Firehouse number 2, built 1875.
Drawing by artist Dick Lunsford
This block of Jersey is an interesting one because so much Buffalo history and architecture is represented in this small stretch of Jersey Street.
In the cupola-topped Italianate house at 290 Jersey Street a young man named Charles Day Swan grew up in the late 1870s and early 1880s. Swan became a successful architect in the 1880s and 1890s and designed many beautiful mansions along Delaware Avenue, Summer Street and North Street. In 1886, Swan designed the two large brick dwellings at 282 and 288 Jersey Street. Today the old Swan family homestead and the large houses he designed have been converted to apartment buildings.
287 Jersey Street is an interesting brick and frame house with twin towers at either end of the dwelling. It was built about 1891 for real estate magnate Henry Mooney. At 291 Jersey Street lives Carlos Benitez, Vice President of the Kleinhans Community Association.
The large Queen Anne house at 298 Jersey Street retains much of its original detail both inside and out. It was built in 1880 for the widow of William J. Dickerson, who was a Buffalo policeman. The house was designed by architect George J. Metzger.
A small, unassuming one story cottage nestled in between two much larger structures, 300 Jersey Street has a significant social history not revealed in its architectural facade. For several decades this building housed a candy manufactory that delighted neighborhood residents and attracted candy lovers from throughout Buffalo. In the 1930s, the candy business was run by Mrs. Elizabeth Duggan. In later years, 300 Jersey became Betty''s Colonial Sweets, known far and wide for its delicious secret chocolate recipe. The candy business closed in the 1970s.
303 Jersey Street was built late on this street, in approximately 1888. It is Romanesque Revival in style and has an imposing two story bow front turret and an intricately designed stained-glass window. For the last 10 years this home along with 124 Plymouth has been the site of the Benedict House. In 1998 it was transferred back to private ownership and is now a single family home. Although the Benedict House moved to 2211 Main Street, they wrote a letter to the Buffalo News which was published on March 22, 1999 stating that the "Benedict House invested many years in developing an amicable relationship with our neighborhood organization, the Kleinhans Community Association."
Firehouse number 2, built 1875.
Drawing by artist Dick Lunsford
One of the most important buildings within the Kleinhans Community Association neighborhood is the former Fire House #2, 304-306 Jersey at the northwest intersection of Plymouth. By early 1875 the city decided to build a fire engine house in this neighborhood and purchased a 60 by 126 foot lot on Jersey Street at the northwest corner of Plymouth Avenue. The site was formerly the home of the Jersey Street Methodist Church which was erected in 1867 and burned on January 23, 1873. The Church sold the lot to the City for a sum of $3,000 and built a new church across Plymouth Avenue. The fire house was complete by the end of 1875 its grand opening was December 14, 1875, when the building was hailed as the being the handsomest of its kind in the City and among the finest in the United States.
Besides the fire engine, the house was equipped with four horses, a sleigh, a wagon and furnishings. In addition to the standard mechanical items one would consider necessary for an engine house, the furnishings also included seven black walnut bedsteads, twelve black walnut chairs, one centre table, one black walnut table, seven arm chairs, one stair carpet, two Brussels carpets, five chandeliers, and seventeen spittoons.
The building was designed by Cyrus K. Porter and George Watkins. In the 1890s it was expanded by the architectural firm of Eckel and Ackerman in a way that closely emulated its original design. Porter's design, a three-story brick Second Empire building, is an excellent example of the style that was so popular during the 1870s. The straight-sided mansard roof still retains its hexagonal slate tile and is pleasantly interrupted by dormers with pedimented windows. The second story windows on the front of the building are decorated with stone lintels and pediment-like stone heads in a carved foliate pattern. The second story also has a series of nine brick pilasters capped by stone with a scroll and foliate pattern. The first floor originally had highly ornamental entrance doors with stone decorations that were similar to the adornments crowning the second story windows. On the Plymouth Avenue side of the building the first floor windows are of the round arched variety while the second story sports segmental arched windows.
The fire house was in continuous use for 122 years until it closed in 1997 when a new building was built at Elmwood Avenue and Virginia Street. The KCA submitted an application to the Buffalo Preservation Board to have this building landmarked and also worked with the city to have it sold to an individual who is sensitive to its preservation status and requirements.
