This post has been a long time coming, as blog posts go. I first became aware of Woodley Road when I was a kid. My best friend growing up had cousins that lived on Burke Drive off of Eggert Road. We spent a bit of time there riding bikes etc. Even as a kid, when we’d ride up and down the area streets, I admired the homes in this neighborhood.
Several months ago now, I saw a home featured on a facebook page that I follow. One of the owners of the home, Rick, posted photos of the new home he shares with his husband Leroy, and their adorable dog, Gunnar. In the post, he highlighted some of the changes and some of the original charm the home holds.
With the speed that life travels, I had forgotten about this neighborhood and wanted to go back and check it out. I contacted Rick, and it’s been months in the making, but he and Leroy opened their home to me. As a matter of fact, they invited Tim and I to visit on a day when the neighborhood gets together for a weekly cocktail hour. It’s something they started during quarantine more than a year ago. More to come about that later.
Cleveland Hill
Back in the 1920s, Cleveland Hill Properties began to develop this neighborhood (which they called, and widely became known as Cleveland Hill) and heavily advertised the homes for sale as “A Beautiful Park of Beautiful Homes”. They held extensive open houses where thousands walked through the newly built homes. Buffalo newspapers sponsored various homes. Decorators, furniture stores, florists and more, all contributed to staging the homes, making them look like the beautiful homes they advertised.
And they are beautiful. Modest maybe, when compared to the homes along some of Buffalo’s grand parkways, but these homes are very well appointed. The building materials were among the finest available. Many of the homes here still retain their original detail and charm. And like we talked about over at Windsor Ave, many of these homes were model homes as well. Making them the best quality possible.
Buffalo Evening News, October 1927
The ads stated that the American dream is within reach of nearly everyone at Cleveland Hill. They urged Buffalonians to take the trip out Kensington ‘Boulevard’ to see the homes. They touted ‘price and terms to suit your pocketbook’ and that ‘every home is different’. I can’t speak to the price and terms, but every home is, indeed, different. And they are beautiful.
Judge’s Row
To be honest, I always thought this neighborhood was in Cheektowaga. But at closer examination of a map of the city, it’s in Buffalo. There’s an odd ‘bump out’ if you will, that includes the area bordered by Huntley Rd, Century and Treehaven. This week I’ve heard a few stories about why the neighborhood is included in the city of Buffalo, and not the first ring suburb of Cheektowaga.
The most common is this. Remember, this is hearsay. The story goes that judges were required to live in the city back in the day, and there was an influential judge who wanted to buy a home in the area, so the city arranged to acquire the land. More judges followed suit, and moved into the neighborhood. Seems unlikely to me. But there have been, by all accounts, several judges who have lived in this neighborhood. So, hey, you never know.
There is but one judge left today. We’ll talk about that later. For now, come hike with me.
Let’s Begin
We’re going to do this hike in reverse of how I actually walked it. We’re going to start at the corner of Burke and Woodley with this rather large beautiful home. It comes with a bit of a mystery that I haven’t been able to solve. I found old newspaper clippings listing the address of 9 Woodley Road in advertisements for Cleveland Hill, see below.
From: Buffalo Evening News: June, 1929
And there is a number 9 on the home, at the door that faces Woodley Road. But both the city of Buffalo, and Google maps lists this home as being on Burke Drive. Number 28 to be exact. I don’t usually use house numbers when I write, but this was intriguing. For now, it’ll remain a mystery.
But what a house!
Looks like there’s at least one child living here, or at least an adult with a sense of humor. Haha!
Three Tudors in a Row
Next is this pretty thing. How very unusual! But it works, somehow. This is the first of three Tudors in a row, where rumor has it, different members of the Amigone family had built and lived in at one time. And one, Philip Amigone, owner of Chez Ami downtown, lived in number 16 across the street and then moved into one of these at one point. This is rumor, of course, and sometimes these stories get changed along the way somehow. I haven’t been able to confirm or debunk this story.
Number 2
Number two of the three Amigone Tudors, below. (It’s Jeff and Kathy’s home now.) This is the former home of Paschal Rubino, longtime Buffalo funeral director, below. Someone suggested that it may have been the Rubino family that lived in the three Tudors. Anything’s possible I suppose.
Anyway, Paschal Rubino, in addition to being president of Rubino Funeral Home, served at least three terms on the Buffalo Board of Education. In October, 1962, he was honored with a testimonial dinner at the Statler Hotel by the Buffalo Teacher Federation for his steadfast support of Buffalo Schools, teachers and school children. This was very rare, as they almost never honor someone who is not a teaching professional. Cool.
Buffalo Evening News: October 19, 1962
And Number 3
And here’s number three Tudor, below. This one’s landscaping is taking over a bit, but look at the bones of the place. Another slate roof. This home is a classic. And I do love the tulips! Would love to see this place in the summer.
Check out the roof here though. These slate tiles seem to be in perfect shape. Note that the size of the tiles themselves are larger at the bottom and get smaller as the roofline goes up. It’s planned that way to give the effect that the roof is taller than it looks, giving the appearance of a larger home. It’s done on homes like this one, and homes that are three times the size of this. Interesting.
Wish I had a slate roof. When I see them, I know that if the builder used slate for the roof, the rest of the home is good quality as well.
Moving Right Along
At this home I met Marcia. She seemed a lovely woman, a bit shy, but I could see a friendly nature beneath the shy exterior. If I lived here, I believe Marcia and I could become friends. I hope she would agree.
Looks like I just missed Marcia’s daffodils. Too bad, they were probably beautiful.
Then there is this Colonial, below, with its brick foundation. I wonder if there is brick behind the siding? Seems unlikely that the brick would extend to the ground, if there weren’t brick above it. So I searched, and did find an advertisement for a brick Colonial home at this address back in 1935. No photo to corroborate it though. Anyone know?
I love the wrought iron above that massive bay window. I can just imagine the light brought in through that window. Fantastic!
Spanish Influence
Next, I came to this Spanish influenced home. What a home! The tile roof seems to be in great shape, and I love how the balcony doors and window mimic the main entry at the ground level. The pillars with the rounded archways that also mimic both doors are perfectly executed.
I can tell you this. It wouldn’t take very much for me to move into this home. It’s got it all.
Onetime owner of this home was Christian Laube, who was the vice-president of Laube Restaurants. It was one of the largest family-owned chain restaurants in Buffalo and was started by Christian’s father in 1907 as “My Lunch” on Niagara Street, where the family court building now stands. It eventually was renamed Laube’s Cafeterias and at its peak served 2,000 lunches per day from this one location!
Laube Cafeterias grew to include Laube’s Old Spain, which was next door to Shea’s, a cafeteria inside the YMCA building downtown, and a full service restaurant inside the Lord Amherst Hotel on Main Street in Snyder. They were by their own motto, “known for food”.
Now we come to the homes at the corner of Woodley and Eldon.
First up, is the largest home on the street, with the possible exception of the first house we talked about at the beginning of the post. This home is a spectacular Tudor. My photo definitely does not do it justice.
The address here has changed as well. It used to be considered on Woodley, but now has an address on Eldon Road. Curious when the home obviously faces Woodley.
There are some big Buffalo names associated with this home. In the 30s, there were Amigones living here. I came across numerous articles ranging from 1936 through 1940 regarding newspaper sponsored holiday lights contests. They were apparently a pretty big deal in Buffalo at that time. The Amigones at this address won the contest in the ‘homes worth $9,000+” category one year.
In 1949, Raymond Haimbaugh lived in the home. He was written up in the Buffalo Evening News that year for being named the Division Manager at the Wurlitzer Company in North Tonawanda. Cool.
And Last, But Not Least
Alfred Durrenberger and family lived in this home in the 1960s. He was the founder of one of Buffalo’s other family-owned chain restaurants, Your Host. Right next door to the Laude family. What a coincidence! And they call this street ‘Judge’s Row’? Wondering if we’ll see any Decks from the Deco Restaurant chain on this street? Stay tuned.
Crossing the street now, this is a completely different style from any other house on the street. Although it appears to be on Woodley, this too is technically on Eldon Road. It’s a nice large ranch home, and from the angle I took this photo, it appears to be all garage. But it really isn’t. It’s what I like to call a ‘rambling ranch’. You know, one of those ranch homes that just keeps going…
It’s a lovely home, and is probably the newest on the street, built in 1940.
The Redcoats are Coming…
This next one is perhaps the most original home I’ve ever written about. Even though it’s not original at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. This home, below, is a replica of Paul Revere’s home in Boston.
You could have knocked me over with a feather when I first read that! What an odd thing to do, in Buffalo, NY of all places! Haha! But, being the total history nerd that I am, I love it!
This is the home of Les and Ginny. Les is the last of the judges in Judge’s Row. On the day we joined the Wednesday afternoon cocktail hour, the group ended up here at Les and Ginny’s Paul Revere home. We chatted for just a moment (Les knows the complete history of the home.) before he invited us in to take a look around.
The interior is chock full of Arkansas soft pine wood paneling and doors. It’s rich, yet somehow casual too. Not long ago, the couple received in the mail a magazine from 1931, with a story about their home! The magazine came with a letter explaining the story of the home and how the sender came to have the magazine. They felt that the owners of the home should have it, so they sent it, without even knowing who lived there. What a great story!
Below are two photos of the home that appeared in the Buffalo Courier Express in November, 1929. The top photo is of the basement room, and the bottom photo is the living room as it appeared as a model home. All the same woodwork still exists today. And it’s pristine.
Buffalo Courier Express, November 1929
Humble Stewards
Les and Ginny are good stewards, indeed. And I will say, good and gracious hosts. They invited us in on the spur of the moment, and told us everything we wanted to know. They were at once proud, and yet humble about their much loved home.
I love that.
Moving Right Along
Right next door to the Paul Revere house is this beauty. This is another Tudor inspired design. Note the use of ‘clinker bricks’, which are overfired bricks with a sometimes irregular shape and surface. We first saw these on the blog on Lincoln Parkway. In this case, the bricks are added in a random fashion, along with traditional bricks. I think they give the home a very unique look.
Next, is this home. The flowering trees at this time of year are stunning! After seeing this home, I want to put one in front of my house!
The Call of the Bagpipes
This next home belongs to Dan and Carol, who we met at the cocktail party. Well, actually Dan beckoned us to the cocktail party by playing his bagpipes, calling the party to begin. He does it every week, precisely at 5pm. How fun…
Dan and Carol’s home is stunning. It could be just your ordinary, run of the mill Colonial. But the color, the custom shutters, the window boxes, heck, the windows themselves. The impeccable care with which this home is cared for is awesome. I’ll say it again. It’s a stunning home.
