Larkin District - Table of Contents  ..............  The Hydraulics - Table of Contents

National Register Eligible Buildings - Larkin District/Hydraulics
National Register of Historic Places

[The Larkin district] begins on Seneca Street starting at Larkin Street and runs east to the intersection of Smith Street and Fillmore Avenue. It includes significant portions of Van Rensselaer, Exchange, Roseville, Carroll, Hydraulic and Griffin streets.

More than a century ago, the area was called the Hydraulics and included the Larkin Co. and a smattering of other manufacturers. It was one of Buffalo’s first major commercial districts, and in the 1800s it helped lay a foundation for the city’s growth.

- James Fink, Lovin' the Larkin (June 24, 2011)
The buildings in the The Hydraulics/Larkin Neighborhood listed below have been deemed eligible for listing on the State and National Register of Historic Places.

The information below was culled from the The Hydraulics/Larkin Neighborhood - Nomination for Listing on the State and National Register of Historic Places by Jennifer Walkowski for Clinton Brown Company Architecture/Rebuild.
 

Larkin Buildings
 
667 Seneca Street. Original small brick factory. (Painting)

1895, the company constructed twelve new factory buildings ranging from eight to ten stories in height on an entire block of land at Seneca Street between Larkin (formerly Heacock) and Van Rensselaer Streets. While appearing to be one enormous building, the large bulk was actually divided in several smaller facilities for specialized production ranging from soap making, wrapping, storing, lumber storage, perfumes and a myriad of other functions. Designed by the R.J. Reidpath Company of Buffalo. 701 Seneca Street (former Larkin Company “B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, N, O” Building)  ....  The most massive of the buildings associated with the Larkin Company in the Hydraulics, this large edifice is actually a combination of several smaller building components which were constructed at various stages between 1898 and 1913. Primarily a 6-story industrial building, it features numerous aligned and regularly spaced window voids, loading docks and shipping bays on the ground floor and a corbelled cornice along some portions of the roofline. The building has been resurfaced in a cement-like finish sometime in the 1960s, but where some the surface has worn, portions of the original brick construction and segmental arched, paired 12/12 wood framed sash windows are visible.

635 Seneca Street (former Larkin Company “I” Building) A large, 4-story brick industrial building, notable features for this structure include large window voids divided by brick pilasters with a simple brick cornice above. Reinforced concrete was used for the basement floor and foundations while brick was used above. Perhaps the signature element for the building is its tall brick chimney. Constructed in 1902, the Larkin Company “I” Building served as the Power House for the entire complex. Designed by the R.J. Reidpath Company of Buffalo.

290 Larkin Street (former Larkin Company “L, M” Building; NW corner Exchange and Larkin streets).    This building is a large, 7-story brick industrial building with a cut stone foundation, ground floor shipping and loading bays. Several bays appear to have once featured larger door openings for bringing goods into the building through the use of large roof-mounted hoists (partially extant). Constructed in 1908, the L, M Building once served largely as a storage building for the Larkin Company. Designed by the R.J. Reidpath Company of Buffalo.

726 Exchange St. Railroad terminal warehouse. "R, S, T" Warehouse Building. (1912).

239 Van Rensselaer Street (former Larkin Company “U” Building; between Seneca and Excnage streets)    Unlike a majority of the other industrial architecture in the Hydraulics, this 3-story brick building with Medina sandstone accents is designed in the decorative Romanesque Revival style. The primary western facade features a series of large arcaded arches which contain windows and a central entry door. Originally constructed in 1893 by D. Ullman Sons, a large-scale industrial salvage and recycling firm, the Larkin Company purchased the building in 1911.

680 Seneca Street. Designed and constructed between 1903 and 1904, the new Larkin Administration Building at  just north of the company’s largest factory building. Frank Lloyd Wright was the architect. DEMOLISHED 1950


Industrial Architecture

567 Exchange Street (former Buffalo Lounge Company Building)   This rectilinear 4-story brick industrial loft building. Upper floor features segmental arched window details. Building appears to date to ca. 1900.

619 Exchange Street (former Iroquois Door Company Building)    A large, rectilinear 4-story brick industrial loft building which features a raised cut-stone foundation, large rectangular windows divided by simple continuous brick pilasters. Originally constructed in 1904 with later additions in the 1920s.

