Wattles House - Table of Contents

Exterior - Gurdon Moses Wattles House
393 Richmond Avenue, Buffalo NY

The Wattles House at 393 Richmond was built for Gurdon Moses Wattles, who was in the commission business in the mercantile industry in Buffalo and "made a good fortune." In 1873, Gurdon married Louise Grader, who was described as "in every respect a very noble woman, possessing unusual business ability, of a kind and sympathetic nature, and great force of character." They were successful dealers in butter and eggs, and founded Buffalo Butter and Egg Company. They also invested large sums in real estate, gaining for himself a reputation for "honesty, and integrity and wise business practices." In 1899, a few years after Louise's death in 1897, Gurdon married her sister, Mrs. Mary Kemptke. With the Pan-American Exposition coming in 1901, he wanted to build a grand home to entertain in. He brought in the finest woodworkers and European artisans to build his home. The home features an impressive foyer, and each of the first floor rooms were done in different woods with woodworkers brought on site to custom mill the woodwork. The signature piece is a hand carved griffin with a gingerbread surround. Gurdon's children's weddings were held in this house, and socialites would often gather there. These social events were often reported in the society sections of the Buffalo Express, citing the style of dress Mrs. Wattles was wearing, the names of the guests invited for tea, the types of flower arrangements used. Gurdon died in 1914, leaving his second wife, May, the hefty sum of $150 a month; his total estate was $600,000, equivalent to $15 million today.

Details below, starting at the top: Queen Anne  style sharply pointed gable roof with wooden shingled  tympanum   ...    Ribbon  half-latticed  dormer windows separated by Ionic /Tuscan  pilasters   ...   Asphalt roof 2-story bay window Colonial Revival   portico Ionic column style volutes  and fluting ...   Tuscan column style necking Ionic columns  ...   Double vase balustrade Double vase balustrade  Queen Anne features:   Double front doors   ...  Leaded glass in transom and side lights   Leaded glass in transom  flanked by pilasters Leaded glass in side light Egg-and-dart vertical molding   ...   Queen Anne style hardware, detailed below: Broken pediment with center  C scrolls / lion head  ... Classical figures flanking cartouche   ...   Double acanthus leaves and bellflowers   ...   Flemish scrolls at bottom Steps cheekwall features volute scroll Shingled gabled side dormers Oriel window (at the foot of the foyer staircase)