This next one also appeared in an ad in the Buffalo Courier Express in June 1935. I have never seen so many advertisements for a neighborhood as I have for this Cleveland Hill neighborhood. I think it was probably because this area of the city was considered further away from everything. The ads beckon the reader to ‘take the drive out’ to see the model homes. It’s interesting to see.
This home has new shutters and a front door, but otherwise appears pretty much original. Love it.
And this. Love the windows here. Just lovely.
Another Amigone on Woodley…
This gorgeous home, below, is the former home of Philip Amigone, who was the owner of Chez Ami. In 1939, his car was broken into outside the nightclub, for a loss of $750 worth of goods. Among them were furs, a silver mesh bag, pearls and more. Wow! In 1939!
Philipp was also the winner of the $100 grand prize in the holiday lighting contest in 1940. I’m telling you, these were popular back then. There were lengthy articles describing quite a few of the displays, and lots of winners! People were into it!
The owners of this house are Al and Barb, who we met at the cocktail party. With the awning up already, and the lawn so well tended, summer appears to have already arrived at their home! I also got to meet their dog, Lucy, when I came back a few days later to get a few more photos. Super cute!
And These
And Last, But Certainly Not Least…
Now, we come to Rick, Leroy and their fantastic home. Rick is the reason we came to Woodley. Let’s take a look at their house. All the photos in this first grouping were provided by Rick.
The windows are large and there are a lot of them, letting in tons of natural light into this home. I mean, who would mind washing dishes in front of this amazing window? I wouldn’t. At least, not the first couple of times anyway, haha… (This photo is mine.)
When this home was advertised, and it was heavily advertised, the ads boasted a rathskeller, which in this case, is a bar in the basement, and also that thousands came through this home when it was a model. Both of the photos below are from the Buffalo Courier Express, October, 1928.
Rick and Leroy have transformed the place in little more than a year into a veritable showhouse. And they’re not done yet. They have further plans for the basement, and the upstairs where there are three spacious bedrooms and a large cedar closet.
The fam. Rick (left), Leroy (right) and Gunnar. Isn’t Gunnar the cutest?!
My Impressions
When I first saw Rick’s photos on facebook several months ago, I never could have imagined the things I’d learn researching Woodley Road and these homes. Who knew that people built replica houses? That was totally unexpected, but so much fun.
And once again, I was blown away by the people we met on this street. Beginning, of course with Rick and Leroy, who opened their home to Tim and I, and invited us to the cocktail party, where we met many other neighbors. If I met you and failed to mention you in the article, it’s not because you didn’t make an impression (you all did!) it’s merely because I’m not as young as I used to be and I can’t remember all of your names! Haha!
But Les and Ginny also opened their home to us, and Al sent me some of his own research on the street. Fantastic, and I am grateful.
These parties are inspiring. I’m told they happened spontaneously last year, during quarantine. A couple of people happened to meet outside, and enjoyed a socially distanced visit, drink in hand. Other people began to notice and join in. And they did it all through the winter too, complete with campfires! And a hot toddy or two, I would imagine!
All Are Welcome
But you don’t need to drink, and there is no inviting that takes place for these parties. None are pre-planned. Some people choose to bring snacks. Some don’t. The yard they end up at isn’t pre-planned either. But all are welcome.
So if you live on the block and you’ve noticed the very talented Dan the bagpiper beckoning people out of their houses and into the street to meet up with neighbors, why not go over and say hello? I can tell you firsthand, they are friendly and very welcoming. You’ll enjoy yourself, and you might, no you definitely will, make a friend or two.
This is what a neighborhood should be. I mean, this past year has been trying, to say the least. With something simple like a weekly, social distanced, get together to look forward to, it eases the stress somehow. And it also lets people know there are other people who would be there for them if they needed it. I love it.
And I love Woodley Road. It’s an inspiring street. We should all start a cocktail hour (mocktails if you prefer) on our blocks. When neighbors know each other, the neighborhood grows strong, stays safe, and your quality of life is that much greater!
To the neighbors at Woodley, it was great meeting all of you. Stay close!
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When I hiked Parkdale and Lafayette Aves with my friend Martha, she mentioned that her Mother and Grandmother used to live on Whitney Place. I’ve heard of it, sort of knew where it is, but I had never hiked it or even driven it. Since then, I’ve heard from a few other people suggesting I write about it. When that happens, I know I’m missing something good.
And I was. Wait till you see this. It appears to be a perfectly preserved little neighborhood from the latter half of the 1800s. The homes and apartments houses have not really been altered at all. Maintained pretty well, but not really altered.
Let’s take a closer look.
A Little History of the Area
Whitney Place is located in the West Village Historic District of Buffalo. This district is one of only a few in the country to achieve three designations as an Historic District. In this case, it is under both the City of Buffalo and New York State, and it is also listed in the Federal National Register of Historic Places. Pretty amazing.
Whitney begins at the spot where West Chippewa and Georgia Street meet, and runs all the way to Hudson Street. As a matter of fact, it was originally part of the Village of Black Rock, before Buffalo became a city. I’ve talked on the blog before about how Joseph Ellicott laid out the streets of Buffalo, in 1804, in a radial streets design. In Black Rock, however, the streets were laid out much differently. When the two grids were joined together, it resulted in sometimes odd and wonderful angles that occur in our roadways today. Like the spot where West Chippewa and Georgia Streets meet, at Whitney Place.
Heading toward the corner where Georgia Street goes off to the left, and Whitney Place to the right.
Of Note
This street is part of one of Buffalo’s oldest neighborhoods. Most of the homes between West Chippewa and Carolina Street were built between 1860 and 1880. They’d have been built for tailors, meat packers, ship chandlers, painters, bankers, lake steamer captains, cabinetmakers, conductors, secretaries, and more. Everything middle to middle-upper class. These people had some money to spend, but not the kind of money that built the Delaware Avenue mansions. You’ll see what I mean when you see their homes.
These were also the people who built some of Buffalo’s first neighborhoods, the ones that were built to be neighborhoods. Previously, homes were built here and there. And the downtown core grew up around them. But these streets in the West Village were built to actually be residential neighborhoods.
Apartment building at the corner of Carolina and Whitney Place
I should mention that most of the West Village was originally part of the estate of Ebenezer Johnson, Buffalo’s first mayor. He owned a large estate on Delaware Avenue, between Chippewa and West Tupper, including what later became Whitney Place. After his death, the estate was broken up into Johnson Park (which became one of Buffalo’s residential parks) and other nearby streets, including Whitney. As a matter of fact, Johnson Park has homes even older than the ones I’ll show you today on Whitney Place.
I’m going to hike the portion of Whitney Place between West Chippewa and Carolina Streets. And we’ll start at that wonderful angle at West Chippewa and Georgia. Come hike with me.
Whitney Place
When I said I’ve never been on Whitney Place before, I probably should have mentioned that I’ve never been on this section of West Chippewa before either. I don’t know how it’s possible. I approached Whitney Place from Chippewa on foot. And the first thing I noticed was the feel of this section of the street. Taller buildings on the left, and the expanse of Hutch Tech on the right. I had a feeling of being drawn into the intersection where Whitney Place begins.
Here is the first home I come to, below. This is a two-family residence with 2 1/2 stories, built in 1871. Like most of the homes here, it is of the Italianate style, evidenced by the tall narrow rounded windows and bracketed cornice. This would have been pretty common in this sort of neighborhood, where most of the residents were middle to middle upper class. They had enough money to build with brick instead of clapboard, but not quite enough for elaborate ornamentation.
And good for them. This home has a simplicity that is attractive. It’s too bad the original windows didn’t survive, save for the small upper window, and possibly some of the side windows.
Next, is this pretty home. It’s a two story Queen Anne style built in 1868. The details on this house are lovely. Starting at the top with the dentil molding, which is repeated on the second story bay window on a smaller scale, the window surrounds and the shingles at the top. I really like the varnished wood at the base of the porch, which matches the front entry doors.
A Word About Painted Brick
I like the look of this house, below. The rounded windows appear to be intact above, and you know how I love that. The ones on the first floor were probably altered to make way for the porch when it was added sometime after the house was built (?) in 1860. As for the paint, that’s the thing about painting brick, it can give you the look you want, but you have to keep up on it.
I really like this house.
Next is this one. Another Italianate design, similar to the others we’ve seen so far. It needs a little bit of work, including paint, but it wouldn’t take much to make this house stand out! I wonder what it would take to put glass in that ocular window in the peak. That would be sweet, wouldn’t it?
Next is a Pocket Park
This is probably better looking in the summer. Most people are not working on their gardens just yet this year, and I’m not sure who is responsible for keeping this one up, but this little pocket park is dedicated to Office Patricia (Patty) Parete, who was shot in the line of duty in 2006, not far from Whitney Place. She was left paralyzed from her wounds, and passed away from complications in 2013. I remember when this happened. The whole city mourned her death.
This spot has the makings of a sweet little park. I’ll have to come back in the summer to see it in full bloom.
The First Apartment Building We See
Next is the first apartment building on the street. There are three more to come. In the late 1800s it became fashionable to live in luxury style apartments, even for the wealthy, and Buffalo has some pretty great ones. This one was probably not ever considered ‘luxury’ but I’m sure it fit right in with this upper middle class neighborhood. Nice details.
I looked the place up, and it appears there are 6 apartments here and it’s owned by a company in New Jersey. But there are no photos of the interior, and no reviews. Think of that what you will. Anyone been inside? Let me know what they’re like!
I did see this sweet chalk drawing outside on the sidewalk – looks like there’s a budding artist living here. Love the little hand tracings!
This one was built in 1875, is an Italianate style double and has an Eastlake style porch. I’m not sure if this is something that was common, the blending of these two styles in this way, but there are three or four on this street with that same mix. The paint is in great shape, as is everything else here. Love this one!
This next one is an Italianate with tons of details. The dental molding, the brackets (double) and that cast iron (?) detail atop the upper floor windows. I think the porch was added or changed at some point, and could use just a little attention, but this house is lovely. I also noticed that this one still has some red Medina sandstone in the walkway and at the base of the stairs. Sweet – I love this.
A Couple More
And this. It’s a very neat home, yes? By now you know this is Italianate, circa 1875. I believe the first floor window has been replaced, but I don’t dislike it. I’m usually a fan of sunlight in a room.
