City Living: Bryant Street + St. Georges Square

by Ellen Mika Zelasko | Jun 4, 2021 | Buffalo History, Buffalo People, Hikes in Buffalo, Homes in Buffalo

After I wrote the post about Norwood Ave, I received an email from a reader asking me to write about Bryant Street. It was already on my list, but that email made me put it on the actual schedule. This is why I love getting your emails!

So I set out with a friend to take a morning walk around the Elmwood Village and to check out Bryant Street up close. I admit, driving it is usually how I see it. Which we all know means I don’t really see it.

Bryant Street runs between Main Street and Richmond Ave. I’m going to concentrate on the section between Delaware and Elmwood. I’m not even going to discuss the former Women and Children’s Hospital Building or the new build at the northeast corner of Bryant and Elmwood. Mostly because there is so much going on this street, that I have to limit what to talk about.

That’s probably the hardest part of my job as a blogger. Deciding what not to talk about. Almost every time I publish a post, someone will contact me with additional information about the subject. Most of the time (not always!) I already knew about the info, but had to choose not to include it, because I am under no illusions here.

Basically, if the post is too long, no one will read it. Not joking.

Back to Bryant

Anyways, back to Bryant Street. Bryant has quite a collection of homes from the late 1800s, which is relatively old as the Elmwood Village goes. It’s also got a cul-de-sac that was added in the 1950s with newer homes built between 1956 and 1962! Which is relatively new as the Elmwood Village goes. There are E.B. Green designed apartment houses too! And finally, we’ll visit a family we’ve visited before, back in September of 2020. Come hike with me.

Let’s Take a Look

The corner of Delaware and Bryant is anchored on both sides by apartments, and the addresses are both on Delaware. Both appear to be nice places to live. They’re on one of Buffalo’s best streets in the middle of Millionaire’s Row. The building on the south side of Bryant is simply called 900 Delaware, pictured first. The building on the north side is called Bryant Apartments, shown in the second grouping.

Lovely, both of them. The landscaping at 900 Delaware is stunning and park-like.

At the Bryant Apartments, the wrought iron hooks me! And those lions facing Delaware, wow!

More Homes Along Bryant

There is some question as to when this home (below) was built. The city has it at 1850, but the Elmwood Historic District Registration Application lists it as 1877. That’s a big difference. Makes me wonder if the 1850 home was torn down at some point, and this home built? Real estate ads list it as 1850. Either way, this home has now been broken up into apartments. But you can see what a lovely one family home it must have been. The exterior retains all of the charm of the late 19th century.

According to an article in the Buffalo Courier in March of 1907, E.B. Green purchased this house “to be used as a home”. Regular readers of the blog will recognize that name as one of Buffalo’s most well respected and prolific architects of his day. Cool. I always love to see the kind of homes an architect would choose to purchase.

Please note that I don’t know for sure that ‘the’ E.B. Green moved into this home himself.

And this one, below. Isn’t it great with that bay window that flows right from the first floor into the second floor, in the mansard roof! Sweet. I also really like the window next to it. How unusual!

Next – E.B. Green – Again!

And just across the street are these. When my friend and I came upon them, we were absolutely enchanted. I mean, come on! These are the stuff secret garden stories are written about!

I love everything about these. Including the fact that when I went home, I did a bit of research and learned they were designed by E.B. Green in 1916! It shows. They’re spectacular. And I wonder who does the landscaping – that’s what really makes these stand out. Although, the landscaping provides quite a bit of privacy, you’d really never notice them unless you were on foot!

They were built as townhomes, and all three are still fantastic today! I especially love the wrought iron and the entryways. They make me want to go inside!

Moving Right Along

This home, below, is a double – having separate addresses.

There are a couple of familiar names associated with this house. Buffalo Attorney William B. Hoyt Sr., for one. I found evidence that he was living here in 1894. But here’s another discrepancy. Buffalo city records list this house as being built in 1896. Maybe those records are not exactly accurate, sometimes they’re off a bit, depending on recordkeeping and tax records etc.

Check out this tower with its conical roof and detailing! Lovely!

Also associated with this home is the Hascal Taylor family. Hascal Taylor was the man who commissioned Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan to design the Guaranty Building. But Taylor passed away just before the actual building began, in 1895. The Guaranty Construction Company (the builder who was hired to build it) secured financing and went ahead with construction. Lucky for us they did. Can’t really imagine Buffalo without it!

Anyway, the Taylor family, including Hascal, his wife Louise and three children, Kate, Emory and Jessie, at one time lived on Delaware Ave. However, by 1911 all three children were living in this home on Bryant. Louise had passed away by then as well. Kate passed away in 1911, and Emory and Jessie both followed her in 1913, just a couple of months apart. What a sad story!

