I live in Buffalo and own one of the "lower end" large homes (built 1887) with an old carriage house in the back. Lots of ornate architecture details both inside and out. It's a lot of work to bring back and maintain but I love it. Buffalo is home to the oldest housing stock in the nation. There isn't a side street you can go down to see the most interesting houses in the country. We often have architectural students wandering around taking pictures of these old homes.
They’re beautiful. My relative owned one of the Richmond ave houses made of beautiful pink sandstone with ornate windows and crown molding. Richmond Delaware and colonial circle have some of the most beautiful homes
My husband and I had our wedding at the Butler Mansion. I used to work on the Medical Campus and would regularly go down Millionaire's Row. North Street and Porter Ave have some beautiful homes too.
When I was a child in the 70's, a family friend, Ed and Audrey Hall owned one of these mansions in Buffalo. We'd stay there every summer and I loved the 12 foot crystal chandelier above the grand staircase. It was a beautiful home filled with civil war antiques and so many other things.
@@7north118 I’m in general food service and I knew a few people who work in this old mansions that have been turned into event areas for weddings and other bullshit
I grew up in Texas where you don’t get to see much architecture like this. I moved to Buffalo a couple of years ago and was astonished at the beautiful architecture. It’s hard for me to imagine that these homes were once owned by a single family. Today they are businesses and hotels, part of the city or schools and organizations. It’s awesome that some of them are open to the public.
Yep hard to imagine because this government has stripped individuals of their right to be successful and own homes like these. Now most of the idiots get to live in 1000sqft apartments all on top of each other going through the same brainless routine day in and day out with the illusion they have freedoms and nice things. America…
I was born and raised in Buffalo and it always made me sad that they were turned into businesses. When I was little I thought these businesses had stolen these people's homes lol. I couldn't understand where the families went and why they left their beautiful homes. Of course I understand now. What a shame they couldn't afford to keep them and pass them down to future generations of the family.
Even though I never lived in Buffalo, I knew a lot about it, living across the lake all my life in Toronto. Lot of history there. Growing up, we only got 6 TV channels, and half were in Buffalo. So I remember Irv Weinstein, Nolan Johannis, Rick Azar, and Tom Joles from Commander Tom, Dave Thomas from Rocketship 7...
People from Toronto used to think that all of Buffalo must have burnt down from all of Irv's reporting on "another Buffalo blaze" on almost every news broadcast...!
I work at a law firm that purchased and renovated one of the mansions on Delaware. Beautiful details. The owners tried to keep as much to the original as possible. It’s a beautiful building. We even have some of the original blue prints framed and hanging in the building. As well as a full speakeasy in the basement, complete with a bank vault door.
Imagine if the walls in the speakeasy could talk. All the sex, drugs, Liquor and dancing the elite could ever want. Not much has changed in 100+ years. 😂 Just not hidden as much.
My hometown, Buffalo NY . Delaware Ave. minutes from downtown and throughout the city have beautiful buildings , homes , churches etc with amazing architectural features and more! I’m so thrilled to have found this video, quite a history lesson! Thank you for sharing this video and it’s historical side of the city! ( Bflo, NY) I would like to see this type of video on the history of Linwood Ave. Bflo, NY , if it is possible!
Yeah people don't give Buffalo enough love for how amazing it really is. I mean, the proximity to water is incredible and Buffalo has preserved what a lot of other cities have destroyed. I lived in Seattle for awhile while Amazon was growing bigger and bigger and the saddest thing I saw in Seattle is that they were demolishing beautiful, historic buildings and houses in order to put up huge high rise condos and it has ruined the character Seattle once had. Buffalo hasn't gone that low yet. Buffalo definitely needs some updates like the need to have roads downtown paved or replaced timed traffic lights with sensored ones. Buffalo just needs some love from people who love it who have the means to fund projects to bring up Buffalo. I believe Buffalo has the potential to be the best city in America. The winters here really aren't that bad compared to other snowy areas. Yes, it does snow a LOT here but it's not continuous snowfall. Buffalo gets a few big blasts of snow but in between it's dry as a bone. It rarely drops below 30 degrees! Climate change is to blame mostly sadly so it's actually not a good thing to have milder winters here!
Although we now live a half hour north in Lewiston NY, my fiancé and I's first apartment was 2 blocks from millionaires row, and we enjoyed walking up and down through that area and seeing the beautiful architecture.
WOW! I wasn't expecting that ending. Most of your videos end with the majority of houses being demolished. It's great to see that many of the homes remain - even if converted to commercial usage. I wish that Pittsburgh had more of its mansions still around.
I really enjoy the seven minute power punch you throw into these short videos with such an excellent historical backstory. Excellent presentation and terrific delivery!
Thank you for this episode. It was nice to see that most of the houses shown are still standing even if most of them cannot be visited. William Butler's house is my favourite.
As an Uber driver in Buffalo I loved telling people from out of town about this part of the city but I didn't know nearly this much! Amazing video. Thank you for enlightening a big part of our city's history.
My hometown. There's a Frank Lloyd Wright house or two in Buffalo. Lots of amazing architecture. The gigantic abandoned train station on the waterfront is still standing, as far as I know. If you are planning a trip to Buffalo, be sure to visit Our Lady of Victory basilica in Lackawanna. It's pretty overwhelming, the stations of the cross depicted in larger- than- life sized marble statuary etc,
I will say that while Kleinhans Hall may not be at the top of the list for architecture, the sound is great and a performance of the Buffalo Philharmonic makes it well worth a visit.
I live in Buffalo and had the luxury of being able to see 2 of these amazing houses (not specifically mentioned in this video but part of Delaware's millionaire row). My wife worked for the law firm Dolce-Penepinto and I got a tour of the mansion they refurbished. It had a cool bar in the basement thr contractors had found hidden behind a wall! Most likely during prohibition. The other is for a software company, CTG as my father's business cleans for them so he, myself and a few others would have to clean the space when the normal staff wasn't available. Talk about grandiose! The woodwork mainly survives in both of these places. It really is a step back in time. I wish I worked for either of these companies so I could go in to these buildings each day!
I’m from a place in California called “Chico” and we have a historic home from the Gilded Age (1880s-1915ish) called ‘The Bidwell Mansion’. The top of the home is built in the EXACT same style as Mary Astors (because the Bidwells moved from NY during this time period), and the top floor is/was a ballroom!😂 When I saw your pic of Marys home in this vid I thought it was Bidwell mansion! Anyway, When the Bidwells traveled from New York in 1897ish, Mr. Bidwell built their home for his wife Anne and they became land owners that grew trees. I grew up in the 90’s touring this house and it is the coolest place to visit! Tours are still happening to this day! It’s 5 stories, w/ a servant house, a garage w/ all their OG carriages, so many antiques, creepy stuff, they even have secret parts of the house, like a staircase inside of the wall and a spiral staircase on the backside of the house for the servants. The kitchen is still the same, and there’s a GINORMOUS painted photo of Mr. Bidwell hanging in the entrance hall. It’s one of those spooky paintings where his eyes follow you while you walk past 🫣 🙈. Oh also, the OG gramophone still works, and during the tour, they play the org. recorded sound of a song the Bidwells did. It was the coolest place to see on school field trips as a kid and every single piece in the home has a super cool story. So, if anyones interested in still seeing an original gilded age home, highly rec. visiting the Bidwell mansion in Chico, CA! It’s like $20 for an entire tour of their grounds. Or just look it up on the Googs.☺️ EDIT: I misspoke, the top of the house was a lookout so mr Bidwell could see his brothers house across town. The ballroom is directly on top of the mansion.
