A few weeks back when I wrote about Lincoln Parkway, I started extending my walks to include Chapin Parkway. It’s not a route I would normally take, but I somehow knew I’d be writing this post eventually. I’m glad I made myself more familiar with it. The other day, I was out for a walk and was so blown away by the beauty of fall on the parkway, that I decided it was time. Is it just me, or does that happen to everyone? Sometimes I get overwhelmed by the beauty of something that I’ve seen a hundred times before. This time it was the gorgeous yellow leaves that brought it on.

So, here I am, writing the post.

As Usual, I’ll Begin with the History of Chapin Parkway

Buffalo’s Parks and Parkway System was put in during the late 1800’s, after some of Buffalo’s most wealthy citizens decided that Buffalo needed a ‘central park’ like New York City’s Central Park. So, naturally, Frederick Law Olmsted (the man who designed Central Park) was brought to Buffalo.

When Olmsted was taken on a tour of Buffalo’s streets he and his partner, Calvert Vaux, decided that what would suit this city best would be a park system instead of just one central park. City leaders agreed. They had the money to do it, and so began the largest landscape architectural project the country had seen to date. Our city was described by Olmsted as the best planned city in the world.

It’s easy to see why when you stroll down the center of one of our parkways.

Getting Back to Chapin Parkway

Chapin Parkway runs between Soldiers Circle and Gates Circle. It is, indeed, 200 feet wide and is stunning.

It was named for Edward Payson Chapin, born to Ephraim and Elizabeth Chapin in Waterloo, NY in 1831. He was a well known Buffalo attorney when the Civil War broke out. Chapin served at the rank of captain and was injured at Hanover Court House, Virginia on May 27, 1862. He convalesced here in Buffalo. In September of the same year he was made Colonel of Erie County’s 116th NY Volunteers. He was killed in action on May 27, exactly one year after he was first injured. He was posthumously made a Brigadier General on the day he died.

Chapin Parkway is as beautiful now as it was when it was first created. Of course, I haven’t had the pleasure of time traveling to the late 1800s yet. But the parkway is so beautiful now, I cannot imagine it could have been any better back in the day!

Most of the property on Chapin Parkway was originally owned by Civil War General John Graves, who built a home here in 1885. Bronson Rumsey purchased the property at some point, and demolished the Graves home in 1907. Rumsey built himself a relatively modest home (lost) on the property, and subdivided the rest of Chapin Parkway. He sold large lots at his leisure over a period of about twenty years. Which probably accounts for how many movers and shakers lived on Chapin. Rumsey, of course, would have been choosy about who he sold to.

I don’t know all of them, but you’ll definitely recognize some of the names I mention.

Let’s Start the Hike

I decided to begin at Gates Circle facing Soldiers Circle, on the right side of the parkway. It’s the opposite of what I usually do on my walks, but I like to shake things up a bit once in a while. Haha. Takin’ a walk on the wild side…

This first house I know a bit about. It was built in 1924 for Samuel Risman. And the only thing I know about him, is that he moved to Miami a year after building this home. He moved to take a job developing and managing a ten-story apartment building. His wife joined him a year later. Sadly, their story does not have a happy ending. Samuel passed away in 1927 after either falling or jumping to his death from that same apartment building.

The home itself is Colonial Revival in style, with Georgan influences. The slate roof extends to the sides of the dormers which is not uncommon. It’s got two sunrooms. The one on the front is original, the one on the north side was added at some point later on. There is also an upper patio on the Chapin Parkway side. And I love those quarter round windows on either side of the chimney.

It’s lovely. And ready for the holidays.

Next Up on the Parkway

Next up is this gem. It is a pretty good example of the Italian Renaissance style. It’s got rounded windows on the first floor, and rectangular windows above. And that recessed porch on the right, with the archways that are supported by columns. Fantastic! The brick pilasters topped with Corinthian capitals and the cornice is just lovely. It all comes together just right.

Very well done.

What really interests me about this home is the back yard. It splays out to the right behind the home next door (the first one in this post). It’s huge and private, despite the gas station on Delaware Ave just behind it. The gardens appear to be lovely too!

As a matter of fact, that same gas station backs up to all the homes on this block, but you would never know it. City living. Love it.

This One!

This is another Georgian Revival Style home. And is it ever beautiful!

