Recently, while delving into Buffalo’s past, I encountered some captivating black and white photographs showcasing the intersection of Genesee and Hickory Streets, just east of downtown Buffalo. One image surfaced from the invaluable Buffalo History Gazette, a treasure trove of historical Buffalo imagery. Another was within the pages of an old The Buffalo Illustrated Currier, generously shared by Chris Ziolkowski of Zee’s Property Services. The striking architecture in these vintage photos sparked a sense of familiarity. It then struck me – the church was still there! I quickly searched my own photo archives and found recent images of the very same church. However, the accompanying buildings from the historical photos were gone, demolished. Yet, the memory of seeing similar buildings lingered.
Weeks later, while reviewing old slides, I unearthed photos of this block still standing in its former glory! I also found subsequent images, taken just a few years later, revealing the block largely decimated. These first photos dated back to the late 1980s, during a college field trip to examine new infill houses constructed on Hickory Street nearby. These infill houses represented an innovative concept at the time: revitalizing struggling neighborhoods by introducing new housing and attracting homeowners back to the city center. A comparable and successful project was underway in the West Village around the same period, notable for its cohesive planning and broader scope. Our visit to see the Hickory Street project was filled with optimism for this promising approach. However, we were quickly disillusioned by the suburban-style layout and the budget construction of the homes. Despite our initial reservations, these houses have proven their durability. They remain in good condition, seemingly well-maintained by their owners, fulfilling the original vision. They have also fostered a small, albeit somewhat sparse, neighborhood near downtown. Intriguingly, a few historic remnants are interspersed within the area. During our exploration that day, we stumbled upon the remarkable collection of 19th-century buildings depicted in the historical photos, still impressively intact!
My youthful idealism led me to believe that the obvious next step for this neighborhood was to complement the new infill housing with the restoration of these extraordinary, unique, and beautiful buildings on Genesee Street. Logical, right? Wasn’t that the sensible progression? Wrong. How naive!
Instead, the fate of these buildings was to be left to decay for another decade before being demolished in the name of “progress”—a kind of progress that, in reality, is anything but. The notion of demolition as progress should be a subject of ridicule. The cheaply constructed infill houses down the street endure, while these magnificent structures are lost forever. The “progress” they yielded is a vacant, weedy lot. Imagine if foresight and genuine progress had prevailed. If a relatively modest investment had been strategically directed towards these Genesee Street buildings back in the 1980s, coinciding with the investment in infill housing, they would likely still stand today as productive, tax-generating cornerstones of this urban district. This isn’t mere nostalgia for a bygone era. It’s a lament for the immense potential squandered due to shortsightedness, a lack of vision, and a failure to appreciate a valuable urban asset. This area was once Buffalo’s most densely populated neighborhood. These blocks were densely packed with buildings of this caliber. Now, it’s a bland, sprawling imitation of urbanity. Why is preservation even a question anymore? It should be a given, especially when considering this kind of failure against the demonstrable economic benefits of building restoration. What has the last half-century of “Lackawanna Style Progress” brought to Buffalo? Has crime diminished? Has demolition attracted new residents to the city? Has it generated new jobs? Of course not. Examine this gallery of lost opportunity. It’s not just a glimpse into the past; it’s a view of a future that can now never be for Genesee Street.
Image from The Buffalo Illustrated Currier
Image from the Buffalo History Gazette (note the incredible detail on the church)
Current View From Google
Late 1980s Genesee Street View
Late 1980s image of Genesee Street with removed leaded windows
Genesee Street scene in the late 1980s
Genesee Street circa 2010
