The Front - Buffalo, NY
Posted by: 
Rayman
N 42° 53.967 W 078° 53.780
17T E 671748 N 4751795
The Front, now known as Front Park, is part of the Olmsted Park System in Buffalo. It formerly overlooked the mouth of the Niagara River and Lake Erie.
Waymark Code: WM25P6
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 09/09/2007
Views: 23
The following is an excerpt from
New York: A Guide to the Empire State in the Buffalo points of interest section:
THE FRONT, entrance NW. corner of Porter and Busti Aves., is a 50-acre park extending along the water front. THE CASTLE, in the eastern section, is headquarters of the Buffalo Girl Scouts. This building, an excellent example in white limestone of the early castellated phase of the Gothic Revival, was designed and built in 1837 by Colonel James McKay, militarist and schoolmaster. The colonel's son, Steele MacKaye, noted actor-manager, was born here. The landscaped grounds contain several memorials to local regiments that fought in the Civil and Spanish-American Wars.
The Statue of Oliver Hazard Perry, in the central plaza, was erected in 1915 in honor of the hero of the Battle of Lake Erie ('We have met the enemy and they are ours'), fought in September 1813. The sculptor of the heroic bronze figure was Charles H. Neihaus.
The Peace Bridge, north end of The Front, the huge escarpment forming a striking feature of the scene, connects Buffalo and Fort Erie, Ontario. The completion of the bridge in 1927 marked the culmination of 100 years of uninterrupted peace between the United States and Canada.
The Front was designed by famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. It stands today as just a shadow of it's former, grand self. The Castle mentioned in the Guide was originally located on an adjacent piece of land known as Fort Porter. With the construction of the Peace Bridge, a portion of Fort Porter was acquired to accommodate the automobile traffic. The Castle was moved onto adjacent land of The Front. However increased bridge traffic necessitated more land to build customs facilities and approach roads, which resulted in the demolition of The Castle
The statue of Oliver Perry still stands, however it located amongst a sea of asphalt pavement whereas it was formerly located in a stone terrace.
The Front once provided fantastic views overlooking the Niagara River and Lake Erie. However construction of the Niagara Thruway (I-190) over the former Erie Canal bed and railroad rights-of-way proceeded to take away these views. Further road construction in 1960 and 1971 futher sliced up The Front.
There is a faint glimmer of hope that The Front may be returned, at least partially, to its former self. Expansion of the Peace Bridge may move a newer, larger customs inspections facility to the north allowing restoration of a part of the park that was taken away.