Buffalo... Who Knew?

“Buffalo….who knew?” that Forest Lawn, the cemetery located in the city proper/adjacent to Olmsted’s Delaware Park that dates back to 1849, was part of the 19th-century rural (or garden) cemetery movement.  The movement, which represented a nationwide shift inspired by Romanticism, aimed to move burials out of cramped, unsanitary city centers into beautifully land...

Until recently, I had never paid a visit to the Niagara Arts & Cultural Center (The NACC) in Niagara Falls, NY. So when I was invited to tour the facility with its executive director, Jennifer Pauly, I jumped at the opportunity. It just so happened that when I toured the massive building complex, Phase One of The NACC’s Theatre Restoration Project had been completed, including ADA access...

“Buffalo…..who knew” that the first woman to practice architecture in the US, the first woman member of the American Institute of Architects and the first woman to be made a Fellow of the A.I.A was Buffalo’s own Louise Blanchard Bethune? Bethune, who apprenticed with esteemed Buffalo architect Richard A. Waite as of 1876, launched her own firm in 1881 and, then, another with her husband in 1891, u...

“Buffalo… who knew” that one of the city’s neighborhoods has been recognized as one of the country’s 10 best neighborhoods by the American Planning Association?  Elmwood Village, which started to take form in the post-Civil War period, was developed as a city within a park framework—in this case, Frederick Law Olmsted’s Delaware Park.  Elmwood then went into a p...

“Buffalo…who knew” that there is a center of art, design, and construction housed in an early 20th Century church located just outside of downtown? Led by artist, architect and visionary, Dennis Maher, Assembly House 150 is an “architectural dreamworld” that includes classrooms for students, stories high sculptures, a gallery and studio where artists and tradespeople collaborate on architectural a...

“Buffalo…Who Knew” that the HIstoric Colored Musicians Club is the only continuously running, all-Black owned club in the US? This historically-significant site was founded in 1917 when the all-white musicians union, Local 43, refused to include African American musicians in the union. A separate union, Buffalo Local 533, was thus formed, making Buffalo the eighth...

“Buffalo…..who knew” that Robert T. Coles, a Buffalo-born and MIT-educated architect, launched the first African American-owned architecture firm in New York State and in the Northeast? And that his house, located on Humboldt Parkway, is poised to become Buffalo’s next house museum and cultural site?  Coles was the first African American to win the Rotch Traveling Scholarship...

“Buffalo…..who knew?” that Buffalo boasts a festival that celebrates the humanities, thought, and creativity, and that it is a coming-together of both cultural and educational institutions across the city?  Newell and Frits discuss, and learn (more) about, the Buffalo Humanities Festival, which is celebrating its 10th year. Podcast guests are festival Executive Director, Christina Millet...

“Buffalo….who knew” that Buffalo hosts one of the most respected art conservation departments in the country? The Patricia H. and Richard E. Garman Art Conservation Department at Buffalo State, founded in 1970, is one of the leading programs of its kind in North America. Listen as Newell and Frits speak with Director, Patrick Ravines, about the founding of the program, some of the storied items on...

The “Buffalo…..who knew?” podcast series aims to highlight the (often under appreciated, sometimes unearthed) assets of Buffalo–particularly as it relates to the built and natural environment. It reveals up-and-coming projects, checks in on those that are already underway, and discusses some of the barriers that may impede their forward movement. “Buffalo….who knew” that Frederick Law Olmsted clai...

The Buffalo Niagara Hostel is a unique and wonderful asset to Buffalo: the organization was founded and woven into the fabric of downtown at a time when little was happening in our city’s center (in 1996), it offers budget-conscious travelers–from literally around the world–an interesting, comfortable and communal landing pad, and it serves as a cultural hub for the creative and civically-engaged...

The “Buffalo…..who knew?” podcast series aims to highlight the (often under appreciated, sometimes unearthed) assets of Buffalo–particularly as it relates to the built and natural environment. It reveals up-and-coming projects, checks in on those that are already underway, and discusses some of the barriers that may impede their forward movement. It brings together two ardent Buffalo champions—and...

The “Buffalo…..who knew?” podcast series aims to highlight the (often under appreciated, sometimes unearthed) assets of Buffalo–particularly as it relates to the built and natural environment. It reveals up-and-coming projects, checks in on those that are already underway, and discusses some of the barriers that may impede their forward movement. In this segment of Buffalo….who knew?, Frits Abell...

After the overwhelming feedback from our first episode of the “Building Buffalo Podcast: Around the world of Buffalo, with Frits Abell,” Newell Nussbaumer and Frits decided to continue their exploration of Buffalo’s transformation and growth. Introducing, the “Buffalo…..who knew?” podcast series which aims to highlight the (often under appreciated, sometimes une...