500 Seneca Street (former F.N. Burt Company Building) A rather sprawling complex of buildings, this brick building features 4- and 5-story portions set on cut-stone foundations with large window voids throughout. Constructed in numerous stages between 1901 and 1927, the architecture of the building reflects the development and refinement of new industrial architecture technology in the early twentieth-century.

545 Swan Street (former The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company Building) A large, box-like 8-story reinforced concrete framed industrial building with brick spandrel panels, concrete pilasters and now largely infilled bands of window. Still visible are the traces of painted lettering and signage which advertised the former A&P brand. This simple, utilitarian building was constructed by the Keystone Warehouse Company between 1903 and 1917.


Commercial and Public Architecture


594 East Eagle Street. A 2 1⁄2-story front gable wood-framed vernacular style building which retains its original carved wood storefront facade on the street level. Perhaps one of the oldest remaining mixed use buildings in the residential area, this building appears to date to at least the 1870s when it served as the residence of J.B. Burldenberg, and became a store in the 1880s.

831 East Eagle Street. A 2 1⁄2-story front hipped brick building with a vernacular Italianate design with a ground floor store and upper floor residential. The ground floor East Eagle facade retains much of its original storefront design including pilasters, molding and what appears to be decorative wood paneling. It appears to date to the 1890s.

700 Seneca Street (Buffalo Firehouse Engine 32 Ladder 5) This one-story brick fire station was constructed in 1955 in a simplified Art Deco design. The beige glazed brick edifice with verdigris copper flashing features three large bays for the fire equipment which are labeled with slightly projecting Art Deco-style metal lettering, flanked by a smaller bay to the south of the building which is labeled “Chief, South Division.”

740 Seneca Street (former Marine Trust Bank Building) A 3-story, brick commercial building with a 3-bay primary south facade, this building is designed in a vaguely Renaissance Classical style. East facade features two light wells cut into the upper floors which indicates the close-proximity of a now-non-existent neighbor. Designed by architect Joseph J. W. Bradney (who also designed the home of John Durrant Larkin Jr. House at 65 Lincoln Parkway in 1912) circa 1900 to originally house Henry Schaefer's grocery store, the building was enlarged in 1919 by the firm of Mann and Cook to house the bank.

755 Seneca Street (The Kamman Building)    A 4-story, 7-rank brick and Medina sandstone commercial building in a Romanesque Revival style. An example of a two-part commercial block building, the ground floor storefront features cast iron pilasters, lion head ornament and a sign noting the building as “The Kamman” at the center above an entry door. Constructed ca. 1883/84 by architect Franklin W. Caulkins on property owned by the Kamman family.

760 Seneca Street (former F. X. Winkler & Sons Building)    Fig C-7 This Romanesque Revival two-part commercial block brick building is 3-stories with a 7-bay primary south façade. The ground floor features brick infill set into the original cast iron store front façade which still retains decorative pilasters at each end of the facade and flanking a central entry door. Constructed ca. 1893 by an unknown architect, this building served as the F. X. Winkler & Sons grocery store until it closed in 1968.


Workers Cottages

764 East Eagle Street. A 1 1⁄2-story front gabled example with a full-width front porch. Retains original paneled door surround, wood clapboard siding and large wood tripartite storm window on ground floor. An especially decorative example, this house features exuberant folk Victorian details surrounding the door and at the eaves.

805 East Eagle Street. A 1 1⁄2-story front gabled example with a full-width front porch. First story details are relatively simple; the wood clapboard house appears to retain its original wood paneled front door and large tripartite storm window. The upper two windows feature more elaborate gabled Gothic Revival style hoods. House features several historic telescoping rear additions.

767 North Division Street.    Fig C-8 This one parcel contains two nearly identical examples of small workers cottages. Both are 1 1⁄2-story front gabled wood clapboard buildings with original wood tripartite storm windows and replacement doors on the first floor (the arrangement is mirrored between the two houses) with a small wood-framed double hung window at the gable peak. Both feature telescoping additions at the rear; the eastern building connects it to a rear garage.

35 Roseville Street (front). A 1 1⁄2-story front gabled example with a full-width front porch. Retains original wood clapboard siding and large wood tripartite storm window on ground floor, and a double wood framed storm window in the upper level. Feature additions to rear.