The building was purchased in 1999 by Hogan Restoration for use as their office. Our community welcomes Hogan Restoration as our new neighbor and is pleased that Hogan -- with its reputation for restoration excellence -- has chosen to invest in our neighborhood and become part of our community. Hogan has the resources to tackle the re-use of the large brick firehouse which is such a landmark in our neighborhood and indeed, for residents of the entire City of Buffalo. Hogan has been a great corporate citizen and has reached out to the community in the adoption of their new "home."
The triangular lot across the street on Plymouth at Jersey is occupied by two buildings, a red brick house at 443 Porter Avenue and the limestone constructed Plymouth Avenue Methodist Church, today better known as the Karpeles Document Manuscript Museum. The house at 443 Porter belonged to the church and was built in 1889 from Cyrus Porter's designs during a church remodeling that was going on that year. The present church building dates from 1911, replacing Cyrus Porter's 1889 design. In a fitting tribute, the present church building was designed by Cyrus' son, Jesse.
The church is famous for its stunning stained-glass windows with their 3-dimensional effect. After the church fell into disuse, its viability was threatened. Long-vacant and deteriorated, the building received city historic landmark status through the efforts of the Preservation Coalition of Erie County and Kleinhans Community Association. The landmark application was submitted in Oct. 1988 and was passed in early 1989.
The story of the abandoned church building has a happy ending as thankfully, Mr. David Karpeles of the Karpeles Manuscript Museum purchased and restored this building in the mid 1990s. The community has shown its support in this effort by participating in the beautification of the exterior grounds. Thanks to the City of Buffalo, Legislator Judy Fisher and flower contributions from Dan Majewski, the community has planted and maintained three perennial flower beds.
As we move towards Porter, we will be rewarded for the trek by observing several interesting homes on the stretch between Plymouth and Porter. 315 Jersey Street is a corner store today, but much of its original Second Empire stylistic elements have been preserved including its tower. Longtime community residents, Tony and Sylvia Krayna, live at 321 Jersey Street.
The ornate and unusual home at 325 Jersey Street was built in 1884 by lumber baron Samuel D. Colie. Mr. Colie lived in this lovely home only about 6 years, as he passed away on July 18, 1890. It is believed that his death was hastened from the nervous shock he received on learning of the burglary committed in his house on July 4th of that year. The current owner, Joe Raimondo, purchased the building in 1979 and restored it, making it a 4-unit dwelling.
Joe, having lost a number of friends to AIDS, worked with his community and the city to establish and dedicate Life Memorial Park in 1991 across from his home on Porter Ave. for people who have died from AIDS. Life Memorial Park is the only such memorial located in a city park in the U.S. A named wall lists many Buffalonians who have passed away including Michael Bennett. Joe's father Stan Palaszynski was instrumental in designing the gardens, which includes a ribbon-shaped sidewalk and variety of annuals and perennials. The park is overseen by the Life Memorial Park Foundation which has recently added an additional park bench, a new garden, and hopes in the future to add a waterfall.
Cyrus Porter's architectural work is visible yet again at 341 Jersey Street in the 1880 brick home he designed for W. H. Johnson.
Tucked behind Jersey is Normal Ave., also in the Allentown Preservation District. Normal was named for the State Normal School, on the site where Grover Cleveland High School is now. Most of Normal in south of Porter Ave. is a parking lot for Kleinhans Music Hall, but there are a few exceptional homes remaining in the area. At 47 Normal is a lovely frame Victorian house, circa 1880; at 48 Normal is a fine example of an 1870s Second Empire style dwelling adapted to a small scale; and at 50 Normal is a stucco dwelling in inspired by the Prairie School of architectural design.
To conclude the KCA tour, bear right at the intersection of Jersey and Porter and walk down Porter towards Kleinhans Music Hall.
The Italianate "L" shaped farmhouse at 493 Porter is a fine example of rural cottage architecture popularized by Victorian author Andrew Jackson Downing. On the first floor, the house still possesses most of its original arched windows with decorative rope moldings. The owner of this home recently installed custom windows on the second floor. The house was built in 1869 for John Watson and his family. Watson was a foreman with the pattern shops of Farrar and Trefts, manufacturers of steam engines, boilers and machinery.
