Flint & Kent Department Store

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Photo by WNY Heritage Press, Buffalo Evening News, Joe Sparacio, Forgotten Buffalo, Mark Paradowski.

Location

554 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14202
Part of a parcel now known as 560 Main or 12 Fountain Plaza
SBL: 111.46-2-6.1
Ellicott Council District
Google Bird's Eye View
Erie County Property Info
County Tax Map (loads GIS page)
City of Buffalo Parcel Viewer

Next to: W.T. Grant's Department Store and 562-564 Main Street
Across from: 559 Main Street

Owner

BUFFALO SUCCESS LLC per City of Buffalo Property Information
Search NYS Corporation Database for BUFFALO SUCCESS

Physical Description

Ornate four story commercial building

Current Condition

Demolished around 1980. Part of the plaza area for 12 Fountain Plaza.

History

  • 1832 - Dry good store opened by Benjamin Fitch at 288 Main Street, a precursor of Flint & Kent. The same year, the Universalist Church of the Messiah was founded.
  • 1866 - The Universalist Church constructed a large church at 554 Main Street
  • October 29, 1870 - A massive fire prompts the congregation to rebuild the church as it was, minus its taller steeple
  • 1891 - The Universalists move to a new church at North and Mariner Streets. They leased their old building at 554 Main to HC Martin Bicycles.
  • 1897 - Upscale department store is named Flint & Kent
  • 1897 - Flint & Kent moves flagship store to 554 Main Street, into a new building designed by Buffalo architect Edward Austin Kent.
  • 1954 - The company was sold to Charles Jack Hahn, whose father owned Sattler's.
  • 1956 - The company was sold to The Sample company.
History courtesy WNY Heritage Press, Wikipedia

Recent Events and Actions Taken

Other Pertinent Facts

  • Architect Edward Austin Kent was the son of the department store owner. He later died on the Titanic after helping other passengers get to lifeboats.

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Added 2013-10-24 • Last changed 2019-04-30