On hot holidays, like July 3, 2020, locals head to The Log Cabin and the Falls. You either spectate from a perch on the porch, patio, or the rocky bed of Tonawanda Creek, or you jump right in. This ritualistic frivolity occasionally raises concerns or hackles, and the authorities are called. Like every week. The sheriff’s department, so we are informed by the indefatigable staff of The Batavian, has a special rig and rope team at the ready (for dispatches like this: “Man down in Indian Falls, bleeding from the head, water rescuers called.”). On July 3, before your correspondent... Continue reading

This is another in our occasional series of decoding Buffalo postcards. Today, in honor of the Independence Day holiday, a detail of a colorized postcard c. 1906 showing Buffalo on the eve of, likely, July 4th, and at its peak in the hierarchy of American cities. It is one of our favorite views of the city. The artist Childe Hassam made his living painting similar scenes of New York City 10 years later. Based on a photograph, the image is unusual for its elevated perspective in the middle of a busy street, and rich in information. To wit: Ellicott Square,... Continue reading

"Seven Reasons," (c.1959) a slide image taken by an employee of the Buffalo Department of Planning documenting pre-Urban Renewal conditions. The photograph in all probability is on the Lower East Side. The pencilled title, on the slide's paper frame, is indicative of the notion, at least among some bureaucrats, that, in order to give these children a better life, their homes and neighborhood had to be destroyed. Besides the enormous social toll, that cost Buffalo thousands of historic structures and businesses, including those listed in various editions of the Green Book, which The Campaign for Greater Buffalo is documenting. The... Continue reading

Buffalo, like so many American cities, still has wounds and physical defects dating from the Urban Renewal era. Massive demolition programs claimed thousands of irreplaceable buildings. Many sites are vacant to this day (camouflaged, if you will, by parking lots). When new structures were built, they were often built with ignorance and disregard for how humans behaved and cities succeed. Thus, in Buffalo, we erected buildings with long stretches of blank walls, which suppressed sidewalk activity and destroyed the contiguity which made walking useful and pleasant. Jane Jacobs, in Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961) pointed this out.... Continue reading

First page of architect-author-illustrator Yen Liang's 1958 book The Skyscraper. Jane Jacobs saw this as the very picture of urban health, equity, and functionality. Author Yen Liang saw it as a menace to health and property values that had to be destroyed in order to build a new, clean, and ordered city Trigger warning: this article contains soul-crushing depictions of the American City. Look at images of street scenes any American City around 1900. Look at that city today, and you are likely to see a selection of glorious masonry architecture intermixed with glammy office buildings (in larger cities) and... Continue reading

Frank Lloyd Wright's Heath House, viewed from Soldiers' Circle. The Buffalo Common Council withstood many attempts to landmark Frank Lloyd Wright's Heath House and Davidson House over the last 20 years, but on March 17, 2020, faced with a court order won by The Campaign for Greater Buffalo History, Architecture & Culture, it quietly approved designating both prairie-style houses as City of Buffalo landmarks. They had long been on the National Register of Historic Places—as long as their lack of local recognition was a civic embarrassment. The Campaign mounted several attempts to get them landmarked, but each was thwarted by... Continue reading

On a bitterly cold day, the Ernest Franks House at 184 West Utica Street was demolished at the behest of developers Nick Sinatra and partner William Paladino. Despite being approved by Preservation Board for landmarking, Buffalo Mayor Brown approved the demolition The Ernest Franks House, a piece of Buffalo's cultural patrimony, was willfully destroyed on Thursday, February 27, 2020, less than 36 hours after the Buffalo Preservation Board voted unanimously to designate it as a local landmark—which would have made demolition much more difficult—and send it to the Buffalo Common Council for final approval. A full description of the house... Continue reading

The Campaign for Greater Buffalo is holding a rally to save the threatened Ernest Franks House at 284 West Utica St., Buffalo on Saturday, February 22 at 9:00am. We'll have information on the house, explain the demolition request for a too-big Sinatra-Paladino townhouse development, and what citizens can do. You can download the flyer and our newsletter on the Franks House: Download Save Franks House Download Greater Buffalo #28.1.02131515 Continue reading

The Ernest Franks House at 184 West Utica Street is a rare Flemish Revival style house, and perhaps the first house designed by noted architect Albert Schallmo The Campaign for Greater Buffalo has filed a City of Buffalo landmark application to protect a rare Flemish Revival style house at 184 West Utica Street in the Elmwood West National Historic District. Sinatra Development, which owns the house and an adjoining parking lot, has applied for a demolition permit for an 18-unit townhouse development that it is partnering on with Carl Paladino's Ellicott Development. Neighbors and concerned citizens opposed to the demolition... Continue reading