I love everything about this house. The symmetry is perfect. Right down to those tall trees on either side of the front walk, and the chimneys on either side of the home. The side-by-side two-story pilasters on either side of the entryway with small, tasteful capitals. Perfection. The stone lintels and sills on the windows. Perfect for this house. The Flemish bonding on the brickwork with the same color mortar joints. Perfect. The classic stone surrounding the front door with a pediment above.

Finally, the icing on the cake. The wrought iron awning at the side entrance. It’s the perfect scale and design for this home. Did I say I love everything about this house? Because I do.

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More Beautiful Homes

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Another Colonial Revival

Next, I come upon this home. This is also a Georgian Colonial Revival style home. Note the first floor windows. You see how the top part of the window is smaller than the bottom section? These windows are referred to as 8/12 (there are eight sections on top, and twelve sections below). The windows on the second floor and dormers are 8/8s. The sidelights on either side of the door are 6/6. See? The reason I mention it is because this house is all windows! Must be a very bright home inside!

I love the stone sills and keystones on the windows and the slate roof that continues on the dormers. The Flemish brick is enhanced by the use of different colored bricks. The portico supported by Corinthian columns gives the design a slightly Georgian feel. Very well done.

Queen Anne

Next, we come to my husband’s favorite. He loves this type of home. It’s a Queen Anne stick style home. It’s set on a triangular piece of property, with a small circular driveway inside and on the East Delevan side. There are so many little details on this home that I don’t know where to begin.

It was built in 1888 for John J. Crawford (of John J. Crawford Monument Company), who passed away in 1894. Mr. & Mrs. George Clinton (DeWitt Clinton’s grandson) moved in in the mid-1890s. Mrs. Lucia Shoellkopf Modet was living here in the late 1930s. So, it’s a star studded home. These were all names that built Buffalo.

How about the wrap around porch with the unusual columned posts? Fantastic. The upper patio above the side sunroom with the arched windows. Love that. The paint job is classic. Take a look at the photos below to note some of the details. That black pyramidal roof, (I can’t tell what it’s made of) the carved wood designs in the pediments and dormers are all just what most people look for in a Victorian era home. I even like the poured concrete fence posts.

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A Craftsman on Chapin

If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you know I’m a fan of the Craftsman style of architecture. So, naturally, I love this amazing home. I love the wide chimney, the tri-colored tile roof, the windows, 6/6s most of them, appear to be original. The trim color on the house matches the wrought iron fencing, which is spectacular with all those gold tips. Note the fencing that surrounds the side porch also has the same tips. I love it when a home has a very wide, covered porch. Makes the porch seem open, but somehow private. Extra points for the canvas awning. (I’ll have to go back and take photos next summer when the awning is back up.)

To get a good nap, the hammock is a little close to the sidewalk for me, but I love that they have it. What you can’t see is the pool in the back, side yard. This house is all I’ll ever need or want.

Except This One

Oh, but this one. I might need this one. It reminds me of one I love over on Tillinghast Place. Has the same lines, but with a more Spanish influence. I could be comfortable here.

Another Georgian Revival

Georgian Colonial Revival seems to be the style of choice here on Chapin. Must have been what was popular at the time. This one is beautifully symmetric (you know I love symmetry).

The windows are five across on the second floor, with the first floor two and twos directly below. Very typical of a Colonial style. The Georgian features are the columned front portico with ionic style capitals (at the top of the columns) at the main entry, and the stone sills and keystones. Flemish bonding brickwork was pretty popular on this street as well. This house is especially beautiful with a carpet of orange and gold leaves.

And Now, For Something Completely Different

This home (below) is different from any other on the street. This is an English Manor style home, designed by Essenwein & Johnson in 1912. Genevieve Schoellkopf Vom Berge moved into the home that same year. Genevieve was the granddaughter of Jacob Schoellkopf, one of the most successful German immigrants in Western New York. Having lost her first husband, Henry Vom Berge in 1911, she and their only son Henry Schoellkopf Vom Berge moved into this home together.

Genevieve remarried and had another child while living in this home, but sadly passed away in 1919 at the age of 35. The cause of her death is not known.

James and Harriet McNulty moved into the home in the 1920s. James was the president of Pratt & Lambert. The McNultys were very active in their community, both socially and philanthropically. When James passed away in 1926, Harriet, along with their three daughters, made several large donations in memory of him. After his death, Harriet took over for James on the board of directors of Pratt & Lambert, which lasted 23 years. Good for her – definitely not the norm in those days. Harriet stayed on in the house until her death in 1956.

