe streets for the kids, school in near future, and future community pool.

We looked at other areas, but kept coming back to Bayberry. Its looped streets, gutters, “green” areas, etc., were innovative for that era. We were told the people were friendly and there were lots of other children to play with.

We purchased a Grant model, a three-bedroom ranch, and moved in in mid-December, 1958.

Life was never dull again!

On July 4, a grand opening was staged for the sales office (now the tax office) and six model homes on Apricot Lane. The homes furnished by Chappell’s were designed specifically for the Syracuse area by Schlotz.

By May of the following year, the community had grown to 50 homes with the development of the Damson/Elderberry loop, and some houses on Blackberry Road (then Buckley Road), and Cherry Tree Circle. Utilizing the latest house designs, the builders replaced the original models with six new ones in July of 1958. These were built on Apricot and Apple Tree and subsequently on Blackberry, Bayberry Circle and the various loops adjoining Blackberry Road.