Buffalo Elks Temple 23

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Photo credit: Karl Josker, Buffalore, Mark Paradowski

Location

207 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14202
Google Bird's Eye View
Ellicott Council District
SBL: 111.37-4-17.1
Erie County Property Info
County Tax Map (loads GIS page)
City of Buffalo Parcel Viewer

Adjacent to: Global Telcom Building
Across from: Ford Hotel

Owner

HURONDEL II,INC per propertyviewer
Mark Croce, Buffalo Development Corp, 716-208-1215
NYS Corporation and Business Entity Database

Physical Description

6 story Elk Lodge and hotel with an indoor pool, handball courts, bowling alleys, a 1,900 seat auditorium, Italian marble lobby, banquet rooms and a library.

Current Condition

Demolished in 1997. Still a surface parking lot.

History

  • 1884 - The Buffalo Lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (B.P.O.E.) was chartered as number 23.
  • The fraternal organization met in a succession of five locations before they purchased the former George Starr Hazard mansion at 211 Delaware (built in 1849).
  • 1907 - They expanded the building with a 98 feet long, 44 feet wide structure, attached to the home by a conservatory. The renovation and new construction cost nearly $100,000 of 1907 dollars ($2.3 million in 2010 dollars).
  • 1925 - The 3,500 member Lodge decided to demolish their temple for a larger facility. They asked the architect to model the building after the new Statler Hotel. They planned to spend $700,000 but ended up spending $2,000,000 ($24.6 million in 2010 dollars).
  • 1933 - The Depression forced the Elks to surrender the building to M & T bank. The building operated as the Hotel Fillmore.
  • 1942 - The Elks were able to repurchase the building for $125,000 and kept the hotel operating.
  • 1954 - The Elks sold the building for use as a hotel (Hotel Mars). They moved to the Birge Mansion in 1957.
  • 1967 - The building was sold to Niagara Frontier Services, Inc. for offices and later to the Media Study Group.
  • 1986 - Purchased by Delaware Huron Development from tax foreclosure for an attempt to market it to the federal government.
History courtesy WNY Heritage Press

Recent Events and Actions Taken

  • 1995 - The Buffalo B.P.O.E. Lodge 23 lost its charter.
  • 1997 - The building was demolished.

Other Pertinent Facts

Availability

2013 - Per Buffalo Urban Development Corp (BUDC) and Buffalo Niagara Enterprise (BNE), the property is available for joint venture or lease through Mark Croce, Buffalo Development Corp, 716-208-1215

Links


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Added 2013-07-11 • Last changed 2017-02-27

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