This comment was very informative. As a lifelong resident of Buffalo I pass by alot of these structures without even paying attention to them. I absolutely adore the architecture, especially the Victorian era style homes which we have alot of on the west side. Getting to the point of this comment there's actually a street in the west side called Bidwell. Very interesting.
@@juancarlosnegron2358 no way!! Awe that’s SO cool to me, because growing up going to Bidwell mansion, they always read us the letters sent back and forth from Mr Bidwells friends in NY. He was friends with some of those guys on Millionaire Row and they’d come visit and stay in their house. Pretty sure the Bidwells vintage grand piano was purchased from one of those guys for his wife Annie. These guys were known for being the starters of modern metropolitan life. Bidwell basically was one of the first guys to start NorCal living. It’s just weird to know that they were all friends at one point, planning their futures. It would not at all surprise me if that street is named after him. Thanks for sharing!
Bidwell Parkway. Runs west to east. Alot of huge houses on Bidwell, it runs through Delaware where alot of these houses on this video are at. Big houses w big manicured lawns, there's still a lot of that old money there though its alot more concealed than before. Thanks for the info I'm going to have to look up the bidwells now.😉
Bidwell Pkwy in Buffalo, 🤔 hmm possibly the Bidwell family! So very interesting! It is an area with beauty and charm ( homes) from that era that still exist ! You can almost feel the historic beauty/ ambiance!
this is one of my favorite areas to just drive around. the old houses are so beautiful. I saw one listed about a year ago for a few million, it had been restored and updated. If I was a millionaire id move in to that house in a heartbeat.
I was lucky enough to attend high school in the converted Rand Mansion at 1180 Delaware. Many of the features of the house were still intact including the 2nd floor ballroom, intricate woodwork and fireplaces throughout. Quite the privilege!
Hello Daniel, this sounds like Canisius High School to me - just a grand and historic institution! I lived on West Ferry Street for twenty-plus years (1983-2007) just across from your school's playing field. I never grew tired of living on that block between Delaware and Elmwood - and I walked the neighborhood constantly, and always noticed something new. I always knew when Canisius was in session (in that) an on-street parking spot (on my block)) was impossible to find anywhere close. Good memories nonetheless! Cheers from Niagara Canada!
I lived right across from the police station when a rent a center was there and I lived upstairs. A chicken place was next door and a bar on the other side. Worked at LaNova folding boxes, and other things. 😂 I went to Seneca on E. Delevan. Much different from this area.
I attended canisius in the early '80s and remember the hodgepodge of buildings connected together repurposed from their original intent. A Jesuit high school using what was once a Masonic temple to play basket ball games. Parking your car on what was once the milburn house where president McKinley died. Doing some JUG after classes ended, those of you who attended know what JUG stands for. Was told by a priest " the whiter the bread, the quicker you're dead" .
Thanks for posting this. I went to school at Buffalo State and remember going to the museum and walking down the streets with all the nice houses. I remember a Frank Lloyd Wright house that was converted to a doctor’s office.
Linwood Avenue was not quite Millionaire's Row, but second-tier wealth, so to speak, as was West Ferry Street, especially from Linwood to Elmwood Avenues. My great-great-grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-uncle all had homes on Linwood Avenue. One still stands. One became part of Millard Fillmore Hospital, but was later torn down for hospital expansion. Linwood Avenue has become a center for regentrification as many wonderful Victorian homes have been renovated or restored. Buffalo was, at one time, quite a magnificent city, but by about 1970 high costs started to drive lots of industry out, and the city went into terrible decline. Population today is about a third of what it once was.
Buffalo was a thriving port city until the steel mills shut down. In the early 1970's, my family published a print entertainment magazine ("Scene" magazine). We published "Scene" for only a few years until the money ran out. We had a big house in E. Amherst at the time, but the "Scene" magazine production office where we put the magazine together and where the telephone solicitors that we hired made calls from was on West Ferry, just a block or two from Main St. We also had an office suite in the Statler Hilton for the advertising agency that was connected to the magazine. Print publications rely on ad revenue for their financial survival, subscriptions pay practically nothing. Loan sharks eventually led to "Scene"''s demise. But what an exciting time it was, when as a teenager I got to go to so many live concerts and interview the rock stars who toured through Buffalo. I've been trying to locate a few of our old employees.
@@suzannedonovan2675 Not far from my forebears' homes! Linwood Av. was a lovely neighborhood with architecturally distinctive family homes amid neighborliness.
I know even with jobs leaving the country, many cities in the US are having a lot of growth so what are those cities doing to overcome the outsourcing of jobs overseas. Would be nice to know.
So sad that so many significant houses have been lost in Buffalo. But the good news is that there are two surviving historic structures in Buffalo that make it worth a visit: the Darwin Martin House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright between 1903-1905 for the owner of the Larkin Company (which sold numerous household products), Darwin Martin. It has been meticulously restored and is open for tours. HH Richardson also built an insane asylum in Buffalo which has survived and is a popular wedding and conference venue today. Great content, which highlights the need to preserve our architectural heritage whenever possible.
I didn’t watch the video yet before commenting. But a lot of the “millionaires row” homes are still there. Just converted into apartments or offices now. What Buffalo did lose is its density. Downtown is ruined by parking lots. Which I think they’re starting to fill back in with homes and buildings slowly but surely
After watching these videos it seems that so many millionaire's rows in larger cities are gone! It's nice to see that Buffalo was able to keep so many, and put them to good use, instead of tearing them down. At least once a year these buildings are open to the public. They truly are amazing structures!
Yeah, we kept most of everything from our glory days. Only one of note to really be torn down were the pan-am expo grounds. And those were meant to be temporary anyways
They are out there, but get absolutely no attention from the mass media…. I spent a lot of my childhood in Midland Michigan, home of Dow Chemical, and they had their own millionaires row (still do), beautiful homes in the prairie Frank Lloyd wright style…. but I only know about it because I was there…. Indianapolis is also a very impressive city, not just homes, but amazing monuments….
Born and raised here. Anytime I’m out and about I always find myself taking a drive down millionaire row. Always wanted to learn more about the history. Thanks for this video.
Proud to have been born & raised in Buffalo. I was fortunate to live in an old mansion on Linwood Ave. that was divided into 3 apartments. The architecture in this city is absolutely beautiful, and I happy that you are sharing it for others to see!
When I was a kid growing up in the 70s, many of my trick-or-treating years was in a wealthy neighborhood (where the homes are further apart and spread out it) It wasn’t until I was in the 6th grade, and trick-or-treating with a friend, at his apartment complex, and I really got much more bang-for-your-buck as the “front doors” are much closer together, so we got much more chocolate in much less walking time.
@@tyroneshoelaces9742 Not sure what world you're living in! It's quite a lovely scene for young professionals moving in! Take a look around lots of art, music and almost every month is new restaurant openings happening.
It’s a shame that down town has been torn apart. All of those parking lots used to be dense storefronts and apartments. But there is definitely still a lot of great architecture there. Out of the major cities id rank it like 7-10 in the country as far as historic architecture to find
@@yessicavazquez9749 A world of reality. Try traveling around and see for yourself and compare. Look at census data. People have been leaving for years.
