If you’re driving through the Westside of Syracuse, New York, and you come to the intersection of Tompkins Street and Milton Avenue, you might feel like your brain is short-circuiting. You look up. You see a traffic light. But something is deeply, fundamentally wrong. The green light is glowing from the top. The red light is sitting at the bottom.
It’s upside down.
Actually, if you ask any local "Stone Thrower" from the neighborhood, they’ll tell you the rest of the world has it backwards. This is the Tipperary Hill traffic light, a defiant piece of Irish-American history that is basically the only one of its kind on the planet. It’s not a manufacturing error. It wasn't a prank by a drunk city worker in the fifties. It is a monument to ethnic pride and a very specific kind of stubbornness that you only find in immigrant enclaves.
Honestly, the fact that it still exists in 2026 is a miracle of local politics.
The Night the Stones Started Flying
To understand why this light exists, you have to go back to the mid-1920s. Syracuse was a booming industrial hub. Tipperary Hill—or "Tipp Hill" as we call it—was the stronghold of the Irish. These were families who had fled the Great Hunger and British rule, bringing with them a fierce sense of identity and a very long memory.
In 1925, the city of Syracuse decided to install a standard traffic signal at the corner of Tompkins and Milton. Back then, traffic lights were a relatively new novelty. The city followed the standard convention: red on top, green on bottom.
The Irish residents lost their minds.
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To them, seeing the "British Red" positioned above the "Irish Green" was an intolerable insult. It was a visual metaphor for the occupation of Ireland. It didn't matter that it was a piece of city infrastructure in Central New York; it was a matter of principle. So, the local kids—who later became legendary in local lore as the "Stone Throwers"—started taking matters into their own hands.
They threw stones. They used slingshots. They broke the red lenses. Every time the city fixed the light, the glass would be shattered within twenty-four hours.
A War of Attrition with the City
The city was persistent, I'll give them that. They replaced the glass dozens of times. They tried to threaten the neighborhood. They tried to appeal to "public safety." But the Irish were more persistent. Eventually, the local alderman, a guy named John "Ryan" (whose name is still whispered with reverence in the local pubs like Coleman’s), realized the city was fighting a losing battle.
The maintenance costs were astronomical. The police couldn't catch every kid with a rock.
On St. Patrick’s Day in 1928, the city finally caved. They officially sanctioned the "upside down" light. They flipped the wiring, put the green on top, and the stone-throwing stopped instantly. It was a total victory for the neighborhood. It’s stayed that way ever since, except for a brief, ill-fated moment during the 1930s when the state tried to force them to change it back. That lasted about as long as a pint of Guinness on a Friday night. The rocks started flying again, and the state wisely backed off.
Is It Actually Legal?
This is the question every out-of-towner asks. "How does the DOT allow this?"
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Technically, the Tipperary Hill traffic light is a massive violation of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). The MUTCD is the federal "bible" for road signs and signals. It mandates that red must be on top so that colorblind drivers can identify the signal by position. If you’re colorblind and you drive into Tipp Hill, you’re honestly in for a stressful ten seconds.
However, the light is grandfathered in. Because of its historical significance and the fact that it’s a localized anomaly, the Federal Highway Administration looks the other way. It is a "non-conforming" signal that has become a protected landmark.
Walking the Neighborhood Today
If you visit, don't just look at the light and leave. That’s a rookie move.
Right next to the intersection is Tipperary Hill Memorial Park. It’s a tiny triangle of land, but it’s home to a bronze statue of an Irish family. The father is pointing up at the light, and if you look closely at the kids' pockets, you can see the "stones" they’re carrying. It’s a literal monument to civil disobedience.
You’ve also got Coleman’s Authentic Irish Pub just up the street. Peter Coleman, the longtime owner who passed away recently, was a custodian of this history. The pub actually has a "leprechaun door" and a direct tunnel to the local church (legend says, anyway). The neighborhood is built on these kinds of stories.
Why the Green Above Red Matters
It sounds silly to outsiders. It’s just a light, right?
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But for the people of Syracuse, especially the Irish diaspora, it represents the idea that you can fight city hall and win. It represents the refusal to be assimilated to the point where you forget your roots. In a world where every suburb looks the same and every chain store is identical, the Tipp Hill light is a glorious, confusing middle finger to uniformity.
It’s about the "wearing of the green" in the most literal, electrical sense possible.
What You Need to Know Before You Visit
If you're planning a trip to see the Tipperary Hill traffic light, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- The Location: It’s at the corner of Milton Ave and Tompkins St. Put "Stone Throwers Park" into your GPS.
- Parking: It’s a residential neighborhood. Be cool. Don't block people's driveways just to get a TikTok of the light changing.
- Safety: Don't stand in the middle of the street. It’s a functioning four-way intersection. People live here and they’re trying to get to work. They will honk at you.
- Photography: The best angle is from the park side looking north. You get the statue and the light in the same frame.
- Colorblind Drivers: Seriously, if you struggle with red-green colorblindness, just remember: the bottom light means stop here. It’s the opposite of everywhere else you’ve ever been.
The Lasting Legacy of the Green on Top
There have been rumors over the years about the city wanting to move the light to a museum and replace it with a "safe" one. Every time that rumor surfaces, the neighborhood mobilizes. You’ll see "Green on Top" stickers on bumpers all over the 315 area code. It’s not just a traffic signal; it’s the soul of the Westside.
In a weird way, it’s become a lesson in urban planning. Sometimes, the "wrong" way is the right way because it gives a place an identity. Without that upside-down light, Tipp Hill would just be another hilly neighborhood. With it, it’s a destination.
Actionable Steps for Your Visit
- Check the Calendar: If you can, visit during the Tipperary Hill Shamrock Run in March. The energy is unmatched, and the light is basically treated like a religious relic.
- Support Local: Grab a sandwich at Cashel House or a drink at Coleman's. The neighborhood survives on local support, not just sightseers.
- Study the History: Look up the "Stone Throwers" before you go. Knowing the names of the families who fought for the light makes the experience much more meaningful than just seeing a "weird light."
- Respect the Signal: Don't be the person who tries to climb the pole. You will be arrested, and the locals will not think it's funny. They protect that light like it's made of gold.
The Tipperary Hill traffic light stands as a reminder that history isn't just found in books; sometimes it’s hanging over an intersection, glowing green at the sky, waiting for you to notice that the world is a little bit different than you thought.