And this one. Always blows my mind when homes are this close to each other. Or in this case, homes and apartment buildings. How in the world do they build them? Not to mention maintain them? And why bother with windows?
This is different from the others on the block in that it has a side entry that faces the street, with a small porch.
Twin Apartment Houses + One House in Between
Here I came across two Italian Palazzo style apartment houses. And they both need work, but you can tell they were once fantastic! You can see that they clearly used to have all the same details. The molding near the top, the splayed brick arches over the lower windows, and splayed brick lintels above. Identical entryways. Clearly though, the first one has had the door changed out.
Also, this first one has six, two bedroom condos and each are privately owned. “The Whitney”, however, is owned by the same company in New Jersey that owns the first apartment house we saw earlier.
Here’s something that bothered me the whole time I was on this street. Now, maybe it was garbage day when I was there or something, but it seems to me that an awful lot of the homes seem to store their garbage cans right up in front of the house. That type of thing does nothing for the look of the house. If it was garbage day, then, the totes were not at the street in almost every case. You can see above that the one apartment house tried to conceal them with a boxed in garbage tote situation, but it’s pretty ineffective. Is there absolutely no room out back? And like I said, this is not the only spot where I noticed this.
The Space Between
In between the twin apartment houses, is this, below. The more I look at this house, the more I see. It is, at first glance, a typical Buffalo home. But then I notice the Shingle style detail, the porches have been redone, and very well in my opinion, and check out the pediment above a window on the right side. Must have been lovely when first built, which was 1890. That was about eight years before the two buildings that sandwich it. I wonder how the owners felt about it when it happened. Imagine what it was like to live here during the construction?! Wow.
All in all though, it’s a really nice home!
And this Second Empire style home rounds out this side of the street. Built in 1880, it is for sale. Check out the listing here, but be prepared, this listing is not for the faint of heart. It’s massive, has many of the original fireplaces, the roof is new, the exterior is recently painted, and I love the old style fire escape (if you can love such a thing), but, what a job this would be. Would you buy it?
Crossing the Street
Check this place out. This building dominates the southeast corner of Carolina and Whitney. It’s Romanesque Revival in style and was built in 1892. There is a lot of really nice brickwork here, from the brick corbels, to splayed brick arches, to sweet dormers and bay windows, to rounded windows (that are still there!) and recessed porches. This apartment house has got a lot going on, and it is fantastic!
That’s not to say that it couldn’t stand some attention. It’s owned by that same New Jersey Company that owns the other two apartment houses on the block. This one’s never been painted, but still, it could use a good cleaning. One of the rounded windows in the dormer appears to have been replaced with the lid of a plastic tote.
Again, no photos of the interior are listed online. I believe this place was renovated in the mid 1970’s when the street was going through the historic designation process. My guess is, it needs some work inside. What other reason could there be for no photos being listed online at the website?
Moving Along
Here is another Italianate style with an Eastlake porch. Note the detail at the peak as well, and the bracketing. Love the double front door. When you see wide front doors, remember that these homes were built at a time when most people still waked their family members in their homes. The wide entryways allowed room for a casket to fit through.
On this house, the arched windows above have been replaced. Sorry to see them gone. And at first glance, I thought the first floor windows had been altered from arched windows to these, but the stone lintels appear to be in place and original, so I think they were simply replaced at some point. There also appears to be some detailing missing from the porch.
This house has great bones. With just a little bit of TLC, this house could really shine!
And this. This is a fantastic example of Second Empire design. Look at the mansard roof, those stone arches above the windows, the bracketing and the molding just below it. The little side porch at the entry and the bay window beyond. This house reminds me of the Mansion on Delaware, although on a much smaller scale. But this must have been considered one of the most grand homes on the street when it was built. Love this one.
Another Apartment
Here we come upon one of Tim’s favorites on the street.
It’s an apartment house with at least 6 residences (possibly 8), and was purchased in 2020. The Greek Revival columns need a little attention as does some other things (see interior photos in the previous listing here). But they’re mostly easy fixes. One question, are those old windows that have been filled in with brick on the ‘third’ floor? Interesting. Which is what I usually say when I don’t know what to say.
Then There Are These
This is another one with an Eastlake porch. In my opinion, which I realize you didn’t ask for, this is the best executed of the Eastlake porches on the street. It fits perfectly with the Queen Anne style of the house. Love the shingles on the protruding gable, and check out those brackets supporting it! Note the little curlicue at the very peak. Sweet! This house is fantastic.
These next Italianate style homes are probably not far off from the way they were when they were first built, on the exterior anyway. Looking at them gives us a good feel for the way this street probably looked originally. Love their gardens with the wrought iron fences. The homes are lovely.
A Few Second Empires
This one, below, reminds me of one that is on Franklin Street in Allentown. This one is in amazing shape, and done just right. Not too much, not too little. It’s perfect. And those windows in the Mansard roof, wow!
This one is stately, and the windows appear to be all original! Love that!
This Last One
This is the third Second Empire style home in a row here. All three the same style, but different. This one is smaller than the other two, but it stole my heart anyway. There is a porch out back visible from the street. The bay window is different from any I’ve ever seen, with so much ornamentation. Love it! My favorite part though? The awning over the front door. I want to say it’s original, but I have no way of knowing that. And it’s pretty unusual for the style of the house. Either way, it’s a great touch.
I read an article in the Buffalo Courier Express from 1978, where the residents of this street attended a block party at this home to celebrate ‘neighborliness’. Nice! More about that article in my impressions.
My Impressions
My thoughts about Whitney Place are a bit all over the place. Let me explain.
When I started researching this neighborhood, the first thing I did was to look it up on google maps. When I saw the homes and how well maintained and unaltered they were, I was intrigued and wanted to find out more right away. I found that the whole street, and in fact the surrounding neighborhood had gone through a huge revitalization in the 1970s. This was at the time the West Village was going through the designation process for historic status. And well deserved it is. This is the oldest collection of private residences (and brick Italianate style cottages) in the city. With the possible exception of North Pearl Street, but I haven’t counted.
However, I read many articles about the residents here who were accused and many times found guilty of numerous crimes. Driving without a license, DWI, illegal betting, petit larceny, grand larceny, assault and battery…the list goes on and on. Even for card playing on a Sunday! Most of these took place in the 1950s and 60s. But the articles of this kind dated back to the 1910s.
Back to that Article
Anyway, I mentioned earlier an article in the Courier Express that recounted the story of a party on Whitney Place celebrating ‘neighborliness’. Basically, the article also talked about the changes in the neighborhood in the four years since the West Village Community Association began their designation process. One of the people interviewed talked about what the street was like before the changes. He said it was loud, with people yelling to, and at, each other all the time. There were drunks in the streets, and it was an awful place to live. All of that changed with the work being done to improve it. The street had apparently achieved ‘neighborliness’. In 1978.
Photo of the party on Whitney Place Photo credit to: Buffalo Courier Express, August 14, 1978.
What About Now?
The homes show definite signs of having been restored and renovated. Some people kept up with the maintenance, some did not, and some simply moved on, as people do. But there are definitely people here who care. About the homes, about the street, and the neighborhood. You can tell by the care they put into their homes.
But, I will tell you that I experienced first hand the yelling to, and at each other. Not in a friendly way either. And thankfully, not in my direction. Although, several people turned their heads and their backs away from me as I hiked the street. That is never good for a neighborhood.
I did, however, meet one polite person on Whitney. She was coming out of the large apartment house at the corner of Whitney and Carolina, just as I raised my camera to take a photo. She apologized and hurried away so I could get my shot. It’s usually me who does the apologizing when stuff like this happens, and rightfully so.
But that was it, no one else spoke to me at all that evening. It is, however, possible that at a different hour, I’d have had a different experience.
The Future
So yes, I have mixed feelings about Whitney Place. I read the article from 1978 after I hiked the street, and the man’s remarks about the yelling struck me. Because it was the yelling that had given me an uneasy feeling on Whitney. And I don’t get ruffled very easily. But there it is.
Of course, it’s entirely possible that I happen to be there at an odd time. But my gut is telling me that this is not the case. I will come back again soon, and maybe my experience will be different. I really hope so!
In my heart, I know that there are people living here who care about this street, and I sincerely hope for their sake, that things quiet down a bit. It’s too beautiful an area, and historic an area, to let it slip.
A couple of weeks ago, Tim (my husband) and I headed over to a friend’s house on Norwood Ave on the spur of the moment to say hello. Well, she (Lori) wasn’t home. As we walked away from her house, we noticed several homes along the street that are fantastic. I thought, “Why haven’t I written about this street?” So here we are.
Norwood is a long street that runs from Summer all the way to Lafayette Ave. Because of the length of the street, I’m only going to cover Lori’s block, which is between Summer and Bryant.
Let’s Begin at Bryant
We started on the West Side of the street at Bryant. I took this particular hike with Tim and David, our grandson, who is about to turn 12. These are the first homes we see.
Then we came to this, below. This is when I pointed out the three columns at the corners of the porch, and what was (and I guess still is) a Palladian window, with the woodwork surrounding it. When I told David that the glass in the center window would have originally been rounded at the top, he said, “Oh, I see what you mean. So we’re looking for details like that!” Yes, exactly.
As we walked, we talked about architectural detail. The woodwork surrounding windows. Whether the glass is leaded, what sidelights are that flank the front doors. Whether a front door was painted or not etc. I love the windows at the top of this home, below, and the French doors on the upper porch. Would be great to throw those open in the summer for a nice breeze!
Of course, I also mentioned to David that you can’t notice these things when you’re driving.
This is the first one that really made us take notice. David admired the scrollwork in the pediment and above the recessed windows in the peak of the house. I pointed out the leaded glass in the window just to the right of the front entry. This is a beautiful home.
Check out the shingles above and below the windows, which are different from the rest of the home.
Next…
We came upon this home, below, across from Lori’s house. And, lo and behold, Lori was coming down the driveway, wondering what in the world we were doing taking pictures on her street. Haha! Urban hiking, of course!
She was apparently on her way out, and caught sight of us, did a double take, and realized it was us, acting like tourists on her street! We chatted for a few minutes, and she promised to hook me up with a neighbor or two, including her mother and step-father, who own the house she lives in.
Take a look at this amazing home. That peak! Those windows! That sweet diamond! The owner has been in this home over 40 years and has done a great job maintaining it! Love it!