And More

This home, below, has an interesting story. One couple who lived here was Mr. & Mrs. John R. Munroe. They came to Buffalo in 1850, from Coniston, England. This home was built in 1900, but it is unclear whether they actually built the home. You see, John was in the construction business, and built many of the Delaware Mansions. So he lived very close to all the homes he helped build. Cool.

When Mrs. Munroe passed away in 1907, the pair were the only living charter members of Westminster Presbyterian Church, which was founded in 1854!

This home, below, was built in 1870! It was listed for sale in 1874, stating that it was nearly new, had marble fireplaces, gas lights throughout, a parlour, a sitting room, library, a large dining room, a kitchen and a wood shed on the first floor, and six sleeping rooms upstairs. Also, a ‘splendid well of water’, and a basement under it all. Sweet!

The lot was listed as ‘102 foot frontage, 192 feet deep with all kinds of the choicest fruits growing’. There’s something you wouldn’t see in a real estate ad today!

Also, if this lot was that wide in 1874, it would make sense that this was the first home in this little section. There are three other homes that are probably also on the original lot, which were sectioned off and sold at some point. Very, very interesting.

Next, below, which I believe to be on the original property of the Monroe family, is interesting indeed. This is where my friend said, “I have never even noticed the driveway, or the garage! I need to slow down and start noticing things!” This is why walking is good. You see more!

It’s at this home that I met Jill, who has lived here for eighteen years. She loves the house, and the neighborhood. She says the garage addition was added in the late 1950’s or possibly 1960. I’m sure it’s a very convenient addition to the home! Love your rock collection, Jill!

And These Three

This is the last home on the north side of the street, above, before running into the former Women and Children’s Hospital, which was moved to the Medical Campus on Ellicott Street and renamed Oishei Children’s Hospital. The former hospital is slated for massive renovations, including residential, educational, retail, hospitality and public spaces. The Elmwood Village and the residents of Bryant and Hodge Streets await this project moving forward.

Crossing the Street

Crossing the street at Oakland Place I notice a home on Bryant, to my left, below. I’ve never noticed this house before. It’s a double that appears to be in fantastic shape. It’s got everything you could possibly want, including that upper deck to watch the sunset while grilling up something scrumptious. Just sayin. It’s a great house!

This home, below is actually on Oakland Place and is almost completely private thanks to the trees!

Across Oakland Place is a home that has it’s address on Bryant Street, according to the city. But used to have an Oakland Place address, and appears to still have that address affixed to the home. It’s visible in this photo below. To me, it faces Oakland Place, and I believe it’s the address that is currently being used. Not sure why this kind of thing happens, but I’ve seen it before. It is a beautiful home, yes?!

And a set of triplets, below. I’ve seen this before too, where there are three homes built in a neighborhood like this, and they’re all the same house. Executed somewhat differently, but essentially the same. Take a look. All three are very well done and have been maintained well!

Next Up, Two Apartment Buildings

I would live in either of these. Reminiscent of New Orleans, these apartment buildings are fabulous. They’ve both had their porches restored, and they’re magnificent! Yes, I’d live in either one, but only if I could have one of the front apartments that include a porch! You all know how I love a good porch! And these are some of the best in Buffalo!

Of course, the view from these porches is the old hospital. Would have been okay back in the day, but now? Not so much. (Let’s go Ellicott Development Company and Sinatra Real Estate.)

And Three More

This first one is having work done on the porch. It seems they’re having structural issues. I like to see a homeowner taking care of this kind of thing before it’s too late to save it. This is a great home, curious little railing over the second floor window. Love the shingles and detailing on the peak. The landscaping is pretty nice too!

This one is pretty, below, but I wish we could see more of it. I like the large eaves, and look at the details above the double hung window. Beautiful!

And this one, below, is intriguing. I love the wrought iron, especially on the windows at the front. From the street, the (former) openings on the side of the building itself don’t appear to have been wide enough for carriages, but then, what are they? And if they were originally for carriages, why four of them in addition to the two garages?

After a little research, I found that this home used to be a dress shop which opened in 1928. It was Tucker’s Dress Shop, owned by Frank Tucker. The openings were most likely display windows! The shop catered to ‘a higher class’ according to their advertisements and held their own with the likes of the JN Adam Co., The Sample Dress Shop, and Flint & Kent. Cool!

I’d love to time travel to shop in any one of those stores in 1928. When, oh when, will time travel be a thing?!