Across the street at 512 Porter is the handsome yellow-brick house designed by famous local architect Edward Kent. Kent had renewed fame as he was one of the ill-fated passengers who passed away on the S. S. Titanic when it sank on April 14, 1912 in the Atlantic.
Conclusion and an opportunity...
So concludes the tour of the Kleinhans Community Association neighborhood. It is hoped that this guide gives you a brief tour of our community and that you have a greater appreciation for this historic neighborhood. Together we look for opportunities for making it even better.
So concludes the tour of the Kleinhans Community Association neighborhood. It is hoped that this guide gives you a brief tour of our community and that you have a greater appreciation for this historic neighborhood. Together we look for opportunities for making it even better.
The continued health of the Kleinhans neighborhood is important...
...for visitors, to experience safe, beautiful surroundings when frequenting cultural attractions such as Kleinhans Music Hall, Karpeles Document Manuscript Museum or the Buffalo Olmsted Parkway System...
...for residents, to foster our accepting, diverse, affordable neighborhood where all are welcome. The Kleinhans neighborhood has established itself as a caring community close to all conveniences...
...for the City of Buffalo, because the Kleinhans neighborhood is an important district, a pedestrian-centered neighborhood whose history is significant in the development of the city, state and the nation.
As we look towards the future, we must take precautions so that our community does not become blighted. If it does, what shall become of Buffalo''s architectural jewel - Kleinhans Music Hall?
As noted in the Heart of the City Neighborhoods''/Danter Co. Downtown Residential Market Study, Buffalo, unlike other cities, does not have a physical separation between its downtown districts and surrounding residential communities. Nowhere is this more apparent than the Kleinhans Community Association neighborhood where the Kleinhans Music Hall, a building which traditionally might be located in a downtown setting, is centered in the midst of our community.
The Kleinhans Community Association believes that future neighborhood planning should emphasize positive components of our neighborhood legacy and focus on Kleinhans Music Hall as our neighborhood hub and anchor. As pointed out on the Buffalo Philharmonic''s web site, ""Kleinhans Music Hall is not only acoustically magnificent, but came to be recognized worldwide as a major contribution to twentieth-century architecture. In a city full of noteworthy buildings, Kleinhans Music Hall yields pride of place only to the Frank Lloyd Wright houses and Sullivan's Guaranty Building as an architectural landmark."" With so major a building in our midst, how could it not be our neighborhood centerpiece?
Our neighborhood''s significance is based on more than just the value it provides to its residents, indeed the neighborhood is important to all of Buffalo. This neighborhood must survive - and prosper. The development of a viable master plan and success of the Kleinhans Community Association neighborhood sustains major buildings bordering the community such as: First Presbyterian Church, Grace Manor Nursing Home, Kleinhans Music Hall, Birge Mansion and Karpeles Document Manuscript Museum. When travelers from Canada visit Buffalo, this neighborhood figures prominently in their initial impression of Buffalo. To ensure the continued viability of these elements into the next millennium, ongoing planning for this community must incorporate the principles of New Urbanism.
As we enter the 21st century, it is critical that we look for creative opportunities to preserve the historic fabric of our pedestrian-based neighborhood. Many elements of our neighborhood comply with the "major principles of New Urbanism," as defined by the Congress for the New Urbanism (http://www.cnu.org). The Congress is an organization with a new approach to the creation and revitalization of communities that was started in the 1980s. It seeks to reintegrate the components of modern life into compact, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use neighborhoods linked by transit and set in a larger regional open space framework. The Congress states that neighborhoods should be "framed by architecture and landscape design that celebrates local history, climate, ecology, and building practice." The Congress states that if the KCA neighborhood, and others like it are to be sustainable well into the 21st Century we must focus on issues of safety and security. It's an essential element for the revitalization of our legacy of culturally-rich Buffalo neighborhoods.