And This
Next, we come to this, below. This is one of three on this block designed by architect H. H. Little. He was a well-known architect in Buffalo from 1878 until his death in 1917. Little’s own home was on this block and we’ll come to it soon. But this home was built in 1894 for John Kronenberg, who was the Secretary and Treasurer of Machwirth Bros. Company. It was built as a single family home, but is now three apartments.
And it is spectacular! All the details! David said he thought it had “too much going on”. He might be right that there are a lot of different colors going on, but they’re well chosen and executed well. Very eye catching! To say nothing of the headless, handless mannequin on the upper porch…what is that about? Probably better that we don’t know. Haha! With that one exception, H.H. Little would be happy with the fate of this home.
If there is “too much” going on with the last house, perhaps it is the opposite going on right next door, below.
The Next H. H. Little on Norwood
This home was built in 1898 for F. Behn and Carl Behn, who owned Buffalo Refrigeration Company. It was built as a two-family home with identical floor plans for the first and second floors. There are a lot of lovely details here, the bay window on the second floor with its curved glass, all the woodwork around the windows and at the peak. Very pretty.
Election Fraud?
Next, we come to the home of William Gaertner, below, who ran for Delaware District Councilman in 1939, and lost. By the end of the year, he was indicted for making false affidavits designating himself as a candidate, to which he pleaded innocent. Apparently he produced a list for his staff, and had them each take turns writing in two or three names at a time, including contact info, on the affidavit. They had no idea they were doing anything illegal. (?) By January, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. It’s unclear what his sentence ended up being, but more than likely, he paid a fine if it was reduced to a misdemeanor. Oh Buffalo.
Anyways, William Gaertner’s former house is gorgeous, although I look forward to seeing it without the plastic surrounding the porch. Assuming it’ll be removed soon. I really like the canopy (is that the right word?) around the inside of the porch. Gives the home a classic look.
And these. They all have their own look and great details.
This one, below, appears to be going through extensive renovations. I believe I heard there was a fire here a while back. Alas, no one was there to talk to when we went by. This is one to watch though.
And one of my personal favorites. Just look at that upstairs room on the left and that super narrow window at that same corner of the house. Sweet! Not to mention the sun room on the front. Those windows appear to be original, and the front entry is just fantastic! The landscaping. Everything looks perfect here. The colors are spot on, the trim is done correctly. I love everything about this home.
The Third H. H. Little
Another favorite. This one, below is the home of H. H. Little. Designed by him, for him. My favorite part? The metal cresting along the roof line ending in a curlicue at two of the peaks. I’ve never seen anything like it. It shows Little’s whimsical side. I also secretly envy this type of recessed patio on the front peak. I would sleep out there in the summer! And I wonder if, and how, the owner uses the patio on the second floor corner? It’s such a private little spot.
The first floor is also red medina sandstone that’s been painted over. I wish it wasn’t painted, but this is definitely a cool house. It’s alway interesting to see what an architect builds for himself.
I’ve heard stories that the elderly gentleman who lives here now, used to drive a Pierce Arrow well after 2000. Now, that would have been a sight to see!
Society Woman…
This next one has a bit of a sad story.
The home was once occupied by Mr. & Mrs. Charles N. Armstrong. Mr. Armstrong was a partner in an insurance firm, and very well-to-do. His wife, Florence, was the daughter of former Buffalo mayor, General William F. Rogers. Both Charles and Florence moved in high Buffalo society. After Charles’s death Florence continued to entertain and was frequently written up in the society pages.
On January 1, 1932, Florence left her home, above, for a walk before dinner. She never returned. She was last seen at the foot of Porter Avenue near the canal. Police searched for almost three months, before her body was found near the end of March in the canal. What a terrible end for anyone! And for her family, a daughter and son-in-law.
I don’t usually like to talk about sad stories like this in my posts, but this was so strange and unexpected, that I had to include it.
AM&A’s Connection?
This next home is another favorite (I have many on this street). I heard from a neighbor that this home was owned by the Adam family from AM&A’s. There is some evidence to corroborate, but it’s not definitive. I am, however, willing to say that the home was probably owned at one time by Robert B. Adam, or his son of the same name.
The home sold in 2020, and was listed as a single family home. But after perusing the photos in the listing, there are at least two apartments, possibly more, in this house. From the sweet wrought iron gate, to the little patio above the carport, to the two dormers in the roof with their amazing windows, this home is fantastic. I wonder, however, if the room in the front with it’s leaded glass windows was always enclosed, or was this a porch at one time. No matter, this home has it all!
Bob & Susan’s Home
This is when we met Bob & Susan. What a home they’ve got! They’ve been in this house since 1976, and boy have they maintained it well. That door! So perfect! The leaded glass, the curved leaded glass and all the other details, including the red Medina Sandstone front. I’ve noticed several on the street that used sandstone. This home is fantastic.
Bob told a story that I have to share! One year on Christmas Eve, at about 10pm there was a knock at their door. Bob and Susan assumed it was a family member but when they opened the door, it was a man who introduced himself. He told them his grandmother used to live in the home, and he had with him a box filled with old photographs of the home, some framed! He gave them to Bob and Susan. Merry Christmas! What a gift. Who wouldn’t love for this to happen to them?! I sure would.
Lucky
This is where we met Lucky and his owner Paul. Paul says he lives on the other side of Richmond, but walks Norwood with Lucky because it’s such a great street. Love it. Lucky was, perhaps the calmest, most relaxed dog I’ve ever met. That’s my kind of dog!
And these
So pretty!
Technically on Summer, I’ve heard this used to be the Elmwood Music School, and is now a B&B. I hope they serve the breakfasts on the patio over the garage!
Crossing the Street
We see this. Just gorgeous! Very well done.
And these.
Nichols School on Norwood?
Yes, that’s right. This is the first permanent home of the Nichols School, below! Originally an all boys college prep school, this is where the Nichols School was located in 1892, until it’s present location was completed on Amherst Street, in 1910. Incidentally, the school was almost closed for good, when John Albright spearheaded the saving of the school, and donated part of the present grounds.
The original front porch was enclosed and additions were added to the second floor, to finally arrive at the look of the present home. Which I believe has at least four units, possibly five. How do you like the look?
Then there are these.
When I saw this house, below, I couldn’t help but notice the carriage house in the back. Now, this is a carriage house I’d like to live in!
This home below is part of a growing trend that I’ve noticed. Starting to see more homes painted black (along with the use of black trim paint). I like it. I like it a lot!
This green one, below, has so much to like. Both dormers are great, but the one on the right, how it leads right down to the bay window on the second floor. Almost all the windows are original, including the 9 and 1’s in that dormer! Awesome.
Lori’s House. No, Linda and Kevin’s House
Now we come to Lori’s house. More correctly, Linda and Kevin’s house. And I don’t know where to begin. This home is monumental!
I’ll just start with the current owners, Lori’s Mother, Linda, and Step-Father, Kevin bought the home in 2004. There are four apartments in all. Lori moved into the second floor front apartment five years later. And Tony (now Lori’s husband) moved in a while after that.
How about those porches? Perfect! Great spot for a wedding.
Lori & Tony taking their vows!
Or Halloween, or Christmas. Or just a casual dinner with friends in the summer. If you live in the area, you know what I mean. Wink, wink.
Anyhoo. I sat down with Linda and Kevin last week to talk about the house.
The Diamond Connection
Lance Diamond was a long time resident at this home. As a matter of fact, he lived in all four apartments at one time or another. He lived here when some, or all of the Goo Goo Dolls lived here. They became friends, which apparently Lance did with everyone. Robby Takac was a regular visitor to the house to see Lance until his death in 2015.
Lance Diamond, baby! Photo credit: unknown
While Linda and Kevin were telling me about Lance, they talked about the many meals they shared together, and about just hanging out with him on the porch. It’s obvious they both miss him very much. Goes to show that homes are always about the people who live in them.
Last spring, Robby asked Linda and Kevin to host a band on their porch during Porchfest in honor of Lance. Perfect porch for it. They agreed, but the pandemic hit, and Porchfest was cancelled. This year, maybe? Time will tell.
Kevin, Linda – you’ve got a fantastic home.
Moving Right Along
This next home shares a driveway with Kevin and Linda’s house. It’s really gorgeous too.
This home, below, was apparently in really, really rough shape. Flippers bought it, and did what they do. Looks like a brand new house. Wish I knew what it looked like before.
And oh my gosh, this sweet thing. I love the new paint job here! Very bold, and it’s so cheerful. My favorite part? The wrought iron on the two front windows – it makes the whole house make sense. H. H. Little would approve of this bit of whimsy.
And these. Aren’t they lovely?
Blown Away Again on Norwood
Just as I started to think things were winding down, we came across this. And it’s signed Tingley/Ogre 2012! In Buffalo street art, it doesn’t get any better than this. They are two of the most talented artists in Buffalo. So, what a find! And it’s been here since 2012? Never noticed it before.
I guess that’s because I’m usually in a car on this street. Here’s a case for urban hiking. Love this.
But, actually, it’s not quite what it appears to be. When I spoke with Newell Nussbaumer, founder of Buffalo Rising, and owner of the garage that is really a house, he explained that the original painting on the garage door was in fact done by Chuck Tingley and Ogre (Matthew Grote). And that garage door was damaged by a car, so Newell and his wife, Amelia took the door down and hung it inside their home. They then had the replacement door painted with what you see here (above) by mural artists Vinny Alejandro and Mark Madden. It is inspired by Danish mid-century modern pottery. Awesome.
Love their persistence. Most people would have just put up a new door and left it with the surround that belonged to the first mural. But Newell and Amelia wanted their yard to bring beauty and joy to their neighbors, so they had the new door painted as well.
A Little Background on the ‘Garage’ House and Yard
The home is a converted garage, or more precisely, a carriage house. It was where some of the neighbors kept their carriages (this is a late 1800s neighborhood remember). They would ride their horses over, hitch them up to their carriage and go on their way. I’m sure in some cases, their drivers did all of this, as we already know this street was home to some of Buffalo’s wealthier residents.
Then the building became a livery, and later still, a taxi company called The Norwood Garage. Wow! What a history!
Newell explained that his mother originally told him about the place coming up for sale. A friend of hers converted it into a home, and when Newell went to see it, he liked it well enough to make the decision to buy it that same day. And he wasn’t even looking for a house! Brave.
A Shared Driveway and Yard
Living in a home behind another home is something that I would say most people would be unwilling to do. Newell and Amelia’s home has a shared yard with three other homes. The people who live here share and share alike. Newell talked about how they watch out for each other, they keep an eye on each others’ homes if someone is not around. They all take care of the place together in a casual sort of way.