I work at the Clement House in Buffalo that now houses the BPO and Red Cross. It really is a work of art inside with very intricate wood work and marble flooring. It's a Buffalo treasure.
growing up in Buffalo we lived on Mariner St. 156 exactly. built in 1848. the basement was field stone with clay and lime mortar. I delivered papers for the BEN all along Delaware Ave from Bryant to Tupper. The house I liked the best was Mark Twains house, the carriage house of that property is now part of a restaurant built in the 60's.
A great memory George! I spent a good part of my life in Buffalo and absolutely loved the area you describe. (I was on West Ferry Street, between Delaware and Elmwood, for over twenty years and never got tired of looking at the great architecture, which was everywhere!) For those not familiar with Buffalo, your reference to "BEN," refers to The Buffalo Evening News - a great newspaper in its day (just a mere shadow of itself today). Cheers!
I just walked along Delaware Avenue this past summer. Was an impressive collection of architecture and was glad to see so many surviving mansions, and it had a lot of variety - with some of the 19th Century buildings still standing today, the largest of which is now the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site, which is one of the oldest buildings on Delaware Avenue, being built as a barracks around 1837 and converted into a mansion in 1847, later being expanded with the addition of a portico and an addition to the rear that obscures the original front facade that was built in 1896 and allowed the house to remain an impressive mansion that held its own next to the more opulent and larger mansions that were being built along the avenue. There's also an Henry Hobson Richardson-designed Second Empire-style house known as the William Dorsheimer House from 1868, which is the commission that jump-started his career, which got him the connections to get the Buffalo State Hospital project one year later, where he implemented his signature Richardsonian Romanesque style for the first time, though his work was not widely recognized until he designed Trinity Church in the early 1870s. I generally found that there were older victorian-era houses and buildings scattered all along the avenue between the larger and more modern buildings and mansions present today, but the highest concentration of the older houses is closer to downtown, where they survived likely in part due to the area being less desirable when the larger houses were being built further up the avenue, closer to Forest Lawn Cemetery and Gates Circle and further away from the industrial areas. Along with Delaware Avenue, Lincoln Parkway was a prominent address in the early 20th Century, with many of the city's wealthy building homes between Soldiers Circle and Delaware Park. Most of these survive but the largest, which belonged to the Larkin family, has been demolished.
Well done guys! I've followed your channel since the beginning and have often commented that Buffalo's significance during that period was at parr with cities like Chicago, New York, and St. Louis. And therefore had significant wealth and our architecture rivals that of those other cities. I have to say you did a good job on this one and thank you for FINALLY including us in your "Millionaire Row" series.
Both Buffalo and St Louis fell out of favor as new quicker transportation routes largely bypassed both cities which than spurred their deindustrialization and population declines. Both Buffalo and St Louis have lost over half their population in the late 1900s into the early 2000s.
Good to see that some of the houses are still there . When business and institutions take over these buildings you have to remember that they used to be family homes ! I love social history and find it fascinating.
Buffalo has been my home for 9 years now, my favorites are the H.H. Richardson buildings. I'll definitely miss it next year as I'm moving to Las Vegas due to the current leadership and state of New York. It's just not the same post pandemic.
I live in Buffalo! It's so beautiful here! Come Christmas time, we always drive down Delaware, it is absolutely beautiful! Millionaires Row is literally 10 minutes from me.
I would have to say that the Williams-Butler house is my favorite of the Delaware Avenue mansions. There are other beautiful mansions in Buffalo from the classical Birge (wallpaper fortune) mansion to the phenomenal Darwin Martin house complex (Frank Lloyd Wright, architect). Excellent video.
I've walked a tour of this street during the summer. I would love to see the inside of these homes some day! They appear deceptively small from the street, but when you walk around you can see how far back the lots go and how large the homes are.
I live just outside Buffalo. This is one of the best videos about our city's architecture of this particular area. We have so much to offer, stop by and visit us!
I recently visited the Knox mansion. The owner is passionate about restorting the home to it's former glory. It's still beautiful despite so much of it being changed through previous owners.
I live in Toronto and grew up in St. Catharines an half hour away from the border. I have cross border shopped in Buffalo and it's suburbs since the late 60's. Buffalo can be dumpy in parts but some of the architecture in the downtown area is unique and colourful. Have never tired of driving around seeing some of these grand old homes and buildings.
@@Emme4047 Yeah.."DUMPY". To think otherwise just exemplifies delusion. Get over your aversion of words that properly describe the state of that city. Signed...former resident of Buffalo.
Just to remind everyone that oftentimes the "dumpy" areas are that way at least in part to the 'millionaire rows' . Gaining exorbitant wealth through the exploitation of workers (or inheritance thereof), yet welding oneself to a 'bootstrap' mindset regarding everyone else, substantially helps to create such obvious and apparent wealth discrepancy, as does the wanting of ever more & fancier by those with such exponential wealth while their neighbours lack enough & basics. (Performative 'philanrhropy' does not negate that).
I lived on Allen St close to Delaware a few years ago and loved walking up and down Delaware! I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to live in a house so large.
Lincoln parkway, Starin Ave, West Ferry, McKinley parkway, Linwood ave, there are a LOT of amazing homes built by true craftsman... never will we see such homes built outside of those for the very wealthy.
Do yourself a favor... you can still visit the other millionaire's row in Forest Lawn, the main cemetery located between Delaware Ave, E. Delavan Ave and Main St... just down the street from the houses they built. You will see where many of them are buried and some of the best crypts ever built. Take the guided tours in summer, you will not be disappointed.
My late husband and I were students at Buffalo State College (across from the Albright-Knox Museum) back in the 1980's. We loved walking down another street that seemed just as ritzy as "Millonaires' Row". As I remember, it went from west to east and was up to the northeast of the college and east of Elmwood Avenue. I always thought the larger old houses and street's tree-lined and wide green strip separating the sidewalk from the street provided a 19th century ambiance. I guess I did walk down Delaware Avenue at some point, because I did recognize some buildings shown in this video.
Which also hits on to one of the odd parts of Buffalo. If you had walked a block the opposite way from campus you would be in a very rough and poor neighborhood...like the ones my Dad lived in.
The houses on Delaware are so incredibly beautiful inside.The interiors spared no unfinished detail. When Bethlehem steel went down that started the collapse along with the Scajaquada Expressway most wealthy moved out to Suburbs.
Every day that I drove from Hamburg to classes at Canisius College, I would travel along Delaware Avenue. My favorite mansion has always been the Knox House at 3:41 of the video. I got to see the inside a couple years ago during an open house event.
Very cool video! You should check out Rochester, New York, and see East Avenue! It has miles of giant mansions like those! Also east blvd and esplanade Avenue and all of the side streets to East Avenue have beautiful mansions.
I live in Buffalo and when I was little my pediatrician's office was in one of those houses on Delaware. Let's just say I loved going to the doctor when I was a kid lol.
That was wonderful. I could have watched a 2 hour doc on this ! As a kid growing up in Buffalo, I was well aware of millionaires row and drove down that part of Delaware Ave for years while staring at those amazing structures, and wishing they were still residential. But time goes on and those houses would be very challenging to live in and upkeep in today’s economy.
At the height of its power, there was almost no product that wasn't manufactured or traded in Western NY with Buffalo at its center. 3 presidents came from Buffalo. That alone should be an indication of its influence and importance between 1825 and 1945.
