Berkeley Apartments - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

The Berkeley Apartments, constructed between 1894 and 1897, is architecturally significant as one of the earliest examples of the use of reinforced concrete technology in the construction of a large-scale multi-story building in the United States. The building was designed by Carlton T. Strong and Ernest L. Ransome. Featuring concrete and other cast materials treated to resemble cut stone, the building's only wood elements are doors and interior trim. Other cast materials in the building include stair treads of concrete marble. Despite the innovative use of modern materials and technology in its construction, the Berkeley was designed to give the appearance of a stone building of traditional load bearing construction.

Plans for the building, initially called the Alabama Apartments, included 120 apartment suites containing one to ten rooms each with 10 foot ceilings, outside windows, closets and baths. A reporter at the time called it "the largest apartment house of its kind between New York and Chicago." After the owner, Charles Sherrill, misjudged the Buffalo housing market, he lost financing and new owners took over. New architects were hired to complete a scaled down version of the newly named Berkeley Apartments. The lower five floors were converted to smaller apartments containing one to six rooms.

The Berkeley opened as an apartment hotel for short rather than long-term tenants in December 1897 with 63 apartments that rented for $25 to $50 per month. In 1912, the Berkeley changed hands again and was renamed the Graystone Hotel, the name by which the building is commonly known today.

The building has been abandoned for years, but recent plans have called for a renovation of the interior into upscale apartments.

Street address: 24 Johnson Park Buffalo, NY United States 14201 County / Borough / Parish: Erie Year listed: 1987 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering Periods of significance: 1875-1899 Historic function: Domestic: Multiple Dwelling Current function: Vacant Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 1: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   08/17/2008 Dory The Explorer visited it

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