The Squier Mansion, 2003, during restoration. A lot of things and people go into a successful campaign to save a building. This is Tim Tielman's eyewitness account, based on notes, legal documents, and media stories, of the saving of one landmark, Buffalo's Squier Mansion. It had been a concern of preservationists for over a decade, and came to a head in one day, December 21, 2001. Between 10:00am and 4:50 pm, building on the work and hard-earned reputation of an organization of dedicated citizens with many other victories to its credit, and with the unhesitating aid of others, an attempt... Continue reading

Beth Kauffman, center left, and Meg Robinson-Albers received the inaugural President's Award for service to Buffalo preservation from Campaign for Greater Buffalo President Paul McDonnell, right. Campaign Executive Director Tim Tielman, left, joined them on the staircase of the Herbert Hewitt House at The Campaign's 2019 Solstice Party The Campaign for Greater Buffalo History, Architecture & Culture recognized three board members for their long-time service to preservation and the City of Buffalo at its 2019 Solstice Party, held at the Herbert Hewitt house on Lafayette Avenue. The inaugural President's Award, was presented by Campaign President Paul McDonnell to Campaign board... Continue reading

Buffalo Common Council refused three times to act on landmark designation of Frank Lloyd Wright's William Heath House on Soldiers Circle. A judge has ordered it to act in accordance with the city's Preservation Ordinance, a victory for The Campaign for Greater Buffalo The Campaign for Greater Buffalo History, Architecture & Culture has won a significant court decision to protect two houses designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The William Heath House, on Soldiers' Circle, and the Walter Davidson House, on Tillinghast Place, must be voted on for local landmark designation by the Buffalo Common Council, rather than thrown in a... Continue reading

Buffalo architectural masters Williams Lansing and Max Beierl designed 619 Lafayette Avenue for rubber and brass baron Herbert Hewitt, who moved in in 1898. It will host the 2019 Solstice Party of The Campaign for Greater Buffalo on December 21. The Campaign is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the launching of the legal battle to save the Canal District and its 2019 campaigns and victories. The Campaign for Greater Buffalo and Executive Director Tim Tielman are hosting their annual holiday party for preservationists and friends on Saturday, December 21, 2019 from 4:44pm—sundown on the shortest day of the year—to 7:44pm... Continue reading

One of Black Rock's landmark buildings, 399 Amherst Street, is endangered. Quick action by The Campaign for Greater Buffalo has averted demolition, at least for now, of a distinctive, center-towered commercial and residential building designed and built by Wladislaw Zawadzki, perhaps Buffalo Polonia's most notable designer of the early 20th century. The building was to be the subject of a demolition application review at the city Preservation Board on Thursday, November 21. The Campaign for Greater Buffalo learned of the endangerment when the application was posted on the city's website on Friday, November 15, and posted a notice on its... Continue reading

Young Pioneer: Ev Janish poses in of 265 Yorkshire in the summer of 1954. Her parents bought a new ranch house in the mammoth Pearce & Pearce development of Green Acres in the Town of Tonawanda The staggering archives of house builders Pearce & Pearce—including over 4,000 file folders stuffed architectural renderings, paint specifications, finishing options, costs, sale prices, and more, plus hundreds of blueprints–saved through the efforts of Campaign for Greater Buffalo Executive Director Tim Tielman in 2017, have now been digitally indexed by The Buffalo History Museum, where the invaluable collection resides. Tielman first laid eyes on the... Continue reading

It only took 27 years, but the complete reconstruction of Buffalo's Canal District is within sight. Governor Andrew Cuomo initiated a contest last February to develop concepts for the future of the Skyway. The competition was overseen by the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC). On September 17, a winner was chosen that clears the path for the reconstruction not only of the Canal District, but other neighborhoods and streets as well. The central idea was to remove the northern viaduct of the Skyway, the Thruway interchange, and the on/off ramps, freeing up acres of land to reconstruct neighborhoods and connections... Continue reading

Postcard with colorized Terrace Park, 1902. North is to the left, south to the right. This is a detail from a 1902 panorama of the city. The original park extended four blocks farther south, but was abandoned by the city for tracks and a station built by the NY Central, seen in the middle of the illustration. POSTCARD FROM BUFFALO: TERRACE PARK 1902. Buffalo's very first public park—going back to Joseph Ellicott's original 1803 survey and platting of New Amsterdam—was The Terrace Park. It ran from Seneca Street northwest to where Court and Jackson Street intersect today. Topography argued for... Continue reading