89 Roseville Street. A 1 1⁄2-story front gabled example which appears older than many other workers cottages in the area. This building features original pedimented wood enframements around the two narrow ground floor 2/2 wood framed sash windows which are to the east of the entry door. The wood clapboard building features an arched inoperable window at the attic level which features a similar pedimented wood molding detail.

92 Roseville Street. A 1 1⁄2-story front gabled example which contains an entry door (modern replacement) to the west of the primary façade, with a tripartite wood framed storm window to the east. Behind the storm window is visible the three 3/1 wood framed sash windows which appear original. The upper level features a doubled modern vinyl replacement window. This wood clapboard example is slightly larger than other workers cottages in the area and features elaborate folk Victorian molding details along the eaves.

772 South Division Street. A 1 1⁄2-story front gabled example with a full-width hipped roof front porch which features a Bungalow-style rock- faced concrete block and tapered wood columns. This building features the typical asymmetrical door and window arrangement on the first floor, although the windows appear to feature leaded-glass panels which may be original. The upper level features two double hung sash windows.

775 South Division Street. A 1 1⁄2-story front gabled example with a full-width hipped roof front porch which features a Bungalow-style rock- faced concrete block and tapered wood columns at the corners. This building features the typical asymmetrical door and window arrangement on the first floor. The upper floor contains a small modern sliding window.



Queen Anne

83 Emslie Street. A 2 1⁄2-story front gabled 3-rank wood clapboard example with a full-width front porch. The wood clapboard building appears to retain original wood paneled door surround, original narrow wood framed sash windows on first floor, decorative molding along eaves and patterned shingles in pediment on porch above entry. Features one-story rear addition with small entry porch.

103 Seymour Street. [Frank X. Winkler House] A 2 1⁄2-story front gabled 3-rank wood clapboard example with a full-width front porch. Features a two-story faceted bay at eastern corner of building, central entry door and rectangular window on first floor. Porch gable features elaborate stick work details. The closed gable features an elaborate Palladian window, decorative shingles and a band of dentil molding as a type of entablature. The west facade of the building features a full- height bay projection with a more decorative shingles and a semi-conical roof, giving this element the appearance of a tower.

117 Seymour Street. A 2 1⁄2-story front gabled 3-rank wood clapboard example with a full-width front porch which is a more subtle example of Queen Anne architecture. Notable features include dentil molding along the porch, a scrolled element on the side of the porch roof, and simple fluted wood frames around the upper story windows. The eaves feature additional detailed moldings, which resemble those found on other buildings in the neighborhood.

121 Seymour Street.    A 2 1⁄2-story front gabled 3-rank wood clapboard example with a full-width front porch which is a more elaborate example of the style on Seymour Street. Significant features of the building include the cross-gabled porch with tapered wood columns and original elaborate cast iron railings. Below the projecting closed gable is a chamfered bay which contains a small decorative multi-pane window. The gable itself features brackets and more of the decorative shingles which are common along the street. The west elevation features a full-height projecting bay with a closed shingled gable supported by elaborate corner brackets, and it features two small triangular fan windows which flank an interior chimney. The rear features several additions.

123 Seymour Street. A 2 1⁄2-story front gabled 3-rank wood clapboard example with a full-width front porch which is a more elaborate example of the style on Seymour Street. Significant features include a projecting round portion of the porch, Classical porch columns which are partially fluted, and original wood enframements around windows and door. Above the porch, the second story features two bay elements; the easternmost one is faceted, and the westernmost is an unusual design with a flat front and curved corners and fish scale shingles below. The closed front gable features brackets, and decorative shingles with a central doubled window which is recessed with curved corners. The eastern façade features a full-height bay with cross-gabled pedimented top with an additional curved recessed window.

740 South Division Street. A 2 1⁄2-story front gabled 3-rank wood clapboard example with a full-width front porch. Notable features include square columns with cushion capitals, a small gable above the entry steps which features elaborately cut scrollwork, and fish scale shingles used on side of porch roof. Closed gable on front overhangs a bay window on second floor, and features fish scale shingles, a central slightly parapeted window, and a smaller closed gable at the peak. Cross gabled projection along east facade. Building appears to retain original 1/1 wood framed double hung sash windows, and some decorative stained glass panels may be present along the eastern façade.

