Preservation Ready Survey - Table of Contents

Excerpts
Preservation Ready Survey of Buildings Downtown, Northland, and Fougeron/Urban Survey Areas
Buffalo, NY
Official City of Buffalo Digitized Complete Preservation Ready Survey

NOTE: FOOTNOTES NOT INCLUDED IN THIS REPRINT. BOLD LETTERING ADDED FOR EASE OF READING.

4.0 Architectural Context and Survey Summary

The City of Buffalo possesses a considerable number and variety of nationally recognized architectural masterpieces dating from the late nineteenth through the 1960s. In the CBD, notable buildings were designed by both nationally and locally prominent architects. Buffalo’s architectural history has been the subject of numerous publications, articles, architectural surveys, and National Register nominations. The architectural survey summary presents a brief introduction to the architectural styles and themes associated with Buffalo’s CBD.

Buffalo Architecture: A Guide was the first published compendium of the city’s architecture. The book is arranged in an American Institute of Architects (AIA) format with chapters on seven different geographic sections of the city. Each essay was written by a local architectural historian or historian. The Guide offers black and white photographs and brief descriptions of selected buildings, as well as essays by noted local scholars of Buffalo’s architectural history. Though not comprehensive in its coverage, the book is recognized as the official guide book of Buffalo since its publication in 1981. Buffalo Architecture: A Guide provides an indispensable introduction to the city’s architecture. Unfortunately, the book is outdated and is need of revision to incorporate additional areas of the city, research and building information culled from the last 32 years, and current photographic documentation.

Mr. Chuck La Chiusa’s website “Buffalo Architecture and History” serves as the primary online source for the history and architecture of Buffalo. The website includes extensive information on the History of Buffalo, Buildings and Sites, Illustrated Dictionaries, Architects, Architecture-Styles, and Landmarks and Historic Districts. Consult “Buffalo Architecture and History" for more in depth information on historic buildings in the CBD.

Another valuable website of links and Buffalo historical information is Cynthia Van Ness’ BuffaloResearch.com.

The University of Buffalo Buffalo Map Collection Erie County have historic aerial photographs and maps of the City available online.

Numerous other websites and blogs offer information on the history and architecture of Buffalo and other related information.