This is the last home on the street before Elmwood Ave and is across from a new, mixed-use building going up on the northeast corner of Bryant and Elmwood. I like the look of the plan for this building, but I’m not sure the Elmwood Village needs many more of these. Time will tell.

Now, let’s get to that family I mentioned at the beginning of the post.

The Goodyears

Back in September of 2020, I wrote a post about the Goodyear Mansion on Delaware Ave. Bryant street is just around the corner from that home/turned school/now turning into an apartment building. Here on Bryant, we’ve got the chance to meet up with our old friends the Goodyears and their various homes. It’s a great story.

Remember Ella Goodyear, wife of lumber/railroad tycoon Charles Goodyear, and their four children, A. Conger, Esther, Charles Jr and Bradley? Well, Ella arranged to purchase or build homes for three of the four that backed up to her own home and extensive grounds on Delaware Ave. I couldn’t find any evidence that Bradley (the youngest Goodyear child) ever lived on Bryant or Oakland Place. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t.

First Up

Let’s start with this one, below. It’s not actually on Bryant. It’s on Oakland Place around the corner. But it used to be on Bryant. Specifically, at 178. (That number is no longer used on Bryant.) Ella purchased the house in 1911 or 1912. She had it lifted up, turned, and moved into its final resting spot on Oakland Place, where she already owned a plot of land adjacent to her own home.

Charles and Grace (Rumsey) Goodyear Jr. spent the first part of their marriage in Louisiana, while Charles oversaw Goodyear lumber interests there. But Grace insisted on returning to Buffalo in 1911. Her family was also a prominent Buffalo family and she wanted to return to her roots here. They moved into the Oakland Place home, above. Ella had it transferred into Grace’s name. There, they stayed for ten years.

When Charles and Grace moved into a newly completed home on Bryant Street (below), Grace returned the home to Ella, who rented it out for a while, before transferring ownership to her daughter Esther in 1936.

The new home on Bryant is beautiful. The Tudor styling is unique on Bryant, and the use of stone here is fantastic! I love the windows!

Sad to Report

Sadly, the home on Bryant Street (above) was not a happy one for Charles Jr. and Grace. Charles had an affair with Marion Spaulding, wife of Stephan Van Rensselaer (SVR, as he was known) Spaulding Sr., also members of Buffalo ‘society’. By 1935, the two had divorced their spouses, and married each other. Needless to say, this was cause for great scandal among the upper echelon of Buffalo society at the time.

Whenever I think of it, I wonder how Ella felt about it. I’d like to have known her actual personality. It’s so hard to know by just reading about a person.

A. Conger Goodyear Home on Bryant

Anson Conger Goodyear, eldest son of Ella and Charles, lived in this home (below) with his wife, Mary Foreman. The couple bought and tore down a home on Bryant Street, and in its place built this home in the photo below, in 1908.

A. Conger is perhaps best known as a founder and the first president of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. He and Mary divorced in 1928. Both ended up near, or in New York City, and both eventually remarried. But this was their home for many years.

It’s a duplex now. It’s certainly large enough! The brick wall that runs the length of the property is imposing as you walk by. The irregular shaped openings in the brick reveal it is three bricks wide. Which is actually four bricks wide, when you take into account the Flemish bonding, the turning of some of the bricks in a pattern. Seems like a bit of overkill, but I do like the wall!

Arnold and Esther Goodyear Watson’s Home

Ella’s daughter Esther married Arnold Watson. Together in this home, below, they raised three daughters, Ellen Portia (Ella), Esther, and Ann. This is quite a large home, and according to census records it was used, at least in later years, by Esther and Arnold as a boarding house. It appears that this is now a two, or possibly three family home. It’s certainly large enough. Very interesting.

It sure is beautiful. The entryway is gorgeous! The windows are great, with their splayed brick lintels and keystones. I love a good row of dormers with original windows as well. And look at the wrought iron above the entryway. Love it!

Let’s talk about the backyard of this home. You see, Ella got her wish to surround herself with most of her children and even some of her grandchildren. Her granddaughter Ellen Portia (named for her) moved into the home on Oakland Place, with it’s property backing up to Ella’s mansion on Delaware.

Just a side note: Ellen married SVR Spaulding Jr, son of SVR and Marion Spaulding, who had the affair and eventually married Charles Jr. Wonder if Ella went to the wedding. I hope she did.

So anyway, the backyard of Esther and Arnold’s home was extensive and connected with Ella’s mansion on Delaware and the Goodyear home on Oakland Place.

St. Georges Square

But that all changed in the 1950s. I haven’t been able to discern when or how the Goodyear ‘estate’ that the family created by piecing together all these properties was broken up and eventually changed hands. But in the 1950s, developer Hugh Perry teamed up with architect Gordon Hayes to create St. George’s Place.

