Over 370
objects originally owned by Darwin D. and Isabelle Martin,
who commissioned
Wright to build Graycliff, their summer home in Derby, New
York, will be housed
in the University Archives.
The
Martins’ granddaughter, Margaret Foster, gifted the
artifacts to the
conservancy over many years. Margaret’s daughter, Betsy
Mudra, made additional
donations following her mother’s death.
Collectively, the historical materials, some of which had
been deposited with the University Archives since 1999,
consist of textiles,
such as the family’s quilts, napkins and table coverings,
with additional
materials that include blueprints, sketches, manuscripts,
photographs, diaries,
memorandum books, business and family correspondence, and
genealogical records
concerning the Martins and their children, Dorothy and
Darwin R. Martin.
Designed in 1926 and built over four years
beginning in 1927, Graycliff consists of three
Wright-designed structures and
gardens spread over roughly 8 acres of land above a
cliff on the Lake Erie
shore, 17 miles southwest of Buffalo, New York. A Roman
Catholic teaching order
purchased the property in 1951 and modified the
buildings and grounds to
accommodate a boarding school. Falling enrollment led to
the school’s closing
in 1997. Local preservationists formed the nonprofit,
volunteer Graycliff
Conservancy that same year to purchase the complex and
begin the process of
restoring Wright’s original design. Today, Graycliff
serves as a cultural
education center and public museum.
All of the Wright-related material in University Archives is
accessible to the public. But as with all the archives’
collections, guests are
strongly encouraged to make an appointment prior to their
visit.
More information on the collections is available at: research.lib.buffalo.edu/martin-wright.
