My Favorite Buildings: Buffalo Lodge 846
Time for a little South Buffalo love. South Buffalo is almost like another town unto its self. It is separated from downtown and the largest portion of the city by the Buffalo River giving it an identity all its own. It has a slower pace than the rest of the city and tends to be somewhat forgotten. It reflects the city at large in the way it prospers down its middle while its edges fade.
South Buffalo has not seen the massive disinvestment of other parts of the city but has experienced a slow decline leaving some neighborhoods a bit tattered while commercial strips barely hold on. This part of town is not loaded with architectural landmarks, but there are many charming and comfortable neighborhoods sprinkled with some real unknown gems. After the South Park Botanical garden few could identify any of its major buildings. That is not to say they don't exist. Many of my favorite buildings are South of the Buffalo River.
My family harks from South Buffalo so I have many strong memories about this part of town. Each Sunday attending church as a kid at St. Simon's Episcopal on Cazenovia Street meant passing Lodge 846 at 212 Cazenovia Street.
It framed the front lawn of the church adding a powerful elegance to the area. It is a small boxy building that would be basically undistinguished except for its wonderful front portico of massive Ionic columns. The columns push right up to the street in a welcoming gesture while transforming this box into a spectacular local landmark. The columns give this fairly small building importance and presence on the street well beyond what would be expected. It was originally built as a lodge for the Masons but is now used as an auction house The Lodge Auction House. Above the front door is a wonderful sunburst-like frieze layered with Masonic symbols which add tremendous richness to this street as a unique place. Click through the auction house web site and you will see that the interior is quite spectacular as well. When given a chance great architecture like this has a way of staying relevant as its original use passes on.
As I write this piece I debate weather I should write another piece about a recently constructed building sitting directly east of the Lodge which, in my opinion, is truly abysmal. Experiencing these two buildings sitting side by side I am left wondering what has happened to the aesthetic sensibilities of our society. With great examples like the Buffalo Lodge 846 available to us It should be a cake walk to make our streets alive with our architecture but, for some reason the dead and banal seem more likely to be result these days. This is an issue which transcends style and is routed in our lack of understanding about how people experience buildings. Anyway, take a trip south and check this one out and stay tuned for some more South Buffalo in the near future.
Interior photos: queenseyes
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chris_h_23
Go South Buffalo!
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Frankster
Cool building, great interior photos, which are usually hard to get. I for one am dying to know what kind of new builds you find abysmal, since you seem to cheerlead for all of the ones featured on BRO.
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STEEL
Frankster,
The new builds I find abysmal would include the one next to the Lodge as noted in the story. Take a trip to South Buffalo and check it out. Other's might be quite shocked to find out that I have been a cheerleader for all new builds featured on BRO when quite the opposite has been the truth. Go back and read my posts and comments.
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ben
that building has seen years of skateboarding on its steps and railings, especially during the late 80s and early 90s (i was one of 'em). it was a sad day in local skate history when the concrete 'mini park' next to the lodge was replaced by a retirement home, which is quite abysmal.
this is the first time i've ever seen the inside after all those years of being so close...
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RonR
This area of South Buffalo off Seneca has so much potential. A gateway to a great park and some great old homes. Sadly this neighborhood has had better days.
I asked this a couple of times before but never got an answer. The Elmwood Village Assoc. has done a great job with this area of the city. I see a lot of Elmwood 15 years ago when I drive down Seneca today. Is there any reason why the EVA could not share their road map with the residents of South Buffalo? I mean look at what they have done since 1994.
I know they do not have the same types of groups in SB but there are plenty of strong community minded people in the area. Would love to see this area find its way so to speak.
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RaChaCha
Steel, this is a great post, and a great building. From what I can tell from the photos, the brickwork is top-notch (with what appears to be diapering, i.e. the criss-cross pattern) and the stonework appears to be Indiana limestone rather than cast stone. And the interior is quite rich.
Although I've read about South Buffalo quite a bit in Mark Goldman's books and elsewhere, I haven't had the chance to visit (except passing through once on the way to West Seneca for the world's best Beef on Weck). I hope you'll continue to write about what's there, and I'll look forward to getting there for real.
BTW, anyone who wants to check out the building next door to the Lodge Auction House can put the address Steel provides (212 Cazenovia Street, Buffalo, NY) into Windows Live Local (local.live.com), zoom in, then click "Bird's Eye." From looking over South Buffalo from these aerial views (provided, ahem, by Pictometry based in RaChaCha), and from what I've read in Mark Goldman, it reminds me a bit of East Rochester.
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Colin
Steel --
Doesn't the reason that new builds lack the character of buildings like this have everything to do with money? The old folk's home next door was built quick and cheap. Craftsmanship costs money.
RonR --
One of the many differences between South Buffalo and Elmwood is it's relative isolation. The result is that lots of folks never travel south of the river. When I was growing up near Caz park, a friend of my brother came to visit and was shocked that we had paved roads -- and this was in the mid-90's! An extreme example, but it tells a story.
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MJWorthington
I too miss the concrete park that was there next door. Spent days skateboarding in it and hitting the mighty taco just down the street. I did more than enough bomb drops down those handrails. I think by time the retirement home went up, I had moved on to other things. At the every least, it is built up to the street with minute parking at the rear.
I was at the art show and it was great to finally see inside.
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Gingerbread
The Lodge Auction House & Banquet Center is absolutely gorgeous inside. I was at a wedding there recently. It has all of its original architecture and great upgrades. It is definetely a hidden treasure. More people should visit South Buffalo. They need artisans to start a co-op down there and start bringing culture to the area! It has great architecture, the park, Botanical Gardens and beautiful homes.
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laurahayes
I remember sitting on the stairs of this building 20 years ago, I was 13. I remember the skate park too- and Mighty Taco across the street. South Buffalo looks so different to me after all these years.
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