The home that shares a driveway with Newell & Amelia’s home
A lot of people wouldn’t care for this type of arrangement. But Newell says it works very well. In my opinion, this is what city living is about. People being true neighbors. Working together for the common good, and being there for each other. Newell referred to it as a sort of safety net. I like that.
These next two photos are the other two homes that share a yard with the ‘garage’ house. They’re twins, with minor differences.
Then we saw this! At this point it took every ounce of strength I had to not walk up the driveway to see what exactly was going on in there. Later, Newell filled me in on this one too. It’s in part of their shared yard, and was painted by Mark Madden. It’s the face of Elektra, a Tesla-inspired electrified sculpture. Cool!
Next time, Newell, I’m going in. Haha!
A Couple More
This home, below, is very much like a lot of the homes on this street. That is to say, a Victorian era, or Queen Anne, or shingle style home. It could be grand again. Look closely at the details. The double columns at the back of the porch, the scroll work under the eaves, the shingles…if they’re not damaged. The right paint could make all the difference in the world for this house. Let’s keep an eye on this one.
My Impressions
Where to begin with my impressions of Norwood Ave? I have to say that this street blew me away. The homes, the history, the people! Nichols School! Lucky and Paul! Bob and Susan. Lori, Linda and Kevin. Newell and Amelia! And Lance Diamond, a Buffalo Icon!
I mentioned earlier that Lance made friends with everyone. He made friends with me many years ago as I headed up the sidewalk to meet Lori on her porch. He was sitting on the little stoop just up from the sidewalk. I didn’t know who he was, although I had heard of him. He introduced himself, and told me that any friend of Lori’s was a friend of his.
I cannot tell you how many people I’ve met who’ve said that to me about Lori. She’s good people. She is without a doubt, the absolute salt of the earth. And so are Linda and Kevin. 100 percent. Happy to be considered their friend, and have been for a long time. True Buffalo people.
And being a regular reader of Buffalo Rising for many years now, it was really fun to talk to Newell about his house and his neighborhood. Thank you for that Newell. You’re true Buffalo people too.
Norwood is a long street, I’ve only shown you about one third of it. And I apologize if your home didn’t make it in to the post. There were so many homes! Buffalo’s Garden Walk began on this street – the other end. If you can, you should come see this street. The whole street. It’s truly amazing. And so are the people.
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Last week I headed over to Chapin Parkway to check out a street that a reader mentioned to me. While hiking around the area, I happened upon the south end of Windsor Ave. I wrote about a few of the Larkin homes between Rumsey and Forest Ave, but I’ll admit, I’ve never been on this end of the street. Well, that’s not exactly true.
Years ago, while I was still working for the Canadian Government here in Buffalo, I did leave the official residence (which is on Soldiers Circle) through the backyard once with a friend to head over to her house, which was nearby. You see, there are a few homes on Soldiers Circle whose properties extend to Windsor Ave, and have their garages facing Windsor. To be fair though, we headed toward Chapin Parkway, and didn’t see much of the street.
As garages go, they’re not bad to look at. Some of these have apartments above.
But this day, on foot, walking from Chapin Parkway down to Forest Ave, I saw the street through fresh eyes. Come hike with me.
Let’s Begin
This is the first home I came to when I turned off Chapin Parkway. And what a home this is. It was built in 1910, and is that the original hardware on the windows? You know, the kind that held the storm windows/screens in place? Love the diamonds in the upper windows and the front porch is lovely. I especially like the three columns with their details at the capitals. The paint is perfect here.
And this pretty home, below. There is so much going on here. I love the Palladian window on the second floor. All the windows for that matter. I think they may be original. And the trim colors are fantastic. Look at the details in the eaves! Goes to show what you can do with paint. Fantastic!
These Next Three
Next I came to these. This first one looks beautiful now, but in the summer it must be stunning with the trees in bloom. I’ll have to come back to see it. The other two make my point about color making all the difference in the world.
There’s a start with the blue and white trim on this one. It would be great if the blue were extended onto the balustrade or balusters, around the windows and maybe the peak. That would really make this house pop, as they say.
The green with the mustard yellow and dark red trim has been painted within the past, oh, 10 years or so. Looks very different from how it used to look, it’s beautiful!
Mary Carr (Mrs. Robert U. Carr) was living in this home, above, in 1945 with her husband Robert and mother-in-law Anna. Mary took up a very unusual hobby. She wrote books for the children of the family, about the childhoods of their parents, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. Often telling funny stories of a bygone age, amusing anecdotes, and poetry written by her mother-in-law, Anna, Mary would compile the books. She’d use magazines, greeting cards and advertisements to illustrate them, type them up on loose leaf, and cover them with different material for children, and sometimes leather covers for adults.
Photo Credit: Buffalo Courier Express
She did one for each child in the family. Word got out and the requests started pouring in, and she ended up making over 100 of them for friends and friends of friends. It was said that she was fascinated by history and days gone by, especially when that history included friends and family. What a unique hobby. I think I would have liked Mary Carr.
The Larkins on Windsor
In November of 1929, the Buffalo Courier Express reported that Mr. & Mrs. Charles Larkin moved into this home, below. They had previously moved to California about ten years before. I was unaware they came back ten years later.
The home is a beautiful two family though. If you want to see what that room above the front entryway looks like on the inside, take a look at this recent listing. Very charming. That would be my reading nook/sleeping porch. Because everyone needs a good sleeping porch.
This one, below, was once owned by Harvey D. Blakeslee, Jr., a Buffalo attorney who founded Mortgage Service Corporation. He was a 1902 graduate of UB Law School, and served on several boards in the city. He lived here with his wife, Eleanor, his son and two daughters.
Model Homes
This next home was built in 1910 or 1911, by R.W. Goode and Company (developers) but it doesn’t appear that it was sold until 1918 (that’s when city tax records begin for this house). This is the case with many homes on this street, where they were built in or around 1910, but not sold until several years later.
This house, above, is great! It’s almost as if everyone on this street consulted with designers when choosing the colors of their homes. Because they’re all spot on with the colors of the period. This one included. Love it.
I wondered about the date discrepancies though, and had a theory, but it was only a theory. Until I met Nancy on my hike (you’ll see Nancy’s house soon). She mentioned that she had heard from a neighbor on Soldiers Circle that this section of Windsor Ave was a “model” street. This is where the developers built a variety of homes on one street, and used them as model homes, showing them to potential buyers. This enabled the developers to fill in the neighboring streets with homes that were already sold. This street definitely has a variety of styles. Where you see two homes with similar styles, you’ll see a different style porch on each, or an offset front entryway on one, etc. Definitely makes sense with this street.
I gotta tell you, it makes for a beautiful, architecturally diverse street.
Just Look at These!
This first one, the navy blue with white trim, wow! Now, that is my style! I love the front porch with the glass sides. So pretty!
Moving Right Along
This next one was owned at one time by Spencer Kittinger, President of the Kittinger Co. Inc. The Kittinger Company was a very successful local furniture maker. Nice!
This next one is interesting. It was formerly owned by Daniel L. Rumsey and his wife, Luella Mary Nitterauer Rumsey. Of note, this whole area was once owned by the Rumsey family, and they sold it off slowly from the 1890s through 1920 or so.
It’s an interesting house too. From what I can gather, the brick section, although it appears to be an addition, has been there from the beginning. Very different.
Check out these next several homes…they’re spectacular!
These next two are the same house, but photographed from two different angles. The third is the same style house, but executed quite differently. I am reminded that this street may have been a ‘model street’.
Crossing the street, I come to this magnificence. I have always admired the side entry to this home, and everything else about it for that matter.
And these…
Cara H. Wheeler
This home, below, has one of the sweetest stories of all. But before I get to that, note the side porch and how it has windows on the windy side, and the colors are spot on. Very pretty house.
Cara H. Wheeler lived here with her daughter Mary and Mary’s husband. Cara lived to be 102 years old! She appeared in Buffalo papers several times, twice for voting in every election since women won the vote (when she appeared in the paper for it, she was 93 and 94 respectively). Once for being a frequent airplane traveler (when she was 93!). And she appeared one last time when she passed away in July of 1960 in her obituary. That makes her birth year 1858. Amazing!
At her 100th birthday dinner. Photo Credit: Buffalo Courier Express
At her 100th birthday dinner, Cara’s son presented her with a bound book (seen in photo above) of birthday greetings from all over the world, including then President Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Billy Graham, the Most Rev. Fulton J. Sheen, Rocky Marciano, Mickey Mantle, Edward R. Murrow, Helen Hayes, Bing Crosby, Ed Sullivan, Lawrence Welk and more.
Cara Henry Wheeler is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Going to have to look her up next time I’m there.
Continuing On
Spectacular!
Love the whimsical lights on the porch!
And then I came upon this gorgeousness! This is where I met Nancy (I mentioned her earlier). She’s been living here for 17 years and absolutely loves the neighborhood. She grew up on Lancaster Ave so she knows a thing or two about city living. Nancy pointed out something that I noticed as well. On Windsor Ave, there is space between the homes. Every home has a driveway. Honestly, that may have something to do with the ‘model’ street thing. If it looks perfect, it will sell quickly and easily. And this street certainly looks perfect.
About the house. There is so much to love about it. The original windows, the colors are muted but classic, the sunburst balusters in the balustrade. The fan window in the pediment, the natural wood front door flanked by leaded glass sidelights. It’s all these little details that make you look twice when you pass a house.
Nancy was open and friendly, despite the fact that I interrupted a visit with her friend, Liz. Sorry about that ladies, I was just so taken with the house. Thank you both for your Buffalo friendliness.
The Stone Wall
There is a stone wall that ends at Nancy’s driveway. It is left from the estate of Ellsworth Statler, which was at 154 Soldiers Place. The wall runs along this section of Windsor, turns the corner at Bird, and ends just before Soldier’s Circle. Take a look.
There are two homes on Windsor within the Statler walls. I can tell you that the wrought iron in this wall is among the most substantial I’ve ever seen. The houses are lovely, but I would love to see what was originally here.
This last proper house on the street boasts former residents such as Mr. & Mrs. David D. Kennedy, and David W. Rumsey (Sr?). Big names.
My Impressions
I am very glad that I happened upon Windsor Ave that afternoon. It really is a wonderful street, with very friendly neighbors. Nancy was lovely, and because it was a warm sunny day, I met a few others along the way as well, out for walks themselves. All say they love living here. And what’s not to love?
