Concrete--Central Elevator - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

The Concrete-Central Elevator is significant as the largest reinforced concrete grain elevator when it was erected on the Buffalo waterfront, a location that posses the most important collection of existing grain elevators in the United States. The mammoth elevator was also important for the influence it exerted on early 20th century European architects who were pioneers of modern design. The great elevator had a holding capacity of over 4,500,000 bushels of grain, making it one of the largest structures on earth in its day.

The elevator was built by the Eastern Grain Mill and Elevator Company in three stages between 1915 and 1917. The method of construction used represented a step in the evolution of the slip form system of modern concrete elevator constructed.

Since the middle of the 19th century, grain was shipped across the Great Lakes to Buffalo. Located where Lake Erie flows into the Niagara River, it stood at the easternmost point of navigation of four of the Great Lakes. Here grain was transferred either to canal boats for shipment to New York City on the Erie Canal, or to railroads which linked Buffalo to east coast cities.

Photos were taken from Katherine Street, which is the closest you can legally come via land. The elevators can be driven to somewhat illegally, but the directions are complicated and the route is very rough and bumpy.

Street address: Buffalo River Buffalo, NY United States 14203 County / Borough / Parish: Erie Year listed: 2003 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering Periods of significance: 1900-1924 Historic function: Agriculture/Subsistence: Storage Current function: Vacant/Not In Use Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Privately owned?: Not Listed Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   09/27/2013 Queens Blessing visited it 07/24/2011 uccacher visited it 08/02/2009 Dory The Explorer visited it

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