Wilkes House
- Table of Contents
Exterior
- Emma B. Wilkes House
495 Lafayette Avenue at the corner of Norwood
Avenue,
Buffalo, NY
Built: |
1906 |
Architect: |
Martin C. Miller |
Style: |
Arts & Crafts |
Status: |
2012
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places |
First owner: |
1906
- Henry and Emma B. Wilkes |
Second owner: |
1911-
Alice Nathan |
Third owner: | 1939
- Ernest & Margot Freudenheim. Ernst moved here from Germany in
1930s to evade Jewish persecution. Through the 40s Freudenheim
housed several refugee families on the third floor of this house. |
Fourth owner: | 1958
- Jules Fugdor |
Fifth owner: | 1964
- Robert Freudenheim (son) |
Sixth owner: | 1973
- Victor Shanchuk |
495 Lafayette Avenue
The Shanchuk’s are the
current owners of this home. Victor is an accomplished photographer,
painter and artist and the home is filled with the couple’s collections
of art and antiques. Victor recently had a show, Chemical
Light, exhibited at the Burchfield Penney Art Center.Owners: Victor and Deborah Shanchuk 9/2/19 By Judy Tucker This handsome Arts and Crafts Colonial style house was designed by Martin C. Miller and was built in 1906 for Henry and Emma Wilkes. Wilkes was born in Buffalo and was Founder and President of the American Household Storage Company in 1903. He was an Elder at Lafayette Presbyterian Church for 25 years. In the late 1930s, Ernst Freudenheim and his family moved to Buffalo from Germany after persecution of Jewish people began. Freudenheim first worked in a jewelry store and then opened his own jewelry business in this home. The original jewelry safe is in the first-floor bathroom. Freudenheim was very active in help ing Jews get out of Germany and in the 40’s he housed several refugee families on the third floor of this house. Listed on National Register of Historic Places in 2012, note the stained-glass transom window above the entrance, and period windows throughout the house. The home contains its original oak panels, open central staircase, window seats and pocket doors. In the entry, a saloon bar that the current owners found in the basement has been restored and contains the original nameplate for A.F. Meyer, a Buffalo manufacturing business started in 1915 that was a pioneer in electric refrigeration and saloon fixtures. |
![]() ![]() Architect's drawings: 1906 ![]() Arts & Crafts style ![]() ![]() Slate dormers ... Bargeboard ... Six over one lights ... Replacement asphalt roof ![]() Rafter tails - a typical Arts & Crafts style feature ![]() Bargeboard ![]() Rafter tails ![]() Battered wall ![]() Scupper ![]() Rafters ![]() Arts & Crafts style stained glass transom window ![]() Stained glass: Opalescent glass ... Ripple glass ... Came ![]() |
West
elevation![]() ![]() Brick voussoirs ... Six over one lights ... Stone sill ![]() Oriels ... Brick voussoirs ... Sills ... Corbels ![]() Sills ... Corbels ![]() Eight over one lights ![]() ![]() Corbel |