Interesting history in this home!

And More Homes Along Chapin Parkway!

The home below was completed in 2016. The home that was there before was built in 1950, and reportedly held no historical significance. In addition, the home was set too low on the property, causing chronic water issues in the basement. Major foundation issues followed. Read more about it at this link.

While I’m not usually a fan of tear downs, I must say that I am happy with its replacement. It’s the right style and scale for the street, and pretty nice to look at too. I love the porch, which I think ended up being larger than originally planned. All in all, it fits in very well with the neighborhood. I like it.

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Look at the driveway at the house below. It draws me in, and makes me want to walk up it!

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Let’s Cross the Street

Directly across the street, at Soldiers Circle is this building. We talked about it when I wrote about Soldiers Circle a few weeks ago. It was originally built as a hotel for the Pan American Exposition in 1901. It has since been turned into townhouses and apartments. Nice building in a fantastic location!

Next, I came upon another Georgian Revival (below). This one differs from the others in that it is brick and stucco, with brick window sills and lintels. It appears the front portico was enclosed at some point. Makes me wonder what the front entry looked like originally.

The home is decked out for the holidays already! Looking forward to seeing this in the snow. But not too soon.

I bet you can guess the style of this next home (below). So many interpretations of the Georgian Revival style, but really, they’re pretty similar. This one is so grand I wanted to include several photos. When you look at the side view of this home, it seems to go on forever. I love that every window, large and small have stone sills and splayed lintels, with the exception of the dormer windows, and that window on the side with the rounded fan window above it, including brick and stonework? I’ve never seen anything like it. But it works.

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This next home (below) was designed by architect Edward Kent, a well known Buffalo architect who, strangely enough, lost his life aboard the Titanic. When I was walking by taking photos on this particular day, I heard children playing and laughing inside this home. Love that!

And this one. You know I love the wrought iron awnings! And I’m also partial to all of these side sunrooms!

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The Homes Along Here Are Fabulous!

This next home (below) is great. It reminds me of an old church rectory or something. But at the same time, it’s cool. I love those two dormers. But my favorite part? That second-floor bay window on the side. Fantastically done.

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Help me out here. Look at this next home (below). Now, I’m certainly no expert, but I don’t really understand the balustrade just hanging out there on the roof. Why? I’ve never seen anything like this either.

I will say though, I love the side entryway and the original sandstone driveway! Although I wouldn’t want to clear snow from it. But truthfully, I wouldn’t want to clear snow from any driveway!

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These next few are all dazzling in their own way.

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And this magnificence! Now, this paint job is on point! All the right colors in all the right places! To me anyway. I even love that someone has pitched a tent on the front porch!

And these.

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And This Beauty!

So many Georgian Revivals on this street! On this home (above), I love the use of the different colored bricks in the Flemish bonding and the windows in the dormers. I also like that they have two different types of columns on the entryway. And that they are repeated, as both columns and pilasters in the sunrooms on the side of the home (below). Double decker sunrooms I might add. What a classic entryway this is too. Love it.

At this point you could tell me about all the details here. We’ve seen so many of this style today.

My Impressions of Chapin Parkway

Well, today was the Georgian Revival show! I have to say that when I walk, I look at homes and notice little things. But it wasn’t until I sat down to write today that I realized how many Georgian Revival homes were on this street. That style must have been really, really hot between 1905 and 1920. Seriously.

There was the one English Manor house (the Shoellkopf home), and a couple of other styles, but this street is pretty full up with the Georgian Revival Style. I like the style, the symmetry and all. And it’s still popular, because there are people living here and showing love to their homes. Every one is cared for impeccably. They’re beautiful to behold.

With winter and snow just around the corner, I found myself wondering during this walk, what it would be like to live here in the winter. I’ll come back for walks to see it of course. But to sip my morning tea in one of the sunrooms. Looking out over the mall, covered with a fresh blanket of snow. Sun shining on it like a million little diamonds. Yes. That’d be real nice.

But for now, I’ll stick to my walks, and be grateful that we have such beautiful, historic streets to wander, wondering about the people these beautiful homes have known and sheltered.

Get out there if you can and get to know your city, Buffalo. You’ll love it!

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