Bill Zimmermann and I took some time to venture down to Buffalo’s waterfront earlier today. We set out in search of the marble remains of St Joseph’s New Cathedral, which was demolished in 1976. The cathedral had been built in 1917 and was located at 1013 Delaware Avenue (corner of W. Utica). It suffered a lifetime of disrepair due to faulty craftsmanship, and after being knocked to the ground the remains were deposited along the shores of Lake Erie (alongside the land where The Pier sits). A view from a boat shows a shoreline of glistening white marble, and a close up view of the buffer is something to behold.
Different shapes appear to grow out from the rock, and both are interspersed with debris from what Bill believes is the Father Baker Bridge. “It’s too bad that they did not have the foresight to donate the marble to a cause,” Bill said. “The marble stretches as far as the eye can see… can you imagine if these pieces of marble were placed in a park type setting? Look at the columns! Did you see this platform… these look like steps.” I told him that I had talked to local artisits who have scoured the beach looking for smaller sizes of marble to use in works of art. And so it went for about half an hour before he concluded that there should be a Micro Park get-together complete with a bonfire at the foot of the discarded marble.
“Nothing big… just a brainstorm session with fellow Buffalonians (and maybe a beer or two).” We examined a circle of rocks that held the remains of previous fires and noted that there was plenty of parking in the area. The day would include a hike along the waterfront, a showing of the marble remains, and a bonfire. The day would most likely be September 30th and would be super-informal. Probably a mid-day get-together along with a cookout. There are totally desolate trails along the water’s edge that a car can make its way through. Click here to get a glimpse of the roadway.
So this coming weekend is Oktoberfest at the Central Terminal and the following weekend we are thinking about getting together over at the Outer Harbor. If you are interested in showing up for a bonfire, send me an email queenseyes@buffalorising.com. I have a feeling that Bill has ideas brewing and he’d like to get some folks together in an informal/unique setting along Buffalo’s waterfront.
For those of you who may not be familiar with this site, it is the first exit off the Skyway if youire coming from Delaware Avenue. The trail winds down to the lake and out along the wateris edge.