There are beautiful homes with ample yards. If you compare the lot sizes here to other streets nearby, and I’m talking about other comparable streets (Clarendon, Berkley, Granger), Windsor has the largest lot sizes around. This enables the residents to have driveways to park their cars. I know there are people who think that city dwellers shouldn’t need to have a car, but the fact remains that in Buffalo, we still need our cars. And having a decent place to park them is a huge bonus.
A photo I took while researching Chapin Parkway. To the left is Chapin, to the right is Windsor Ave.
In this month of March, when we celebrate women who made history, I find it fitting that most of the interesting history here on Windsor involved women. One who was a history buff herself, and one who took the right to vote so seriously that she never missed an election once women fought for and won that right.
Of course, in their time and in the articles I read, they were referred to as Mrs. Robert U. Carr and Mrs. Clarence L. Wheeler. I actually had to really dig to find out what Cara Wheeler’s given name was, and I only found it because I found a copy of her obituary. And even then, I learned her middle name was Henry! We’ve certainly come a long way.
Every house, every street, every neighborhood has a story to tell, and it’s because of the people. The people are the story. We love to look at the amazing homes they’ve built and lived in, but it’s really about the people. The people of Buffalo.
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I’ve been wanting to write about Lafayette High School ever since the first time I actually walked past it about a year and a half ago with a friend of mine. I, of course, had seen it before, but until you walk past a building, it’s easy to miss how incredible it can be. And the more I walk in the area, the more I notice all the spectacular homes and buildings along here too. Little did I know what I’d find once I really got into it.
When I first sat down to research the area, I remembered another friend of mine, Martha, grew up on Parkdale. I shot her a text to find out which house was hers at the time, and during a small flurry of texts, I thought that she might like to take a walk. She wanted to, our schedules happened to match up, and so we set out the next day.
Come Hike With Me
For this particular hike, Martha and I met up at the southwest corner of Grant Street, at Sweet_ness 7 Cafe. Martha tells me this was a bakery when she lived just around the block on Parkdale. More recently though, it was a beautiful little full service coffee shop, with amazing food, great service and original art. Yes, I said art. Both inside and out. But today I’ll just tell you a story of the mural on the exterior of the building.
A few years ago now, I sat down with Prish Moran, owner of the building, and talked about how Sweet_ness 7 came to be. She told me how she purchased the building and set about getting her vision for the cafe off the ground. The exterior first floor was covered with graffiti. And not the good kind. Lots of nastiness. When it proved to be much too difficult to remove, Prish painted that section of the building brown in an attempt to make it appear a bit better. Afterwards, people in the area began to ‘suggest’ she do something to brighten up the drab brown-ness of it all.
And Brighten it Up, She Did
One day Prish came across a page she had torn out of a magazine that was, basically, the mural that she ended up painting.
Wait until you hear this. Not long after painting it, Prish was sitting inside the unfinished cafe. She was going through bills, hoping she hadn’t made a huge mistake by buying the building, when someone knocked at the door. When she answered it, there was a man there with several women. He introduced himself, and told Prish he was taking the women, who were Burmese refugees, for a walk through the neighborhood. He was showing them around and when they came upon the building, the women became very excited. They began to cry tears of joy.
They explained that when they arrived in Buffalo they were uncertain about the future for their families and for themselves in a new country. Understandable. But when they saw the painting on the side of Prish’s building, they were reassured that they were exactly where they were meant to be. You see, the painting is of a Burmese Fertility Goddess.
Prish had no idea that’s what it was, she just liked it. But after meeting the women at her door that day, Prish knew that she too was exactly where she was meant to be at that time. Of course we all know the cafe turned out to be a huge success.
Sad, but True
Sweet_ness 7 is temporarily closed right now. In an email Prish tells me that both Sweet_ness 7 and the Tabernacle are currently available for rent. I’ll list Prish’s contact information at the end of this post. As for Prish, she has purchased an inn in the Adirondacks. She is, as usual, fearlessly following one of her many dreams.
We here in Buffalo are looking forward to the return of a cafe to this corner.
On With the Hike
Across Grant from Sweet_ness 7 is this little bit of sweetness, below. This home has been brought back to life in the last several years. Love it. My favorite part? The outdoor spaces. Both of the porches that face Lafayette, and the brilliant rooftop patio over the garage on Grant. That last one is perfect for this spot! Makes me want to sit up there with friends and family on a Saturday night in the summer, sipping cocktails. I’d also like to see what’s been done to the basement, I’m intrigued.
Everything here makes sense. From the commercial space in the garage to the solar panels on the roof of the house. It all just works.
Across the street is what used to be Annunciation Parish. Martha tells me that this was her church growing up. When I asked if she walked to church, she said, “We walked everywhere.” And the story began to unfold as we walked and looked at the homes along the way.
This is Our Lady of Hope Parish today, a merger of Annunciation, Our Lady of Loretto, and Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It’s a vibrant, multicultural, West Side, Roman Catholic Church. I’m going to have to check this one out some weekend.
Moving Right Along
Back on the other side of the street we see this. I love the dormer on this house!
And this. Check this place out! The style? Second Empire, with attitude. Okay, that’s not a real thing. But those awesome colors, and that monstrous red Medina sandstone porch. Wow. And you can’t see it in any of the photos I took, but there’s an entire house in the backyard! I’m not talking about an in-law cottage. I’m talking about a full house!
And there are others with homes in the backyard right along this stretch. At least five in this square block. It’s curious, but I think it’s cool in a way too. Wonder how that ever came to be? Full homes, in behind others. Interesting.
Sisters of St. Mary of Namur
These next few buildings are the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur. I feel bad saying I’ve never heard of them. They taught at Annunciation School when it was open. And they are still here, busy as ever, ministering to the people of the West Side. Excellent.
As a matter of fact, in 2019, the sisters celebrated 200 years of ministry! From their website,
“In this century, as we have become a diverse, global community, the Sisters have been attuned to the changing times, extending themselves beyond the classroom. Parish ministry, refugee work, standing against human trafficking, teaching ESL, home visiting, counseling, spiritual direction and prayer groups are among the many works the Sisters have assumed as the Spirit has led.”
I have a lot of respect for sisters. They, unlike priests, give up all their worldly possessions, take a vow of poverty and agree to serve “as the Spirit has led”. It’s really amazing when you think about it.
The School
Annunciation School, that is. At one time it was K-12, serving the entire community. I knew there was a K-8 grammar school here, but didn’t realize it was a high school originally as well. Interesting. Martha went here for grammar school, along with many of the neighborhood children. The students used to (lovingly, I’m sure!) call the school “A Nun’s Creation”. I see what they did there! Haha. Love it!
The school is now closed, but the first floor of the building is a professional incubator office space, and the Rose Garden Early Childhood Center. There are 20 loft apartments of varying sizes above. It’s a great re-use, and if you look at the website, you can see that they’ve kept some of the old school fixtures, like chalkboards! Again, interesting!
The Discovery Trail
I should mention that throughout this hike, we came to stops on the Discovery Trail. It’s a one mile trail that starts at the West Buffalo Charter School at 113 Lafayette, and is marked on the sidewalks of Lafayette Ave between DeWitt and Baynes. The theme of this trail is ‘welcome all cultures’.
I love when a city/neighborhood has these kinds of things. It makes a child love getting out and taking an urban hike! It’s the type of thing they’ll reminisce about someday!
Seriously, if you live in the area, and you haven’t seen these, take a walk. They’re designed by school children at WBCS…and they’re inspiring!
I’ll drop photos of them in, here and there, during our hike so you can experience them just like we did…as we went along.
Parkdale Ave
Back to the hike. As we round the corner on to Parkdale, and as we pass the side of the old school, these are the homes we see.
There are so many things I notice about this home, below. Let’s start at the peak with the pebbled dash. I want to say that there’s a design to the pebbling, but from this angle, I can’t say for sure. The tiles that are set into the bricks are unusual. Martha and I agreed they’ve probably always been there. Note that the bricks directly above the tiles stand out further from the rest, probably to protect the tiles.
Off to the left, you can see that the entry door is on the side of the enclosed porch. But the front of the house has another door, with large sidelights. I like that in the good weather both doors can be open to allow plenty of fresh air.
And this one below, is in great shape! It looks like the upper porch was re-done at some point. I probably wouldn’t have thought to do it, but they saved some of the wrought iron when they did the porch. Really nice touch.
Martha’s Family Home
Next is the home Martha grew up in. She lived here with her parents, three brothers and one sister. It’s a really pretty house. But to get the full effect, check out this listing from a couple of years ago.
Martha and I have to stop ourselves from going into the back yard to look around. I can see the curiosity in her face. She notices that there’s a chimney on what used to be a back porch. If you click on the link above, it’s not just a fireplace that someone’s added, it’s an oven. Maybe a pizza oven? It’s a fantastic porch and yard all around!
The Neighborhood
As we hike Parkdale Ave Martha is peppering the conversation with names of the people who lived in this house or that. So many that I could never be able to match up the house with the family names. But here’s a few. Guzzetta, LaDuca, Missana, Ciffa, Cavalieri, Lagatutta and Callari.
Some of these families may have lived on Lafayette… But you get the idea. This was a predominantly Italian neighborhood. Martha mentions that she never thought of it that way when she was a child, but telling me all the names really drives it home for her. And it sure does seem like she knew everyone!
As we approached this one, Martha says she thought it used to have an apartment out back, and sure enough, there it is… Note the details around the windows and front entry. I’d never have noticed that if I were just driving by.
And these.
At this house below, Martha tells me that when she lived across the street, there was an older couple that lived in this house that didn’t have any children. But they ‘adopted’ all the kids on the street. They must have made an impression, and quite possibly a difference in some of the children’s lives. Sweet story.
This last one is still in great shape. Or back in great shape, I can’t be sure. But it looks good.
On this section of Parkdale (between Lafayette and Auburn) I noticed that a lot of the homes are still the original clapboard. Some have been covered with vinyl siding, but I want to say that most of them are still original. I like this.
Back to the Corner of Parkdale and Lafayette
The first thing I see is this huge, gorgeous old home. Needs a bit of work, but it appears that all the original detail is still intact, most of the original windows are still there, and it could be brought back. I’d love to see it happen. Same color, with white and black trim. Yes, please.
Kitty corner from that home is the Buffalo Dream Center. These buildings are fantastic and appear to be in great shape!