St. George’s Place is a cul-de-sac that runs south of Bryant in between A. Conger Goodyear and Esther Goodyear Watson’s two homes. It fills the area that was Esther’s extensive backyard, which was massive by city standards and now that I think about it, most suburban standards as well.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that most people don’t even know that this place exists. It’s like walking off a city street and into a far flung neighborhood in Clarence. I say that because the Colonial Style homes that are on St. George’s Place remind me of the home of a friend of mine from high school, who lived in Clarence. And the homes on her street were just like the homes on St. George’s place.

Let’s See Them

When you look at these photos, remember that you’re in the middle of the city.

And it’s quiet here. You feel as if you’re in a little development in the country.

A little vanilla for my taste. All the homes but one, are white. Almost all have black trim.

I’m told by a workman nearby that these homes and three others on Bryant (the Goodyear homes?) are all part of a homeowner’s association (HOA). All the landscaping is included. The landscaping for the summer is not yet completed, at least not last week when I shot these photos. The landscapers were there working on the homes on Bryant though, and St. Georges Square was to be next. If the homes on Bryant were any indication, it will be a beautiful summer here.

It sort of makes me wonder though. I didn’t see anyone out on St. Georges Square. Wish I could have met a few neighbors. Then again, this is such a private area, maybe they want it that way, and wouldn’t like to meet me. Hope I’m wrong.

Colonial Williamsburg

Hugh Perry and Gordon Hayes designed this cul-de-sac to capitalize on Colonial Williamsburg as a popular vacation destination of the 1950s. The purchasers of the properties had to agree to build some variety of a Colonial dwelling on the land. They’ve succeeded. This certainly seems like what I know to have been extremely popular among white, upper middle class people in the 1950s and 60s.

In this case though, there was no need to actually leave the city to keep the riff-raff out. They only needed a “Private Road” sign. It seems to be still working today, because you know I’m not afraid to go anywhere. But I asked my friend to come with me specifically on this walk to give me the confidence to walk past that private road sign and on to that city street and take a look around. (I’ve never actually seen anyone walk in there.)

I’m trying to be positive here. But I would much, much rather live on Bryant Street than in St. Georges Square. That’s just me, though. I know there are an awful lot of people who would love to live here, and that’s good, I guess. Like my Grandmother used to say, “If we were all alike, think how boring life would be.” Indeed.

My Impressions

Did I say at the beginning of this post that there’s a lot going on here? So much! Between E.B. Green buying one of the homes and the townhomes he designed here, all the amazing apartments, some of the homes and their stories, and the Goodyears! Wow.

I admit I’ve become fascinated with the Goodyear family. When I wrote the piece back in September about the Goodyear mansion on Delaware, I got a little taste of the family. After coming here to Bryant, I feel like I’ve gone down the proverbial rabbit hole. Somehow, I’m going to have to fit in some more reading about them. My interest is piqued!

I met several people on the street while hiking here. Two homeowners who were friendly and love the street. A few people who were walking, or walking their dogs, who don’t live on Bryant, but live nearby. One of them, I actually walked the length of the street and chatted with. Very nice lady. Two men who were working on the porch of the yellow house. They’re the ones who told me that the apartment houses just had their porches re-done (they did the work, and a fine job they did!). And one very friendly landscaper who told me what he knew about the old Goodyear land and St. Georges Square.

St. Georges Square

I’ve got to tell you, I’ve been wanting to see this street for so long now, that I have to admit, it was a bit of a letdown. I expected it to be fantastic, because of the “Private Road” sign near Bryant Street. That type of thing evokes visions of a fabulous “private estate” or some such thing. As if wishing for privacy means there is something worth keeping private. Are they nice homes? Yes. To be sure.

But, having been born a Mika, when someone tells one of us not to do something, we immediately want to do it. It’s in our genes. Like when we see a “private road” sign, we immediately think there’s something amazing to be seen on the other side of it. Turns out, in this case, it was somewhat anticlimactic. Nice homes, in an even nicer location.

Here’s what I’ve learned from Bryant Street, it’s much the same as I’ve learned on every other street I’ve written about. Go out and take a look for yourself. Don’t trespass on private property, but go see what you want to see. Talk to the neighbors on the street. Talk to homeowners you see outside while you’re walking. A long time ago, I heard a quote I’ll never forget. “Communication is the key to better understanding and mutual confidence.”

So true. The more we communicate with each other (in person) the better off we’ll all be. Take a walk. Do some communicating with your fellow Buffalonians.

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