County and City Hall
Posted by: 
Rayman
N 42° 53.050 W 078° 52.662
17T E 673312 N 4750136
This is the former home of Buffalo City Hall and Erie County Hall. It is now occupied by just Erie County.
Waymark Code: WMBZ3
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 05/04/2006
Views: 18
This building stands on the site of the Franklin Square Cemetery, Buffalo's second burial ground from 1804 to 1836, especially for soldiers of the War of 1812. In October 1836, a brick wall was built around Franklin Square on the Eagle, Delaware and Church street sides, at a cost of $2,000, paid for by popular subscription. At that time, all the graves not marked by stones or monuments were leveled and graded even with the general surface. Many a resting-place of early residents, and of soldiers of 1812, was thus lost for identification.
It was on this site on December 10, 1813 that Colonel Cyrenius Chapin surrendered the village of Buffalo to the British. However, the British then rejected his authority and proceeded to burn the village in retaliation for the American forces under General McClure having previously burned the British settlement of Newark (now Niagara-on-the-Lake).
In 1851, the city bought the property of H.E. Howard, 95 by 115 1/2 feet, at the northwest corner of Church and Franklin streets. It was used for Mayor's office and other city offices until shortly before the completion of the present building in 1876.
In 1857, when Seth Grosvenor bequeathed $40,000 to the city of Buffalo for a library, $10,000 of which was to be used for a lot and building, old Franklin Square was strongly, but unsuccessfully, advocated for its site.
Street address:
92 Franklin St
Buffalo, NY United States
14202
County / Borough / Parish: Erie
Year listed: 1976
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event
Periods of significance: 1850-1874, 1875-1899
Historic function: Government: City Hall
Current function: Government: Courthouse, Government Office
Privately owned?: no
Season start / Season finish: From: 01/01/2006 To: 12/31/2006
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Hours of operation: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.