Buffalo is one of the great American cities, which is now in a full-on comeback. A big driver for that is that, while a lot of demolition did occur (particularly downtown), Buffalo held on to more of its historic architecture than many other cities (it was "rich at the right time, poor at the right time"). The result is a built environment which is affordable, beautiful, human-scaled and VERY MUCH the pride of the residents; the movement to restore these historic structures grows daily. Buffalo residents will have the last laugh--mark my word. (Oh, and did I mention the access to one of the largest bodies of fresh water?!? Florida and Arizona and Texas will be unlivable in 15-20 years.)
Plus, the Buffalo Bills fan base is unlike any other city in the US when it comes to football. Buffalo is the only city I have lived in where EVERYONE drops what they are doing to either go to the game if it's a home game or watch from home or the nearest TV with the game on. The streets are literally empty during a Bills game! Bills Mafia is impressive!
Hey Ken! Love your channel! Have you ever done any looking into the gilded age in Bar Harbor, ME? I lived there for 5 years while I attended College Of the Atlantic in the late 70’s early 80’s. Many of the mansions are still standing while many succumbed to the fire of 1947. Definitely right up your alley!❤
I had the privilege of working as a tech guy at 844 Delaware Avenue for the Stanley G. Falk school for 5 years. Our building was right next door to the Goodyear Mansion. Walking through the building was always a treat. So many twists and turns, but we made the technology work.
I’ve lived in Buffalo NY on the upper west side for most of my life and still live in here. My grammar school and high school were both on Delaware ave. with my high school being in a beautiful mansion. Buffalo NY has the most beautiful architecture!!!! I really enjoyed your video 😊😊
I am from Rochester (where East Avenue, with George Eastman's mansion, is a mini-version of Delaware Avenue) and have sold art for years at the Allentown festival which takes place on a somewhat-gentrified Delaware Avenue, the part closer to downtown. The street has definitely seen better days but is still more than worth experiencing (which you can't help doing if you sit there looking at the houses across from your booth for two days a year).
The United States DID NOT SEARCH for a strategic place to build The Erie Canal. As a matter of fact, President James Madison VETOED Federal funding of the project. One man, from a debtors prison due to shipping problems, wrote fourteen essays under the pseudonym Hercules in the Genesee Messenger on the idea of the canal from the Hudson River to Lake Erie that eventually inspired NYS Governor DeWitt Clinton to push for the financing and building of The Erie Canal, entirely on New York State's back. That one man was Jesse Hawley!
I always get the oddest feeling over the losses of our grand old architecture. I’m so glad to see that some fine examples still stand..I wonder if it would be worthwhile to plan a trip to Buffalo just to see the architecture..? 🤔
we got good food too, the sports teams are looking good, and we got niagara falls within a 20 minute drive. If you do come, brace yourself for the glass and steel pile of crap they're currently erecting right in front of the Albright Knox Gallery (on the elmwood side)
mrs. clement did not donate the house to the BPO. she donated it to the red cross during WWII. the BPO moved into the building within the past 5-10 years.
I grew up in Buffalo and often marveled at the homes in the Delaware Ave area. I graduated from the Buffalo Seminary, not too far away! I lived in another nice area on Middlesex Rd between the Art Gallery and the zoo. Not as opulent as Delaware Ave, but a very nice area as well. People wonder why Buffalo had all these huge mansions. Easy! Niagara Falls is only a 30 minute drive. In those days, Niagara Falls = Electricity. Electricity = major industry. Major industry = $$$.
0:20 The Federal government had nothing to do with the Erie Canal. It twice refused to provide any support for it or any internal improvements, aside from The National Road. As a result the canal's most forceful advocate, politician DeWitt Clinton, successfully convinced New York State to fund and construct it in 1817. It was derided as Clinton's Ditch by those who couldn't see the remarkable transformation it would bring, with tiny Buffalo becoming a large city initially as the port receiving the midwest's bounty, and cementing New York City's place as economic capital of the US. Samuel Wilkeson rescued the foundering construction of the requisite harbor off Lake Erie at the village of Buffalo. Otherwise, it would have terminated upstream at Black Rock's existing harbor.
I live in Buffalo and own one of the "lower end" large homes (built 1887) with an old carriage house in the back. Lots of ornate architecture details both inside and out. It's a lot of work to bring back and maintain but I love it. Buffalo is home to the oldest housing stock in the nation. There isn't a side street you can go down to see the most interesting houses in the country. We often have architectural students wandering around taking pictures of these old homes.
Got any rooms for rent?
Ah! If those architects could be inspired by these beautiful houses, instead of creating these lego-bland buildings!
Chuck "There isn't a side street you can go down to see the most interesting houses in the country." Why aren't there any side streets to go down?
They’re beautiful. My relative owned one of the Richmond ave houses made of beautiful pink sandstone with ornate windows and crown molding. Richmond Delaware and colonial circle have some of the most beautiful homes
Invite me please or at least send me a pic. It sounds divine.
My husband and I had our wedding at the Butler Mansion. I used to work on the Medical Campus and would regularly go down Millionaire's Row. North Street and Porter Ave have some beautiful homes too.
Cool!
When I was a child in the 70's, a family friend, Ed and Audrey Hall owned one of these mansions in Buffalo. We'd stay there every summer and I loved the 12 foot crystal chandelier above the grand staircase. It was a beautiful home filled with civil war antiques and so many other things.
I manage 2 of the old mansions on Delaware Ave. The woodwork inside these places will blow your mind.
Is food served at these mansions???
Hats off to the always overlooked workers and craftsman who built these homes
@@danevertt3210 lol no they are apts mostly
@@7north118 I’m in general food service and I knew a few people who work in this old mansions that have been turned into event areas for weddings and other bullshit
No way you manage, my dad knows a guy who new a guy who was friends with another guy who knew the original owners.
I grew up in Texas where you don’t get to see much architecture like this. I moved to Buffalo a couple of years ago and was astonished at the beautiful architecture. It’s hard for me to imagine that these homes were once owned by a single family. Today they are businesses and hotels, part of the city or schools and organizations. It’s awesome that some of them are open to the public.
You should revisit the neighborhood soon!
Yep hard to imagine because this government has stripped individuals of their right to be successful and own homes like these. Now most of the idiots get to live in 1000sqft apartments all on top of each other going through the same brainless routine day in and day out with the illusion they have freedoms and nice things. America…
Welcome!!
Your pretty as shit
I was born and raised in Buffalo and it always made me sad that they were turned into businesses. When I was little I thought these businesses had stolen these people's homes lol. I couldn't understand where the families went and why they left their beautiful homes. Of course I understand now. What a shame they couldn't afford to keep them and pass them down to future generations of the family.
Even though I never lived in Buffalo, I knew a lot about it, living across the lake all my life in Toronto. Lot of history there. Growing up, we only got 6 TV channels, and half were in Buffalo. So I remember Irv Weinstein, Nolan Johannis, Rick Azar, and Tom Joles from Commander Tom, Dave Thomas from Rocketship 7...
And we got your radio stations and beer🍻…Thanks, neighbor. 🥳
👌
And we used to like driving to TO for clothes on Yonge st
" its eleven o'clock. do you know where your children are ?"
People from Toronto used to think that all of Buffalo must have burnt down from all of Irv's reporting on "another Buffalo blaze" on almost every news broadcast...!