Martha tells me this used to be the Lafayette Baptist Church ‘back in the day’. The Buffalo Dream Center has been headed by Pastors Eric and Michelle Johns since 1993 and now calls these buildings (above) home. The church is very involved in outreach services to Buffalo’s community, serving children, the poor and the hungry. If you are looking to get involved in any of these ministries, take a look at their website. This is one busy place!
The Homes
As we continue up Lafayette, Martha starts rattling off names again. Castiglia, Battaglia, Cannizzaro, Severino, Cipolla. We stroll on, and this is some of what we see. Fantastic! The two last homes in this grouping are twins!
And this one, back in the day, was home to one of Martha’s friends, the Missana family home. Martha remembers it being beautiful inside. I’d love to see it now.
Along here, they just keep getting better.
Love the paint job here, there’s that black trim again!
You could almost imagine this is a cabin in the woods. Love it!
Love the rounded porch, and the curved leaded glass!
And still, Martha is mentioning names, Palumbo, Falcone, Rubbino, Falzone. As we approach Colonial Circle at Richmond, she remembers a family on Richmond Ave named Gulino. She remembers them being very nice.
Here’s a quick story about one of the previous residents of this house, below. Born in 1881, in Italy, Anthony Carnavale came to Buffalo when he was a child. He learned to play the saxophone when he was young, which was considered a pioneering instrument at the time. He played as a member of the 74th Regiment Band, who played at the Temple of Music at the Pan American Exposition. Cool! Carnavale went on to play at many downtown theaters, including the Olympic and the Lafayette.
In 1927, he opened Carnavale’s Spaghetti House on Niagara Street. It became very popular with local politicians and members of the entertainment community in the city. He continued to be active in the music scene in Buffalo until his retirement. Interesting guy. He lived in the house with his wife, Rose, his son and two daughters.
These.Are. Awesome.
And this one is fantastic. Check out the windows in the dormer.
Lafayette High School
This is where we come to Lafayette High School. Can you imagine going to high school in this building?!
This building was completed in 1903 and designed by Esenwein & Johnson, noted Buffalo architects. Their firm designed the Temple of Music that I mentioned earlier, the Buffalo Museum of Science, the Calumet Building, the iconic Electric Tower, numerous homes, and many, many more!
For whatever reason, Martha didn’t attend Lafayette High School (or Annunciation HS for that matter). So I phoned a friend. Actually, I texted a friend, Lori. When asked what her favorite part about going to Lafayette High School, Lori immediately responded with “Teachers and friends!” I love that about Lori. When I pressed her about the building, she said she always knew how special it was, and always thought it was beautiful. Even as kids, they respected that. Cool. Thanks Lori.
The school is now Lafayette International Community High School, serving the multicultural community that the West Side has become throughout the years. I love this too.
I know a woman who came to Buffalo when she was 16, from Germany, many years ago. She didn’t speak English, and had to spend an entire year sitting in a high school classroom learning English by listening and observing. She felt awkward and, in her words ‘stupid’. It should make all of us happy that Buffalo has schools like this where children can ease into life in a new country more comfortably than in years past.
The Home Stretch
As we pass the high school, we come upon a lot of really great houses.
This one is awesome, below. Martha mentions she loves this kind of sunroom. Me too, Martha! The plaque on the front says 1877, and I daresay that most of those small windows are original! Would that column of windows to the right of the door be considered a sidelight? Either way, I like it. And sweet that there is a literal bell in the place of a traditional doorbell. I love this one.
And this one, below. Like when I hiked Woodward Ave., I’m noticing again that I’m a bit drawn to the orange color of this house. Never would have thought to choose this color, but it works. That said, I’d love it if there were a little more uniformity, maybe the first floor the darker orange, and the second floor and peak the lighter color? It’s possible the owner is working on that. Love the green too!
The entryway is perfection for this house. Goes to show, it doesn’t need to be fancy. Just right.
Guercio’s and More
When we arrived back at Grant Street, we headed over to Guercio and Sons to pick up a couple of things. Martha tells me that she walked over here every Saturday with her Mother to get groceries for the week. Her brother still comes every other week or so. I haven’t been in here in a couple of years, so I took a good look around and if I lived within walking distance, I’d be in here all the time. Great produce, staples, and gorgeous imports. Still love this place.
Photo credit: Unknown
As Martha and I go back out onto Grant, she mentions again that Sweet_ness 7 was a bakery when she was a kid. After Guercios, she and her Mom would go to the bakery, and then to the Meating Place for, well, meat. Haha! That’s a little up Grant on the east side of the street just before Auburn. You could throw a stone at it from Sweet_ness. Martha says that if they really needed something they couldn’t get at those three places, her Mother would head over to Super Duper, which was further south on Grant.
There were other stores and shops along here as well for all their other needs. I love this.
My Impressions
When I first set out to write this post, I thought I’d research some of the homes along Lafayette and see what I could learn. It’s kind of how I usually start a city living post. But every post evolves in it’s own way, and when I texted Martha about her childhood home, I saw a completely different post taking shape. She was so enthusiastic about the neighborhood, I found I couldn’t wait to see it through her eyes. Sort of like when I hiked around downtown with my 3-year-old granddaughter, and wrote Castles of Buffalo. It’s always good to see things through someone else’s eyes. It gives you a whole new perspective.
Well. Now I have a whole new perspective on the West Side. I’m not a stranger to this area, but I’ve never lived here. I also understand my old friend Martha a little better. That seems to happen when you learn about where someone comes from. Martha became so animated as we turned onto Parkdale! It was pretty cool to watch. I only regret that I was enjoying her talking about the homes and the families who used to live in them so much, that I didn’t get a photo of her ‘in her element’ so to speak.
I had to settle for using this photo of Martha (center) from the Shamrock Run, 2020, pre-quarantine. It was the last time we socialized together, until our urban hike last week. That’s Martha’s husband, Mike, on the left and my husband Tim between Martha and me.
Idealistically Speaking Though
This neighborhood was a fantastic place to grow up. Martha tells me how they walked or rode bikes everywhere. They’d walk to Front Park near the Peace Bridge to ice skate. They’d walk to church, to school, to their friend’s homes. To relatives nearby. It seems like there were a lot of relatives nearby. Martha and her friends would even ride bikes over to Canada to “this little beach we called the Baby Hole.” Haha. Sweet.
To me it seems idyllic. What more could you ask for?
It’s Thought Provoking
You know, there is a lot of talk around Buffalo about creating livable spaces. Places where people will want to live. This neighborhood is the kind of thing we should want to build. But honestly, I don’t know that you can build it. You can put the infrastructure there, and hope it happens. But I think it has to happen organically. You can’t force it.
Martha and her family could get everything they needed on Grant Street. On the East Side, where my father grew up, his family got everything they needed on Fillmore Ave or the Broadway Market.
It’s a gamble every developer takes. They create from a vision of something they think will be good for the city, or a neighborhood. Then they hope other people see it too. Like when Guercio and Sons first opened their doors on Grant Street sixty some years ago. They took a chance that the people of the neighborhood would want what they had to offer. It turns out that in this case, the neighborhood wanted exactly what they had to offer.
In this little neighborhood, where Martha grew up, what do the people living here now, want (and need) next? The area is coming back, that’s for sure. But what will it take to make it a really idyllic place to live again?
There are people meeting, discussing and planning exactly that, as I write this.
Look for another post on the West Side soon to discuss. This place has got more to say.
Get the Book!
They make great gifts for family and friends (or yourself!).Β Click hereΒ or on the photo below to purchase yours!
*Special thanks to Lori Mroz, Prish Moran, and especially Martha Emiliani. Thanks for everything guys!
Interested in renting either Sweet_ness 7 or the Tablernacle spaces at 220 Grant Street, email Prish Moran at 220grantstreet@gmail.com.
I’ve recently become aware of Edge Park Ave off of Amherst Street near Delaware Park. You might say it’s at the edge of the park. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Honestly though, it’s a couple of blocks away from the park.
This street is a bit different from others I’ve done in that most of the homes were built after 1925. I have it on good authority that Edge Park Ave is part of the land that was once part of the Hoyt estate on Amherst Street. Parts of the estate were developed slowly into the neighborhood we see today. The Hoyt mansion in the photo below sat right where the Nichols soccer field is now, on Amherst Street across from Nottingham Terrace.
The mansion itself has a fascinating history, but that’s for another day. Today, I’d like to concentrate exclusively on Edge Park Ave. Come hike with me.
Let’s Get Started
I approach Edge Park Ave by walking from Delaware Ave down Amherst Street. This last home on Amherst, like so often happens, has the side of the house (and address) on Amherst, but the best side of the home is on Edge Park. It’s a lovely Tudor with subtle Craftsman details. And a tile roof. I even like the garage. In the summer, the landscaping is gorgeous!
Here’s an interesting little tidbit, Charles Hahn Jr. lived here in the late 1930’s. His job? He was the Vice President of Sattler’s Store at 998 Broadway, a very famous store (in Buffalo anyway) directly across from the Broadway Market. Nice!
It’s a beautiful home, don’t you think?
Next…
Next I come to the first home that is actually on Edge Park. I love the brick details around the front door here. Pretty unusual. And the wrought iron above the door is a nice touch. This home was built in 1917, so it’s one of the earlier homes on the street. Just lovely.
There is so much that I like about this one (below)! Those windows, and especially the entryway with the columns. Again I am reminded that I thought I didn’t really care for columns, but it turns out that I do, when they look like these! This is a very stately yet understated home. And it looks to me like there may have been awnings over the two first floor windows. Would love to have seen them. I’m picturing striped canvas…
This one’s on a corner lot, and is impressive. I especially love the awning over the front door, and the charming side entry. I love all the dormers popping out here and there. Makes me really wonder about the interior. I also like the use of black in the trim paint. It’s becoming more and more popular, and I like it. I think I could be quite comfortable in this house.
Now Crossing Delham
I know a couple of people who really love this next one. At first glance, I didn’t think it was anything special. Not super partial to the barn style home. But the more I see it, the more I fall in love. It’s well maintained, and I like the new(er) color. Really makes this house noticeable! Looks like a true family home. And you know I love that! I can picture myself sipping tea on the upper porch, watching the sunrise.
It was built in 1927. I wonder what this area looked like back then. Were these side streets paved? Were there sidewalks? This is the type of thing I wonder about when I’m hiking around the city.
And Then…
Then there’s this Tudor style home. Look at the row of windows on the driveway side of the house. Makes me wonder what’s on the inside. It looks to me like at least some of the windows are original, including those, but I like the ones on the second floor best. 24 panes on the one on the left. Wouldn’t want to clean them (I don’t do windows), but I sure do like the way they look!
