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.

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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 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!

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.

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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.

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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.

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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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