I work at a law firm that purchased and renovated one of the mansions on Delaware. Beautiful details. The owners tried to keep as much to the original as possible. It’s a beautiful building. We even have some of the original blue prints framed and hanging in the building. As well as a full speakeasy in the basement, complete with a bank vault door.
Imagine if the walls in the speakeasy could talk. All the sex, drugs, Liquor and dancing the elite could ever want. Not much has changed in 100+ years. 😂 Just not hidden as much.
Down the oubliette.
Thank you for speaking so graciously about my home city!
My hometown, Buffalo NY . Delaware Ave. minutes from downtown and throughout the city have beautiful buildings , homes , churches etc with amazing architectural features and more! I’m so thrilled to have found this video, quite a history lesson! Thank you for sharing this video and it’s historical side of the city! ( Bflo, NY) I would like to see this type of video on the history of Linwood Ave. Bflo, NY , if it is possible!
Loved watching this video…..I grew up in Buffalo, N.Y. And have many fond memories…….especially all that snow which I miss to this day!
lol- you probably wouldn't have missed what we got a couple of weeks ago! There was a driving ban in S Bflo [where I live] for days!
@@sharit7970 or again this last week lmao
@@freedomandguns3231 ugh...right?
The millionaires are still there, they just live in Orchard Park, East Aurora and Williamsville now.
Clarence, also!
the old money is East Aurora, Derby/Evans
You forget to mention Clarence.
@@fennyellis3366 TY
Va ne les empêchera pas de crever comme tout un chacun
Voir Lazare & le pauvre dans la bible
Buffalo is a much prettier and impressive city than most give it credit for, great people there.
Yeah, it is really swell! 😂😆🤣
Yeah people don't give Buffalo enough love for how amazing it really is. I mean, the proximity to water is incredible and Buffalo has preserved what a lot of other cities have destroyed. I lived in Seattle for awhile while Amazon was growing bigger and bigger and the saddest thing I saw in Seattle is that they were demolishing beautiful, historic buildings and houses in order to put up huge high rise condos and it has ruined the character Seattle once had. Buffalo hasn't gone that low yet. Buffalo definitely needs some updates like the need to have roads downtown paved or replaced timed traffic lights with sensored ones. Buffalo just needs some love from people who love it who have the means to fund projects to bring up Buffalo. I believe Buffalo has the potential to be the best city in America. The winters here really aren't that bad compared to other snowy areas. Yes, it does snow a LOT here but it's not continuous snowfall. Buffalo gets a few big blasts of snow but in between it's dry as a bone. It rarely drops below 30 degrees! Climate change is to blame mostly sadly so it's actually not a good thing to have milder winters here!
Although we now live a half hour north in Lewiston NY, my fiancé and I's first apartment was 2 blocks from millionaires row, and we enjoyed walking up and down through that area and seeing the beautiful architecture.
Lewiston is incredible too!
WOW! I wasn't expecting that ending. Most of your videos end with the majority of houses being demolished. It's great to see that many of the homes remain - even if converted to commercial usage. I wish that Pittsburgh had more of its mansions still around.
I really enjoy the seven minute power punch you throw into these short videos with such an excellent historical backstory. Excellent presentation and terrific delivery!
Thank you for this episode. It was nice to see that most of the houses shown are still standing even if most of them cannot be visited. William Butler's house is my favourite.
Well I have binge watched almost all of your videos. Thanks😃
Absolutely gorgeous! I never knew this about Buffalo. That staircase was exquisite. Love these exquisitely crafted homes.
I was born there in 1963. It really felt like the prosperity was limitless. now its a sad reminder of what goes wrong.
As an Uber driver in Buffalo I loved telling people from out of town about this part of the city but I didn't know nearly this much! Amazing video. Thank you for enlightening a big part of our city's history.
My hometown. There's a Frank Lloyd Wright house or two in Buffalo. Lots of amazing architecture. The gigantic abandoned train station on the waterfront is still standing, as far as I know. If you are planning a trip to Buffalo, be sure to visit Our Lady of Victory basilica in Lackawanna. It's pretty overwhelming, the stations of the cross depicted in larger- than- life sized marble statuary etc,
I will say that while Kleinhans Hall may not be at the top of the list for architecture, the sound is great and a performance of the Buffalo Philharmonic makes it well worth a visit.
@@LJB103 Been there many times!
Our Lady of Victory is incredible! Definitely worth a trip.
"There's a Frank Lloyd Wright house or two in Buffalo"
Or five
@@m64h Yes, but to me it falls under the idea of "There are Frank Lloyd Wright houses and then there's the Darwin Martin house!"
I live in Buffalo and had the luxury of being able to see 2 of these amazing houses (not specifically mentioned in this video but part of Delaware's millionaire row). My wife worked for the law firm Dolce-Penepinto and I got a tour of the mansion they refurbished. It had a cool bar in the basement thr contractors had found hidden behind a wall! Most likely during prohibition. The other is for a software company, CTG as my father's business cleans for them so he, myself and a few others would have to clean the space when the normal staff wasn't available. Talk about grandiose! The woodwork mainly survives in both of these places. It really is a step back in time. I wish I worked for either of these companies so I could go in to these buildings each day!
I’m from a place in California called “Chico” and we have a historic home from the Gilded Age (1880s-1915ish) called ‘The Bidwell Mansion’. The top of the home is built in the EXACT same style as Mary Astors (because the Bidwells moved from NY during this time period), and the top floor is/was a ballroom!😂 When I saw your pic of Marys home in this vid I thought it was Bidwell mansion!
Anyway,
When the Bidwells traveled from New York in 1897ish, Mr. Bidwell built their home for his wife Anne and they became land owners that grew trees.
I grew up in the 90’s touring this house and it is the coolest place to visit! Tours are still happening to this day!
It’s 5 stories, w/ a servant house, a garage w/ all their OG carriages, so many antiques, creepy stuff, they even have secret parts of the house, like a staircase inside of the wall and a spiral staircase on the backside of the house for the servants.
The kitchen is still the same, and there’s a GINORMOUS painted photo of Mr. Bidwell hanging in the entrance hall. It’s one of those spooky paintings where his eyes follow you while you walk past 🫣 🙈. Oh also, the OG gramophone still works, and during the tour, they play the org. recorded sound of a song the Bidwells did. It was the coolest place to see on school field trips as a kid and every single piece in the home has a super cool story.
So, if anyones interested in still seeing an original gilded age home, highly rec. visiting the Bidwell mansion in Chico, CA!
It’s like $20 for an entire tour of their grounds. Or just look it up on the Googs.☺️
EDIT: I misspoke, the top of the house was a lookout so mr Bidwell could see his brothers house across town. The ballroom is directly on top of the mansion.
This comment was very informative. As a lifelong resident of Buffalo I pass by alot of these structures without even paying attention to them. I absolutely adore the architecture, especially the Victorian era style homes which we have alot of on the west side. Getting to the point of this comment there's actually a street in the west side called Bidwell. Very interesting.
@@juancarlosnegron2358 no way!! Awe that’s SO cool to me, because growing up going to Bidwell mansion, they always read us the letters sent back and forth from Mr Bidwells friends in NY. He was friends with some of those guys on Millionaire Row and they’d come visit and stay in their house. Pretty sure the Bidwells vintage grand piano was purchased from one of those guys for his wife Annie.
These guys were known for being the starters of modern metropolitan life. Bidwell basically was one of the first guys to start NorCal living. It’s just weird to know that they were all friends at one point, planning their futures.
