Coit House - Buffalo, NY
Posted by: 
Rayman
N 42° 53.814 W 078° 52.578
17T E 673391 N 4751553
The Coit House, part of the Allentown Historic District, is believed to be the oldest standing house in the City of Buffalo.
Waymark Code: WM379R
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 02/21/2008
Views: 18
On December 30, 1813, the British Army marched on the City of Buffalo and burned the entire city to the ground, including George Coit's home and business. Undeterred, Coit built this house at the corner of Swan and Pearl in downtown Buffalo, very close to his rebuilt pharmacy business, sometime in 1814 or 1815. Throughout the years, Coit's family grew and he added on to the house a couple different times.
After George died in 1865, one of his sons took over the house. Buffalo's future was looking bright and expansion was occurring in the downtown core. If the house were to have been left in its original spot, it would have been demolished to make way for further development. As a result, the house was moved to its current location in the fall of 1867. Eventually the house was converted to apartments, then later it became abandoned and fell into disrepair. The Landmark Society of the Niagara Frontier was established to prevent further deterioration. Currently the house is closed to the public and is undergoing extensive renovations. There are hopes that it can be turned into some type of museum so the public can learn about what is believed to be the oldest structure still standing in Buffalo.
Name of Historic District (as listed on the NRHP): Allentown Historic District
Link to nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com page with the Historic District: [Web Link]
Address:
414 Virginia St
Buffalo, NY
How did you determine the building to be a contributing structure?: Narrative found on the internet (Link provided below)
Optional link to narrative or database: [Web Link]
NRHP Historic District Waymark (Optional): Not listed
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