I have been doing a lot of complaining about what is wrong with the city lately. But that is just one side of the story. We can’t ignore what is right with the city today. A few years ago I wrote a post about the Birge Mansion, showing it back in the 1980s versus now. Back in the 80s the house was a boarded up wreck waiting for demolition. Right there on one of Buffalo’s premier public squares across from Kleinhans Music Hall was a rotting mess of a building. Back in the 70s and 80s this was just an accepted condition for Buffalo. Of course, eventually people stepped forward who did not think it was acceptable to allow this wonderful mansion to rot away. It was restored and is now a fully functional piece of Buffalo’s and America’s architectural heritage. I say America’s heritage for a reason.
Buffalo’s heritage needs to be thought of in the broad national context because it is that important. More and more it seems that the people of Buffalo are recognizing the architectural gift they have been given by our ancestors. Walking around Symphony Circle today, it is apparent that a lot of new money has been invested in each the houses facing the park. Fresh paint, new roofs and extensive new landscaping are apparent on all of them. This along with the recent restoration of Kleinhans Music Hall including reconstruction of its grand reflecting pool plus the reintroduction of the center traffic island of the Circle with its historic light pole make for palpable improvements in this part of the city. Even the bronze sculptures around the Circle have recently been restored. On top of this, the surrounding neighborhoods have been seeing major new investment as people have become aware of the amazing architecture they hold at bargain basement prices.
Although much still needs to be done to raise awareness and appreciation for the city’s precious architectural fabric it seems that allowing buildings to rot (at least in the more prosperous parts of the city) is becoming less acceptable. Some day, perhaps it will be just plain unacceptable to use demolition by neglect as a building management system in Buffalo. I have purposefully not mentioned the most prominent building on the circle. That would be the First Presbyterian Church of Buffalo. The congregation of this church recently announced that they are considering closing the church building and merging with another congregation. This of course puts a big damper on my current enthusiasm. This church is a masterpiece which has one of the most glorious interiors in America. It cannot be allowed to rot away. It should not be chopped up into condos. I will write more on this in the future. For now, I will just say that it is time for the people of Western New York (not just Buffalo) to see their architectural heritage as something that has been entrusted to them by their ancestors and their nation to care for and pass on to future generations. When buildings such as First Presbyterian become endangered, we are not just cutting into bone – we are amputating. Past generations have not done a very good job of protecting our heritage. As a result we are all poorer as a nation.