There are several homes on the street that have double lots. This appears to be one of them. I read that a handful of early owners on this street acquired the adjacent lots in order to enlarge their yards. Makes for beautiful properties.
Mid-Century Modern on Edge Park!
And this home (below). My son, Matt, pointed it out to me recently. It’s so unusual to see a mid-century modern home in this neighborhood.
As it turns out, the owner, Brenda, arrived home just as I was passing by. We got to talking and she told me that the home was built in 1952 and that soon after the owners (the Freedmans?) put a large addition on. The curved roof was added later as well. That’s a good thing because flat roofs in Buffalo are not the best idea, just in case we get a storm…
Anyways, Brenda, being a friendly Buffalonian, invited me in to see the interior. Brenda lives here with her husband, daughter, and two adorable dogs. What a cool house! Take a look.
This home is everything I thought it would be and more! The red fireplace wall! And those ceilings! Fantastic! I’m sad to say that my photos of the yard out back didn’t turn out well. It’s small, but very charming. Great place to hang out in the summer.
Brenda, thank you so much for sharing your house with us! And good luck to your husband, John, in his bid for Erie County Sheriff!
Look at this beauty right next door to Brenda. Classic. The entryway is beautiful, I like that the door hasn’t been painted over, and the sidelights really make it!
Wait Till You Hear This
Next, I come to the two homes on Edge Park that straddle Rand Avenue. I have a story about these two homes.
But first let’s talk about the actual homes. First, the house on the south side of Rand Ave, home to Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Schwartz. The entryway here is fantastic. Check out that marble surround over the door with the house number carved into it. Nice touch. And I could be wrong, but I think the bay windows are original. So cool.
I’d love to see the shutters, the gutters & downspouts, and the light painted brown to match the front door. It would pull it all together and be spectacular. But that’s just me. Unless all that will be black one day, to match the gutters and downspouts. That’d be great too! And, it is beautiful just the way it is!
The Schwartz home. Part of the scene of the Starling Affair of 1959.
The home on the north side, below, was owned by Mr. & Mrs. Howard Boasberg. I really like the entryway here too, and the extra trim around the windows adds a certain charm. This is a great family house!
The Boasberg home. The other scene in the Starling Affair.
Anyway, Back to The Story
It takes place in 1959. I’m calling it the Starling Affair. Haha…
Picture this street, like so many others in Buffalo, full of elm trees. There were apparently six elms in particular, some on the Schwartz property, some on the Boasberg property, where hundreds of starlings roosted one summer. And I do mean hundreds.
This was much to the chagrin of the homeowners, who reported that the birds returned to their nests every night a little before 8pm, and made quite a large mess on the sidewalks and the street. People couldn’t walk down the street in the evenings for fear of being splashed!
What to do?
Mr. Schwartz took to hosing down the sidewalks and the street every evening after work. Mr. Boasberg stated that friends were afraid to come to his home because of the mess, and that finding a safe place to park was becoming an issue. He also said that it wasn’t safe for his three year old daughter, and other neighborhood children to play anywhere near the two homes because of the birds.
The birds were also early risers, who began their squawking at 4:30am! Mr. Boasberg estimated there were 325 birds in all! Seriously, that’s a lot of birds. And not only that. They were apparently quite nasty. Mr. Boasberg said that both yards were littered with feathers on a daily basis and that he was burying at least one bird a day! Yikes!
The City Gets Involved
Boasberg complained to the city more than once. And this is where the story takes an ugly turn. From the Buffalo Evening News, August 26, 1959, “City employees turned a fogging machine loose Tuesday evening on a horde of noisy starlings who have set up housekeeping in six big elm trees on Rand Ave. at Edge Park. For two hours the clouds of rising white fumes reportedly chased the pesky black birds up Rand and back down Delham Ave. and along Edge Park. The chemical warfare was ordered by Victor F. Bartkowski, supervisor of vermin and animal control…”
The feel of the story was that the problem had finally been eradicated. Don’t get me wrong. It genuinely sounded like the people of this neighborhood were weary of the weeks long issues with the starlings. But chemical warfare? Yes. This was 1959. Remember DDT? This is not long after that. I don’t know what they used in this case, but pretty sure it wouldn’t be used today.
This is a pretty interesting insight into what life was like in the late 50s! And still could be considered a funny story, as long as no one suffered from the fumes!
Several Surprises!
These next several houses really surprised me! Take a look…all were built in the 50’s. Really not what I expected to see on Edge Park. Wish there were more shade trees on this end of the street. It strikes me as I walk along, that these homes are very well maintained. Still, it’s not what I expect to see in this part of the city.
A person my age, looking to downsize in a few years, might love one of these. They’re not really small, just quite a bit smaller than a big old city home! And you wouldn’t have to give up any of the convenience of living in the city. Something to think about.
The East Side of the Street
And a few more along the east side of the street. Three of these are all basically the same house, but executed very differently.
This next home has an interesting story. It was built in 1920 and it used to be home to U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York, George L. Grobe. He had a reputation as being a very fair man, who did his best to help everyone who asked for it.
Grobe is one of the residents of Edge Park who first leased and then purchased the lot adjacent to his own in order to expand his garden. Gardening was apparently his favorite hobby. As a matter of fact, he was written up in the Courier Express in 1947 for his eclectic garden in the side yard of his house. Neat!
To me, there is something about a bright yellow house. It’s…cheerful somehow. This one is spectacular with its black and white trim. I picture the two French doors in the front thrown open to let the summer breezes in. Lovely.
And Then…
Then I came to this one. This is the one that made me want to write about this street. A lot of work has been done to this home recently, and it shows. It’s absolutely gorgeous!
But there’s history here too. Remember in the beginning of this post when I said that at least some of this property was most probably part of the Hoyt estate? There are three homes on this street that were advertised as having been built by Hoyt & Hamilton Builders. I also read an article by the Buffalo Evening News in 1937 stating that John D. H. Hoyt, of the realty concern of Hoyt & Hamilton, Inc., was announcing that three homes on Edge Park would be some of the first of Buffalo’s Gold Star Homes.
This home has changed quite a bit over the years (see the advertisement for #39, below). The center dormer and the embellishments to the front entry were added at some point, not to mention two additions to the south side of the home, and one around the back. All fantastic improvements if you ask me (and I know that you didn’t). I love everything about this home, including the history behind it.
What’s a Gold Star Home?
Good question. Check out the advertisements that appeared in the Buffalo Evening News, December 11, 1937. My favorite line is “one carefully planned to give you all the comfort and convenience science has contributed to modern living.” I love it. That is fantastic advertising copy!
The photo of the home with the pilasters is from the Buffalo Courier Express, August 29, 1937.
The Other Two Gold Star Homes
This first one was the very first Gold Star Home sold in Buffalo. Nice. It’s a lovely Georgian Style with a brick front, and a really great front entryway. Although the yard appears level, this home seems to sit up above the others on the street. Maybe it’s the height of the house, I don’t know.
It appears this one’s been added on to as well, at least once in the back, and possibly above the garage as well. But the one below, makes me think that the room above the garage was there from the beginning. It’s difficult to tell from the older photos in the ads. Love this one.
And here’s the third and final Gold Star Home, below. It’s so pretty, and are those windows original? They almost match exactly with the house above. I’m thinking they both still have the original windows. That’s awesome.
This one has a quite large addition out back. With those trees behind the house, it must be a lovely yard.
Home Stretch
Just two homes left, but I promise you, these two will not seem anticlimactic.
Check this house out. It’s the same style as the yellow one we saw earlier. Which is Colonial Revival. But the look is completely different. The enclosed porch in the front and the color really change it up.
This home had two brushes with the law during prohibition. One was in 1927 when a man who rented the home was arrested for bootlegging. Ten gallons of liquor and a 75 gallon working still were confiscated.
The second was in 1929. When police were called in connection to a burglary in the home, they discovered two 300 gallon stills, nearly 700 gallons of mash, and sugar and cracked corn in the attic. The owner of the home, Mrs. Mary Walkiewicz said that she rented the attic to a Mr. Julius Kukawski. She claimed to have no knowledge of the still being there.
Sounds an awful lot like the story we heard over off of Agassiz Circle, on Meadowview Place.
From all that I’ve read recently about the prohibition era in Buffalo, these two (three, if you count the operation over on Meadowview) were not all that unusual in Buffalo’s history.
And Last, But Not Least
We come to a home that is actually on Amherst Street, but most of the home faces Edge Park Ave. And what a house!
I like the Spanish influence in the tiled roof, the wrought iron on the patio and even the solid wall for privacy makes me think of a Spanish style home. The property is long and narrow. The garage is to the left of this photo and there’s quite a bit of room in between. I think the color is perfect, that creamy yellow with white trim. It’s just a really lovely home.
It was built for Merrill B. and Ethel (O’Dea) Meyer in 1925. But the real story here is Ethel. Born in 1897, she received her law degree from the University of Buffalo in 1917, making her the youngest woman to do so to that date. She practiced law until her marriage.
But that’s not all. Even after her marriage she continued with a career in teaching. I read an article from 1933 that stated she was a teacher at Park School. Pretty progressive for her time. She passed away in January of 1942; she was only 45. Too young. I think I’d have liked her.
I know I love her house.
My Impressions of Edge Park Ave
Sooooo. There were several surprises on this street for me. One was all the ranch homes on the north end. So unexpected!
And the Starling Affair. I was cracking up reading it, until I got to the chemical warfare part. That was a stark reminder of mid-century ‘progress’.
And I was pleasantly surprised when Brenda invited me to see the interior of her gorgeous mid-century modern home. I’m telling you that she is the epitome of Buffalo friendliness. She welcomed me, and so did her dogs, Willa and Olive. (They were super excited to see me! Haha!)
Everytime something like this happens, now this is going to sound a little crazy, but it sort of renews my faith in humanity. It’s such a simple thing, to be neighborly. But at times it seems like as a society, we’ve forgotten how to do it. It’s good to know that here in Buffalo there are so many people who haven’t forgotten.
People like Brenda. They’re out there. You just have to look. Psssst…you’re not going to find them driving around. Take an urban hike. Say hello when you meet someone on the street. You might just make a friend.
*Special thanks to Sam Hoyt for the info about the Hoyt estate. Appreciate it! And to Connie Hoyt for sending me the photo of the Hoyt mansion a couple of months ago. I was finally able to use it! That home was an incredible loss for Buffalo.
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