It would not at all surprise me if that street is named after him. Thanks for sharing!
Bidwell Parkway. Runs west to east. Alot of huge houses on Bidwell, it runs through Delaware where alot of these houses on this video are at. Big houses w big manicured lawns, there's still a lot of that old money there though its alot more concealed than before. Thanks for the info I'm going to have to look up the bidwells now.😉
Bidwell Pkwy in Buffalo, 🤔 hmm possibly the Bidwell family! So very interesting! It is an area with beauty and charm ( homes) from that era that still exist ! You can almost feel the historic beauty/ ambiance!
@@juancarlosnegron2358 awe good! Please do they have a really neat history
this is one of my favorite areas to just drive around. the old houses are so beautiful. I saw one listed about a year ago for a few million, it had been restored and updated. If I was a millionaire id move in to that house in a heartbeat.
I was lucky enough to attend high school in the converted Rand Mansion at 1180 Delaware. Many of the features of the house were still intact including the 2nd floor ballroom, intricate woodwork and fireplaces throughout. Quite the privilege!
Hello Daniel, this sounds like Canisius High School to me - just a grand and historic institution! I lived on West Ferry Street for twenty-plus years (1983-2007) just across from your school's playing field. I never grew tired of living on that block between Delaware and Elmwood - and I walked the neighborhood constantly, and always noticed something new. I always knew when Canisius was in session (in that) an on-street parking spot (on my block)) was impossible to find anywhere close. Good memories nonetheless! Cheers from Niagara Canada!
Class of ‘21 AMDG💪🏾💪🏾
I lived right across from the police station when a rent a center was there and I lived upstairs. A chicken place was next door and a bar on the other side. Worked at LaNova folding boxes, and other things. 😂 I went to Seneca on E. Delevan. Much different from this area.
I attended canisius in the early '80s and remember the hodgepodge of buildings connected together repurposed from their original intent. A Jesuit high school using what was once a Masonic temple to play basket ball games. Parking your car on what was once the milburn house where president McKinley died. Doing some JUG after classes ended, those of you who attended know what JUG stands for. Was told by a priest " the whiter the bread, the quicker you're dead" .
Thanks for posting this. I went to school at Buffalo State and remember going to the museum and walking down the streets with all the nice houses. I remember a Frank Lloyd Wright house that was converted to a doctor’s office.
Linwood Avenue was not quite Millionaire's Row, but second-tier wealth, so to speak, as was West Ferry Street, especially from Linwood to Elmwood Avenues. My great-great-grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-uncle all had homes on Linwood Avenue. One still stands. One became part of Millard Fillmore Hospital, but was later torn down for hospital expansion. Linwood Avenue has become a center for regentrification as many wonderful Victorian homes have been renovated or restored. Buffalo was, at one time, quite a magnificent city, but by about 1970 high costs started to drive lots of industry out, and the city went into terrible decline. Population today is about a third of what it once was.
In last 8 - 10 years the city has seen a renaissance especially in downtown. In west side homes are being snapped up and renovated
Buffalo was a thriving port city until the steel mills shut down. In the early 1970's, my family published a print entertainment magazine ("Scene" magazine). We published "Scene" for only a few years until the money ran out. We had a big house in E. Amherst at the time, but the "Scene" magazine production office where we put the magazine together and where the telephone solicitors that we hired made calls from was on West Ferry, just a block or two from Main St. We also had an office suite in the Statler Hilton for the advertising agency that was connected to the magazine. Print publications rely on ad revenue for their financial survival, subscriptions pay practically nothing. Loan sharks eventually led to "Scene"''s demise. But what an exciting time it was, when as a teenager I got to go to so many live concerts and interview the rock stars who toured through Buffalo. I've been trying to locate a few of our old employees.
My grandparents owned 420 Linwood and it was a magical place at Christmas time
@@suzannedonovan2675 Not far from my forebears' homes! Linwood Av. was a lovely neighborhood with architecturally distinctive family homes amid neighborliness.
I know even with jobs leaving the country, many cities in the US are having a lot of growth so what are those cities doing to overcome the outsourcing of jobs overseas. Would be nice to know.
So sad that so many significant houses have been lost in Buffalo.
But the good news is that there are two surviving historic structures in Buffalo that make it worth a visit: the Darwin Martin House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright between 1903-1905 for the owner of the Larkin Company (which sold numerous household products), Darwin Martin.
It has been meticulously restored and is open for tours.
HH Richardson also built an insane asylum in Buffalo which has survived and is a popular wedding and conference venue today.
Great content, which highlights the need to preserve our architectural heritage whenever possible.
I didn’t watch the video yet before commenting. But a lot of the “millionaires row” homes are still there. Just converted into apartments or offices now. What Buffalo did lose is its density. Downtown is ruined by parking lots. Which I think they’re starting to fill back in with homes and buildings slowly but surely
After watching these videos it seems that so many millionaire's rows in larger cities are gone! It's nice to see that Buffalo was able to keep so many, and put them to good use, instead of tearing them down. At least once a year these buildings are open to the public. They truly are amazing structures!
Yeah, we kept most of everything from our glory days. Only one of note to really be torn down were the pan-am expo grounds. And those were meant to be temporary anyways
They are out there, but get absolutely no attention from the mass media…. I spent a lot of my childhood in Midland Michigan, home of Dow Chemical, and they had their own millionaires row (still do), beautiful homes in the prairie Frank Lloyd wright style…. but I only know about it because I was there…. Indianapolis is also a very impressive city, not just homes, but amazing monuments….
They left when politicians began to extort money from them.
Most excellent video! Thanks for sharing
An absolute nightmare to restore those old places , And May God Bless All The People Who Do Restore Those Old Places !!!
Born and raised here. Anytime I’m out and about I always find myself taking a drive down millionaire row. Always wanted to learn more about the history. Thanks for this video.
Proud to have been born & raised in Buffalo. I was fortunate to live in an old mansion on Linwood Ave. that was divided into 3 apartments. The architecture in this city is absolutely beautiful, and I happy that you are sharing it for others to see!
Imagine trick or treating down that street!
When I was a kid growing up in the 70s, many of my trick-or-treating years was in a wealthy neighborhood (where the homes are further apart and spread out it)
It wasn’t until I was in the 6th grade, and trick-or-treating with a friend, at his apartment complex, and I really got much more bang-for-your-buck as the “front doors” are much closer together, so we got much more chocolate in much less walking time.
Nice array of homes. Glad some are still standing. Buffalo is a chilly place in winter. 🥶
I used to live in Lockport NY. They have gorgeous mansions over there and Erie Canal and the caves.. Buffalo is a beautiful city. Loved it there.
Buffalo is a beautiful city filled with spectacular historic architecture. It's well worth a visit for anybody who loves architectural history.
A beautiful city? It's run down and people have left there in droves!!
I love Buffalo! I am planning on moving back there in the near future.
@@tyroneshoelaces9742
Not sure what world you're living in! It's quite a lovely scene for young professionals moving in! Take a look around lots of art, music and almost every month is new restaurant openings happening.
It’s a shame that down town has been torn apart. All of those parking lots used to be dense storefronts and apartments. But there is definitely still a lot of great architecture there. Out of the major cities id rank it like 7-10 in the country as far as historic architecture to find
@@yessicavazquez9749 A world of reality. Try traveling around and see for yourself and compare. Look at census data. People have been leaving for years.
