Garden Bloggers Buffalo fling: Architecture

When the 20th Century dawned, Buffalo was the "Queen City of the Great Lakes." And that's how I always thought of it growing up there in the 1950s and 60s. It still was big, bustling and beautiful — with the glow of big steel like a beacon in the night.

I left New York State for Wisconsin in 1972, and thus my experience has been reduced to sporadic visits over the intervening years. But much of what I loved best — Buffalo's art and architecture — remains; and in some cases is better than ever.

 

NY TIMES PHOTO

A parkway designed by Frederick Law Olmstead.
 

It is a cliche that when cities fall on hard times — whether in the South after the Civil War or in the Rust Belt — one of the results is that buildings remain in use / in place / in view, a timeline of history. And Buffalo is filled with them, especially in the neighborhoods where Jim Charlier (Art of Gardening) and Elizabeth Licata (Gardening While Intoxicated), our hosts for Buffa10, both live.

 

NY TIMES PHOTO

Daniel Burnham's 1896 Ellicott Square Building was always a "landmark" building, in the sense that one would meet friends there; the same way that that folks in Chicago met at the Marshall Field's clock. Sullivan's Guaranty building is at the right rear.

The upcoming third annual Garden Bloggers Fling — Buffalo10 — will be a feast for history and architecture buffs. Don't just take my word for it. According to Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation:

"Buffalo is one of America's great designed cities. The interweaving of great architecture, landscape architecture and important historic sites makes Buffalo a must see destination for preservationists, designers, history buffs, and anyone wishing to see an inspiring example of American design." 

NY TIMES PHOTO

The inside of Burnham's Ellicott Square building is a visual feast.  
 
 

For serious architecture fans, I recommend getting a copy of "Buffalo Architecture: A Guide" before you come. I've had a copy since it was published in the early 1980s and use it every time I visit the city. It is filled with informative essays and divides the city into sections and focuses on the architectural highlights and history of each.

    

 

NY TIMES PHOTO

Louis Sullivan's 1895 Guaranty building is embellished with terra-cotta tiles.
 

If you are curious about the architects whose work can be found in Bufflalo, the city is home to Adler and Sullivan's Prudential building, H. H. Richardson's Buffalo State Hospital, and Richard Upjohn's St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral. There are five prairie houses by Frank Lloyd Wright  — only Chicago has more FLW — as well as buildings by Daniel Burnham, Albert Kahn, and the firms of McKim, Mead, and White, and Lockwood, Green and Company. 

   

NY TIMES PHOTO

Kleinhan's Music Hall, by Eero and Eliel Saarinen, also has legendary acoustics. In addition to being the site of numerous concerts, it was where both my high school and college graduations were held, thus giving me a brief moment on stage.

    

Among the more recent architects with work in Buffalo are Eero and Eliel Saarinen, Walther Gropius, Marcel Breuer, Paul Rudloph, Minoru Yamasaki, and the firm of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill. 

    

WIKIPEDIA PHOTO

If you're driving to Buffalo10, consider a stop at the Roycroft Campus in East Aurora, just outside the city. It is home to the restored workshops of Elbert Hubbard, perhaps the most well-known practitioner of the Arts and Crafts philosophy espoused by William Morris. You can stay overnight — or just stop for lunch — in the beautiful 1905 Inn, filled with the furniture and copper work of the Roycroft artisans.

    

 

NY Times photos used without permission.

Comments

[Pam/Digging]

A wonderful perspective on the upcoming Buffa10 garden-bloggers get-together. Thanks, Linda. Looking forward to seeing you and Mark there again.

[Altoon]

Thanks for the photo tour, Linda. It's always surprising to me that these small cities have so many important sites. I remember visiting Rochester, NY, a few years ago, and seeing some wonderful architecture there, and of course Eastman House.

[Julie Siegel]

Thanks for this: really an eye-opener! Ironically, recently I've been staring at some landscapes with Wright designs for inspiration with a job at a Prairie house nearby. An architect colleague lent me a Dover book showing Wright's work from 1911. And the Heath residence in Buffalo is one of the helpful images.
Take lots of photos (I know Mark will) when you visit Bloggers gathering, Linda!

[Erin]

Wow ... I had no idea that any of that existed in Buffalo. I wish I were able to go to Buffalo10. Sounds like a city I'd love to check out. I bet you're excited to go!

[Jean]

How interesting. I had no idea. I'm a fan of architecture so I'll certainly make a point of seeing what I can when there (fingers crossed I make it).

[Janet]

I am going to Buffalo in August for a wedding...this is a great preview!

[Mervyn]

Those photos are so nice! I would like to visit there in the future.

[Little Wonders]

Thanks!!! Linda.... Looking forward to see u Again...
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[nintendo ds r4]

Outstanding!! Really amazing architecture. You caught nice shots of great locations. Thanks for these pictures.

[andrea]

i was planning a summer's escape to ithaca, primarily for a wedding there, and when i found out that the blogger meetup coincided with the same weekend i decided to extend my vacation westward for a few days in buffalo... see you there!

[Diane]

And the Albright-Knox is a truly great museum, greater than MOMA in the sense that it is truly alive and modern, rather than being burdened with being a repository for he past great works of modernism.