778 South Division Street. A 2 1⁄2-story front gabled 2-rank wood clapboard example with a full-width front porch. Significant elements consist of full-height tapered wood columns with recessed paneling and decorative shingles in the small gable above the entryway. Closed gable roof features overlapping smaller gable which is above the second floor bay; gables feature decorative shingles, and a scalloped molding along the eaves.


Churches and Religious Institutions

696 Seneca Street (former Sacred Heart Rectory and Larkin’s Men’s Club).  Constructed in 1890, this symmetrical, 2-story hipped-roof brick building features slightly projecting central pavilion with gable supported by corbelled brick detail. Central entry features round arched masonry detail; upper floor windows feature bracketed sills and decorative hood moldings. It is designed using Italianate and Romanesque details.

759 South Division Street (St. Patrick’s Franciscan Monastery)    Fig C-10 A towering 3 1⁄2-story Medina sandstone masonry building in the Gothic Revival style, this building features a central entry pavilion which is topped with a tall hipped roof. The building features random-coursed rock-faced stone walls with several narrow windows with prominent stone sills and headers. At one time this Monastery was part of a larger complex of buildings and served the adjacent St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church which was a typical basilica-type church. Also on the property were school buildings and a hall. Thought to be constructed ca. 1891 by C. K. Porter & Son.

688 Swan Street (former St. Matthew’s German Evangelical Church)     St. Matthew’s German Evangelical Church is a vaulted one-story red brick Romanesque Building with a simple end-gabled rectilinear plan with a prominent tower at the south-east corner of the building. This relatively small building features rounded arched stained glass windows, grouped as a set of three at the south end facing Swan Street. Adjacent to the building is a small one-story gable end brick building with a single round-ached window visible. This building once served as the parlor and Sunday School rooms for the church. St. Matthew’s Church is among the oldest extant buildings in the Hydraulics neighborhood, and was established as a result of the mid-nineteenth-century immigration of Germans into the area. Constructed 1868-69, tower later altered.



Railroad Viaducts and Subways

East Eagle Street Subway.    This subway appears to date to ca. 1910 and is a steel and concrete exposed steel frame. The structure also features cut stone retaining walls. Three large steel structural joists run perpendicular to the track bridge above; one runs along the center of the structure and divides the roadway while joists also run along the edges of the roadway and section off small pedestrian pathways which are concrete paved. The structure contains numerous rivets which become almost a decorative detail on the otherwise basic form of the steel beam construction. A series of short steel columns which are made from steel panels rather than being a single element, each with two curved brackets, supports the beams. The actual rail lines are supported by a steel paneled bridge which, although rusted, still bears a trace of the old New York Central Company logo. A metal pipe railing runs along the rail bridge.

Emslie Street Subway. This subway is nearly identical to that which crosses East Eagle Street, and also appears to date to ca. 1910. Unlike the East Eagle Street Subway, the Emslie Street structure features two beams which flank each side of the roadway, with pedestrian pathways on each side. It is located adjacent to the East Eagle Street Subway, and the two are separated by cut-stone retaining wall.

North Division Street Subway. This ca. 1910 steel subway is of the same design and construction of those at East Eagle and Emslie Streets. Like its neighbor, the Emslie Street Subway, this is also a two beam structure with columns flanking each side of the roadway, with pedestrian pathways on each side. This appears to be in the best condition of the Hydraulics subways, showing minimal rust to the railroad bridge.

South Division Street Subway. The South Division Street Subway is of a slightly different design compared to the East Eagle, Emslie and South Division Street subways. The South Division Street subway features numerous cross-braced columns, one row at the center of the roadway, and one row on either side of the road dividing the pedestrian walkways. The railroad bridge features a simpler design and does not feature elevated panels like the other styles of bridges. Given its slightly different design, the South Division Street Subway may date to a slightly earlier period, possibly ca. 1900.

Swan Street Subway. Constructed ca. 1890s, the Swan Street Subway features a similar design as the East Eagle, Emslie and North Division Street subways. It features composite steel joists supported by steel columns, prominent riveting, a divided roadway design and cut-stone retaining walls. Unlike the other examples, this subway does not feature a prominent railroad bridge; the Swan Street Subway is constructed with a simple steel platform at track-level, guarded by a pipe railing. It also appears to retain some portions of the original pipe guard rail along the street level.


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