I work at the Clement House in Buffalo that now houses the BPO and Red Cross. It really is a work of art inside with very intricate wood work and marble flooring. It's a Buffalo treasure.
This is my favorite house
growing up in Buffalo we lived on Mariner St. 156 exactly. built in 1848. the basement was field stone with clay and lime mortar. I delivered papers for the BEN all along Delaware Ave from Bryant to Tupper. The house I liked the best was Mark Twains house, the carriage house of that property is now part of a restaurant built in the 60's.
A great memory George! I spent a good part of my life in Buffalo and absolutely loved the area you describe. (I was on West Ferry Street, between Delaware and Elmwood, for over twenty years and never got tired of looking at the great architecture, which was everywhere!) For those not familiar with Buffalo, your reference to "BEN," refers to The Buffalo Evening News - a great newspaper in its day (just a mere shadow of itself today). Cheers!
I just walked along Delaware Avenue this past summer. Was an impressive collection of architecture and was glad to see so many surviving mansions, and it had a lot of variety - with some of the 19th Century buildings still standing today, the largest of which is now the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site, which is one of the oldest buildings on Delaware Avenue, being built as a barracks around 1837 and converted into a mansion in 1847, later being expanded with the addition of a portico and an addition to the rear that obscures the original front facade that was built in 1896 and allowed the house to remain an impressive mansion that held its own next to the more opulent and larger mansions that were being built along the avenue.
There's also an Henry Hobson Richardson-designed Second Empire-style house known as the William Dorsheimer House from 1868, which is the commission that jump-started his career, which got him the connections to get the Buffalo State Hospital project one year later, where he implemented his signature Richardsonian Romanesque style for the first time, though his work was not widely recognized until he designed Trinity Church in the early 1870s. I generally found that there were older victorian-era houses and buildings scattered all along the avenue between the larger and more modern buildings and mansions present today, but the highest concentration of the older houses is closer to downtown, where they survived likely in part due to the area being less desirable when the larger houses were being built further up the avenue, closer to Forest Lawn Cemetery and Gates Circle and further away from the industrial areas.
Along with Delaware Avenue, Lincoln Parkway was a prominent address in the early 20th Century, with many of the city's wealthy building homes between Soldiers Circle and Delaware Park. Most of these survive but the largest, which belonged to the Larkin family, has been demolished.
It's really nice to know that most of these beautiful mansions are still being used today.
Well done guys! I've followed your channel since the beginning and have often commented that Buffalo's significance during that period was at parr with cities like Chicago, New York, and St. Louis. And therefore had significant wealth and our architecture rivals that of those other cities. I have to say you did a good job on this one and thank you for FINALLY including us in your "Millionaire Row" series.
Both Buffalo and St Louis fell out of favor as new quicker transportation routes largely bypassed both cities which than spurred their deindustrialization and population declines. Both Buffalo and St Louis have lost over half their population in the late 1900s into the early 2000s.
@@r.pres.4121 I guess I don’t get your point
Lets go Buffalo!!!!!!!!!!
Bills!!!
Great video…thanks Ken!
I can’t believe it’s not bashing Buffalo like everything else does
Great job... I like the homes on Lincoln Parkway!! Like the McKinney Mansion!
Thank you. I appreciate this great video. Love and peace to you from Ontario Canada.🥂
Good video appreciate it.
Good to see that some of the houses are still there . When business and institutions take over these buildings you have to remember that they used to be family homes ! I love social history and find it fascinating.
Buffalo has been my home for 9 years now, my favorites are the H.H. Richardson buildings. I'll definitely miss it next year as I'm moving to Las Vegas due to the current leadership and state of New York. It's just not the same post pandemic.
I live in Buffalo! It's so beautiful here! Come Christmas time, we always drive down Delaware, it is absolutely beautiful! Millionaires Row is literally 10 minutes from me.
My hometown. I lived in one of the mansions on Delaware. It was divided into apartments.
Beautiful Buffalo History !
I would have to say that the Williams-Butler house is my favorite of the Delaware Avenue mansions. There are other beautiful mansions in Buffalo from the classical Birge (wallpaper fortune) mansion to the phenomenal Darwin Martin house complex (Frank Lloyd Wright, architect). Excellent video.
I found you after finding second empire show.
I know Buffalo , yes many beautiful mansions . Many were broken up into apartments for students .
I've walked a tour of this street during the summer. I would love to see the inside of these homes some day! They appear deceptively small from the street, but when you walk around you can see how far back the lots go and how large the homes are.
I live just outside Buffalo. This is one of the best videos about our city's architecture of this particular area. We have so much to offer, stop by and visit us!
I recently visited the Knox mansion. The owner is passionate about restorting the home to it's former glory. It's still beautiful despite so much of it being changed through previous owners.
I'm glad one of these videos mentioned Warren Buffet.
Update: The Williams-Butler Mansion has been sold by the UB Jacobs Executive Development Center to developer Douglas Jemal
Ugh! Not a DEVELOPER!😱
He is rebuilding Buffalo 1 building at a time.. the Butler will be fine!!
I live in Toronto and grew up in St. Catharines an half hour away from the border. I have cross border shopped in Buffalo and it's suburbs since the late 60's. Buffalo can be dumpy in parts but some of the architecture in the downtown area is unique and colourful. Have never tired of driving around seeing some of these grand old homes and buildings.
Dumpy! Wow…….
@@Emme4047 Yeah.."DUMPY". To think otherwise just exemplifies delusion. Get over your aversion of words that properly describe the state of that city. Signed...former resident of Buffalo.
@@Emme4047 oh yes very dumpy
@@Emme4047 I've been to most US cities. They all have a "dumpy" area
Just to remind everyone that oftentimes the "dumpy" areas are that way at least in part to the 'millionaire rows' . Gaining exorbitant wealth through the exploitation of workers (or inheritance thereof), yet welding oneself to a 'bootstrap' mindset regarding everyone else, substantially helps to create such obvious and apparent wealth discrepancy, as does the wanting of ever more & fancier by those with such exponential wealth while their neighbours lack enough & basics. (Performative 'philanrhropy' does not negate that).
I lived on Allen St close to Delaware a few years ago and loved walking up and down Delaware! I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to live in a house so large.
Lincoln parkway, Starin Ave, West Ferry, McKinley parkway, Linwood ave, there are a LOT of amazing homes built by true craftsman... never will we see such homes built outside of those for the very wealthy.
Linwoods nuts
We lived in a grand old house on Summer Street, not far from Delaware Ave. I miss my hometown and have been thinking about retiring there.
It's a wonderful time! Moved here 5 years ago! Glad to say I've found this place as my home.
Do yourself a favor... you can still visit the other millionaire's row in Forest Lawn, the main cemetery located between Delaware Ave, E. Delavan Ave and Main St... just down the street from the houses they built. You will see where many of them are buried and some of the best crypts ever built. Take the guided tours in summer, you will not be disappointed.
Absolutely agree 100%.....The Forest Lawn tour and it's incredible "resident" narrators has to be the most underappreciated Buffalo attraction.
My late husband and I were students at Buffalo State College (across from the Albright-Knox Museum) back in the 1980's. We loved walking down another street that seemed just as ritzy as "Millonaires' Row". As I remember, it went from west to east and was up to the northeast of the college and east of Elmwood Avenue. I always thought the larger old houses and street's tree-lined and wide green strip separating the sidewalk from the street provided a 19th century ambiance. I guess I did walk down Delaware Avenue at some point, because I did recognize some buildings shown in this video.
