▁circ us ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁The ▁brick ▁Federal ▁style ▁structure , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁fin est ▁examples ▁of ▁a ▁hotel ▁in ▁that ▁style ▁in ▁the ▁state , ▁was ▁built ▁by ▁H ach alia h ▁Ba iley ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 5 . ▁A ▁de cade ▁earlier ▁he ▁had ▁brought ▁an ▁African ▁ele ph ant , ▁Old ▁Bet , ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Origin ally ▁he ▁had ▁intended ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁animal ▁in ▁his ▁fields , ▁but ▁he ▁found ▁he ▁could ▁make ▁more ▁money ▁charg ing ▁visitors ▁to ▁see ▁Old ▁Bet . ▁He ▁later ▁organized ▁a ▁travel ing ▁men ager ie ▁that ▁began ▁to ▁include ▁other ▁animal ▁acts ▁and ▁human ▁perform ers ▁as ▁well ; ▁this ▁grew ▁into ▁what ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Ring ling ▁B ros . ▁and ▁Bar num ▁& ▁Ba iley ▁Circ us . ▁ ▁Other ▁historic ▁buildings ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁are ▁primarily ▁wood - frame ▁structures ▁built ▁as ▁dwell ings , ▁with ▁bar ns ▁and ▁other ▁out build ings ▁supporting ▁business es ▁such ▁as ▁black sm ith ies ▁which ▁did ▁a ▁th riv ing ▁business ▁on ▁turn pi ke ▁through ▁traffic . ▁The ▁presence ▁of ▁two ▁Sh ing le ▁style ▁houses ▁on ▁NY   1 1 6 ▁near ▁the ▁district ' s ▁eastern ▁end ▁sign ifies ▁the ▁time ▁when ▁sub urban ization ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁as ▁the ▁home own ers ▁were ▁wealth y ▁enough ▁to ▁afford ▁to ▁h ire ▁an ▁architect ▁rather ▁than ▁just ▁use ▁vern ac ular