Fairfield Library

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Photo credit: David Steele and Buffalo Rising

Location

1659 West Amherst Street, Buffalo NY 14214
Google Bird's Eye View
Masten Council District
SBL: 89.28-5-1
Erie County Property Info
County Tax Map (loads GIS page)
City of Buffalo Parcel Viewer

Owner

FAIRFIELD COMMONS, LLC per propertyviewer
NYS Corporation and Business Entity Database.

Physical Description

Current Condition

Renovated into 5 apartments and some office space. A parking lot was added to a portion of the front lawn.

History

  • late 1890s - The building was designed by architect and nearby resident William Sydney Wicks.
  • 1897 - Built for the Unitarian Universalist Church.
  • 1912 - The Unitarian congregation disbanded and sold the building to Parkside Lutheran.
  • 1924 - Parkside Lutheran built a more grand church for themselves at Wallace and Depew in Central Park and sold this building to the City of Buffalo for use as a library.

Recent Events and Actions Taken

  • 2005 - Despite being the second busiest neighborhood library branch, it was closed due to county cut-backs in October of 2005 and received little or no maintenance since. Buffalo Rising
  • 2012 - Two proposals for re-use surfaced. The first would have been for a private residence, making the building a landmark, and placing it on the state and national register of historic places. The couple with that proposal stepped out of the running for the building, leaving the second proposal as the winner. Creative Structure Solutions suggested turning it into apartments. Concerns with that plan arose with their opposition to making it a local landmark, along with interest in modifying the exterior and using vinyl windows.
  • 2013 - The building undergoes a $1 million renovation and conversion into apartments. The exterior was not modified as originally proposed, but a parking lot was added on a portion of the lawn.

Other Pertinent Facts

Links


Newest Pages

■ Prophet Isaiah's Second Coming House ■ 1681 Main Street ■ 1215 Niagara Street ■ 882 West Avenue ■ 878 West Avenue ■ 29 Minton Street ■ Paramount Lodge ■ 21 Anderson Place ■ 2505 Main Street ■ Buffalo Skyway ■ 50 West Avenue ■ 21 Penfield Street ■ 190 South Park Avenue ■ 282 East Delavan Avenue ■ 273 East Delavan Avenue ■ 281 East Delavan Avenue ■ 268 East Delavan ■ 268 East Delavan ■ 278 East Delavan Avenue ■ 52 Grape Street ■ 50 Grape Street ■ 1185 Jefferson Avenue ■ 1443 Clinton Street ■ 1628 Elmwood Avenue ■ 155 Marion Street ■ 1634 Elmwood Avenue ■ 668 Amherst Street ■ 666 Amherst Street ■ 194 Brinkman Avenue - Front & back houses ■ 198 Brinkman Avenue

Added 2013-01-08 • Last changed 2013-07-10

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