From Skyway to Skywalk: Campaign proposal preserves the main Skyway spans, the southern viaduct, and the Outer Harbor Embankment to create a new walking and bike artery that doubles as a recreational amenity offering great views of the city, rivers, and Lake Erie. The Campaign for Greater Buffalo has, since its founding, supported removal of the Buffalo Skyway and its interchange with the Thruway. In 2007, it issued an illustrated concept called the Skywalk to mitigate the damage the bridge caused and allow reconstruction of the Canal District, Terrace Park, and the historic neighborhoods around them. The Campaign is working... Continue reading

POSTCARD FROM BUFFALO: WILLIAM STREET NEAR KRETTNER C. 1910. The subject of this postcard is probably the newly constructed Savoy Theatre, which, in 2019, stands in a long-derelict state. Of special interest is the classic commercial-residential wooden structures and the continuous strip of display window along the sidewalk. There are two display cases projecting onto the public sidewalk, one housing a mannequin in a fancy dress at the Slotkin clothing store—much like a cigar store indian—and one in front of a retail space in the Savoy building. Streets such as this provided a person walking along with a new display... Continue reading

The Campaign is fighting together with neighbors to save the Meidenbauer House at 204 High Street in the Fruit Belt, just as we successfully fought to create the High Street Historic District, of which the Meidenbauer House is an integral part. The house has been owned by the city for 14 years, during which it has done nothing to maintain the building, now it wants to demo it. Councilmember Darius Pridgen also wants it demolished. City reaction thus far has been to issue another Request For Proposals (RFP), and effort it would seem destined—if not designed—to fail. It is unclear... Continue reading

As you know, The Campaign for Greater Buffalo and its members were instrumental in saving Buffalo's Canal District in an epic effort that culminated in a March 2000 federal court decision and order that opened the way to saving, rather than destroying and burying, the Commercial Slip, Central Wharf, and the surrounding streets. We've led that effort ever since. In 2016, we unveiled our own plan for development of The Canal District (please don't call it Canalside, a fakey-commercial name decided upon by a former publisher of the Buffalo News). To refresh your memory, or to make first acquaintance, here... Continue reading

There is no better way to learn about Buffalo than to travel around and about Buffalo with the experts of The Campaign for Greater Buffalo History, Architecture & Culture. They have the Open-Air Autobus, a mobile classroom and part of The Campaign’s Learn About Buffalo outreach— the best way to see, hear, and smell Buffalo (toasted oats, chicken wings, charcoal-grilled hot dogs!). The Campaign is Buffalo’s most dynamic preservation organization. Our trips reflect our character: Passionate, lively, and knowledgeable, led by experts who love exploring the world around them.Our trips are built on 30 years’ worth of architectural and historical... Continue reading

Electric scooters: A boost to urbanism or a danger? Governor Andrew Cuomo has just vetoed a bill that would have legalized electric bikes and scooters for use on public roadways and paths in New York State. The governor claims he vetoed the bill because there was no requirement that riders wear helmets, but there are other reasons for concern. The E.U. has a top speed of 20km/hr (12mph) for e-bikes, which is sound, while the U.S. federal limit is 20mph, which is too fast for most riders and conditions for safe operation. The New York bill did nothing to address... Continue reading

Campaign for Greater Buffalo proposes revealing original Arsenal portal by demolishing utilitarian 1940's addition, and creating a large square on William Street, the sunny side of the building. It would be used as a community center The Buffalo Public Schools, in collaboration with the City of Buffalo, are looking for a field house. Cannon Design has been hired to develop proposals. A public input session was held on December 11. That's when it got complicated. Read about The Campaign for Greater Buffalo's response to building on parkland, and ignoring transit-oriented development, community revitalization, and historic preservation. Download Greater Buffalo #26.3Armory... Continue reading

The Administration of Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz is about to cost downtown Buffalo 437 jobs and all the economic and social consequences that entails. The Buffalo News on August 13 reported an announcement by a deputy county press secretary that the county is moving the Department of Social Services employees from their long-time home at one of the most equitably accessible locations in Erie County to the out-of-the-way and failed Appletree Mall on Union Road at Bennett Road in Cheektowaga. Prior to 1985, the mall was known as the Como Park Mall, and struggled almost from the day it... Continue reading