Sounds like Lincoln Parkway?
Which also hits on to one of the odd parts of Buffalo. If you had walked a block the opposite way from campus you would be in a very rough and poor neighborhood...like the ones my Dad lived in.
@@freedomandguns3231 yeah, buffalo is very compartmentalized like that.
@@schwig44 yeah....its always jarring seeing a home with a private tennis court next to the slums.
Delaware district, Nottingham Terrace, perhaps?
oh wish you mentioned you were doing a buffalo video. i live right by there. i could have sent you pictures
I am so pleased that a good number of these houses were able to be reused for other purposes!
The houses on Delaware are so incredibly beautiful inside.The interiors spared no unfinished detail. When Bethlehem steel went down that started the collapse along with the Scajaquada Expressway most wealthy moved out to Suburbs.
Really efficient video!
Thank you.
I worked in some of the houses on millionaires row in the 1980s and 1990s. I loved those homes.
Every day that I drove from Hamburg to classes at Canisius College, I would travel along Delaware Avenue. My favorite mansion has always been the Knox House at 3:41 of the video. I got to see the inside a couple years ago during an open house event.
The beaux arts styles are always my favorite but the gothic revival in this video is so so beautiful
Another wonderful video! Thanks!
Very cool video! You should check out Rochester, New York, and see East Avenue! It has miles of giant mansions like those! Also east blvd and esplanade Avenue and all of the side streets to East Avenue have beautiful mansions.
Granger.
I live in Buffalo and when I was little my pediatrician's office was in one of those houses on Delaware. Let's just say I loved going to the doctor when I was a kid lol.
That was wonderful. I could have watched a 2 hour doc on this ! As a kid growing up in Buffalo, I was well aware of millionaires row and drove down that part of Delaware Ave for years while staring at those amazing structures, and wishing they were still residential. But time goes on and those houses would be very challenging to live in and upkeep in today’s economy.
At the height of its power, there was almost no product that wasn't manufactured or traded in Western NY with Buffalo at its center. 3 presidents came from Buffalo. That alone should be an indication of its influence and importance between 1825 and 1945.
Buffalo is one of the great American cities, which is now in a full-on comeback. A big driver for that is that, while a lot of demolition did occur (particularly downtown), Buffalo held on to more of its historic architecture than many other cities (it was "rich at the right time, poor at the right time").
The result is a built environment which is affordable, beautiful, human-scaled and VERY MUCH the pride of the residents; the movement to restore these historic structures grows daily.
Buffalo residents will have the last laugh--mark my word.
(Oh, and did I mention the access to one of the largest bodies of fresh water?!? Florida and Arizona and Texas will be unlivable in 15-20 years.)
Plus, the Buffalo Bills fan base is unlike any other city in the US when it comes to football. Buffalo is the only city I have lived in where EVERYONE drops what they are doing to either go to the game if it's a home game or watch from home or the nearest TV with the game on. The streets are literally empty during a Bills game! Bills Mafia is impressive!
Fascinating, I'll be adding this to the list
Canal wasn't built in 1800s, it was already here.
Thank you for sharing.
Thank you that was very insightful, I've in Hamilton,Ontario and travel to Buffalo often. I'll have to go check that out now.
Never knew this. I might have to take a look around next time I get on Delaware Ave. Interesting mini history lesson 😄
Here in the UK people that inherit huge houses like this often sell them, because they can't afford the cost of repair or maintenance.
The red cross building. Thank you for sharing this.😊
Check out Millionaire's Row in my hometown Danville, Va. Its awesome!! Thanks for sharing.
Hey Ken! Love your channel! Have you ever done any looking into the gilded age in Bar Harbor, ME? I lived there for 5 years while I attended College Of the Atlantic in the late 70’s early 80’s. Many of the mansions are still standing while many succumbed to the fire of 1947. Definitely right up your alley!❤
I had the privilege of working as a tech guy at 844 Delaware Avenue for the Stanley G. Falk school for 5 years. Our building was right next door to the Goodyear Mansion. Walking through the building was always a treat. So many twists and turns, but we made the technology work.
I’ve lived in Buffalo NY on the upper west side for most of my life and still live in here. My grammar school and high school were both on Delaware ave. with my high school being in a beautiful mansion. Buffalo NY has the most beautiful architecture!!!! I really enjoyed your video 😊😊
I am from Rochester (where East Avenue, with George Eastman's mansion, is a mini-version of Delaware Avenue) and have sold art for years at the Allentown festival which takes place on a somewhat-gentrified Delaware Avenue, the part closer to downtown. The street has definitely seen better days but is still more than worth experiencing (which you can't help doing if you sit there looking at the houses across from your booth for two days a year).
The United States DID NOT SEARCH for a strategic place to build The Erie Canal.
As a matter of fact, President James Madison VETOED Federal funding of the project.
One man, from a debtors prison due to shipping problems, wrote fourteen essays under the pseudonym Hercules in the Genesee Messenger on the idea of the canal from the Hudson River to Lake Erie that eventually inspired NYS Governor DeWitt Clinton to push for the financing and building of The Erie Canal, entirely on New York State's back.
That one man was Jesse Hawley!
Beautiful tree lined streets and no cars. Thanks for sharing.
I always get the oddest feeling over the losses of our grand old architecture. I’m so glad to see that some fine examples still stand..I wonder if it would be worthwhile to plan a trip to Buffalo just to see the architecture..? 🤔
we got good food too, the sports teams are looking good, and we got niagara falls within a 20 minute drive. If you do come, brace yourself for the glass and steel pile of crap they're currently erecting right in front of the Albright Knox Gallery (on the elmwood side)
Oh yeah, how could I forget the Olmstead parks as well?
YES!!!!!!
FYI the university at Buffalo just sold the butler mansion this week!
Who did they sell it to ?
@@martinlutherbling424 Douglas development
mrs. clement did not donate the house to the BPO. she donated it to the red cross during WWII. the BPO moved into the building within the past 5-10 years.
I am a former Buffaloian. Thank you for a trip down memory lane. I lived on Linwood Ave. I loved the old mansions.
I grew up in Buffalo and often marveled at the homes in the Delaware Ave area. I graduated from the Buffalo Seminary, not too far away! I lived in another nice area on Middlesex Rd between the Art Gallery and the zoo. Not as opulent as Delaware Ave, but a very nice area as well. People wonder why Buffalo had all these huge mansions. Easy! Niagara Falls is only a 30 minute drive. In those days, Niagara Falls = Electricity. Electricity = major industry. Major industry = $$$.
Not to mention the Erie Canal to facilitate transportation.
At the beginning of the 20th century Buffalo was in the top 10 cities of America
@@johnryan8859 What happened?
0:20 The Federal government had nothing to do with the Erie Canal. It twice refused to provide any support for it or any internal improvements, aside from The National Road. As a result the canal's most forceful advocate, politician DeWitt Clinton, successfully convinced New York State to fund and construct it in 1817. It was derided as Clinton's Ditch by those who couldn't see the remarkable transformation it would bring, with tiny Buffalo becoming a large city initially as the port receiving the midwest's bounty, and cementing New York City's place as economic capital of the US. Samuel Wilkeson rescued the foundering construction of the requisite harbor off Lake Erie at the village of Buffalo. Otherwise, it would have terminated upstream at Black Rock's existing harbor.
"Clinton's ditch" was the canal's nickname
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