Harlow C. Curtiss Building - Buffalo, NY
Posted by: 
Rayman
N 42° 53.350 W 078° 52.543
17T E 673460 N 4750696
The Curtiss Building in downtown Buffalo is one of the largest terra cotta buildings in the city and was once home to several prominent office tenants.
Waymark Code: WM8ZTA
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 06/06/2010
Views: 8
Glazed in white terra cotta with classical decorative reliefs, the Curtiss Building bears resemblance to the works of renowned Chicago architects such as Daniel Burnham and Louis Sullivan, both of whom designed buildings in Buffalo. The Curtiss Building was designed by Paul F. Mann and built in 1912-1923, and is one of the largest terra cotta structures of its type and period in downtown Buffalo.
Harlow C. Curtiss was a prominent figure in Buffalo's civic life at the turn of the 20th century. Born in Utica, NY in 1858, he moved to Buffalo with his family in 1861. After attending college in Connecticut, he returned to Buffalo to begin his legal career with the firm Cleveland & Bissell, working under future United States president Grover Cleveland. In 1884, Curtiss left the firm to start his own office, launching a career that would span 40 years in Buffalo. Curtiss was also known had a career in real estate, which is what led him to built the building named after him.
The Curtiss Building was commissioned in the spring in 1912. Metz Brothers Construction of Buffalo was chosen to build the structure, hopefully in about a year. Unfortunately that deadline passed without being met, however it was completed by the end of 1913. A diverse schedule of tenants moved in, including Kittinger Furniture, one of Buffalo's most prestigious businesses. Other occupants included lawyers, stationers, and paramedical companies, but oddly enough not Curtiss' office. He then sold the building in 1920. From 1920-the 1990s, numerous people and companies owned the building with varying degrees of occupancy.
Since the early 1990s the building has been vacant. In 2008 it was purchased by a locally prominent restaurateur and developer with the hopes of transforming it into a boutique hotel.
Street address:
204-210 Franklin St
Buffalo, NY United States
14202
County / Borough / Parish: Erie
Year listed: 2009
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture
Periods of significance: 1900-1925
Historic function: Commerce
Current function: Vacant/Not In Use (undergoing rehab)
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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