One possibility for such a plan may be the creation of a KCA Neighborhood Conservation District which encompasses all parts of the KCA area, including preservation districts and landmarks. A conservation district would aim to protect and preserve the KCA neighborhood character, fabric and setting while planning for reasonable growth. It would also discourage the demolition of structures that contribute to the district's historic character and provide guidelines for rehabilitation of existing structures. Such a district would facilitate contribution in the planning process for new residential infill construction that is compatible and complementary to the character of existing the existing neighborhood area within the district. The design guidelines for a conservation district are less stringent than those found in a traditional historic district. The purpose of a conservation district is to preserve the overall character of the neighborhood and only addresses specific housing alteration issues on a house by house basis if the property is landmarked. The concept has been successfully implemented in many American cities.
Not only must we look for opportunities for increasing safety in the neighborhood, we must aggressively pursue creative approaches for increasing home ownership. This allows for the return of some of our existing housing stock to home owners and away from the control of absentee landlords, who, for the most part, have no vested interest in the communities where they own property.
The non-profit Allentown Association has been involved in an interesting. They took title to a donated Victorian house on Days Park and worked with the tenant who was living in the house to help them become a homeowner. By donating the property, the previous owner/landlord received a tax credit as a non-profit organization donation and the Allentown Association can realize income for the good of the community and can also have a hand in the redevelopment of its older urban neighborhoods.
The list of items that the KCA has been involved in over the last five years has been tremendous: mapping and inventorying homes; historic research on area houses; participation in historic tours and garden walks; participation in the restoration and preservation of Symphony Circle; adoption of flower planters on KCA street corners; and creation of a community garden at 20 Orton Place, among many other events.
In 1999 the KCA established a presence on the Internet, having a web site at http://bfn.org/~kca/. The web site allows the KCA to share its accomplishments to a wider audience and helps to create networks both inside and outside of Buffalo. A Buffalo resident outside of the KCA boundaries shared in 2001: ""I am currently the president of Bickford, Edith and Alice (BEA) block club, located in the Kensington/Bailey area, and was truly impressed with KCA website, and great work. Thank you very much for allowing me the opportunity to review an inspiring, and worth seeing efforts, and accomplishments of the organization. I am looking for ways to improve residents participation in block club efforts, and it was refreshing to explore KCA dedication to preserve, and maintain quality of life for residents/neighborhood. Viewing the KCA website was truly inspiring!!! Thank you.""
Elements of our neighborhood can be found in most major Buffalo architectural books, including Classic Buffalo and Buffalo Architecture: A Guide.
Our block club has also worked closely with the organization called Heart of the City Neighborhoods. As was publicized in a 10/28/1999 Buffalo News article, HCN received a $50,000 grant in late 1999 as seed money to acquire and upgrade homes and provide loans to "urban pioneers" in our neighborhood. The grant was awarded to HCN by the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation by trustee Robert Kresse who said: "The $50,000 grant was awarded on the belief that preserving neighborhoods is essential to the city's future prosperity."
Another potential shot in the arm for the neighborhood may come from the federal government. As part of a forthcoming urban rejuvenation effort planned by the White House and congressional leaders, tax credit proponents want to focus attention on hundreds of thousands of homes in big-city and small-town neighborhoods that are in need of rehabilitation.
The neighborhoods tend to be among the oldest and most architecturally distinctive of their areas. They have all been recognized as having historic importance to the community as a whole, and have been designated by such by either state or federal agencies.
The neighborhoods are not necessarily "hot" at the moment, in real estate sales terms. But they could be, if houses were restored to their potential by their present owners, or new buyers moved in and remained in the neighborhood.
Under the pending tax credit bills (H.R. 1172 and S. 664), buyers or owners of homes in state or federally designated historic neighborhoods could receive up to 20 percent of their renovation expenses back in the form of tax credits. A fix-up that cost $50,000 would generate a $10,000 credit; a $100,000 project would generate $20,000.
Funding programs and government interest in our neighborhood waxes and wanes depending on current programs and objectives. However, the residents who live in this neighborhood understand its benefits and manage its problems. Despite adversity, most continue to work for positive incremental change in the area. By continued ongoing emphasis on the things we love in the community, we hope that our community will continue to thrive for another century - at least!
Back to KCA Current Topics Page