Williams-Butler House - Buffalo, NY
Posted by: 
Rayman
N 42° 54.139 W 078° 52.408
17T E 673607 N 4752161
The Williams-Butler House is located on what was once the most prestigious corner in the city of Buffalo. It is the southernmost contributing building to the Delaware Avenue Historic District.
Waymark Code: WM2GP7
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 10/31/2007
Views: 127
The Williams-Butler House was built in 1898 and was designed by famous Buffalo architects McKim, Mead & White. It was built for George L. Williams at the intersection of Delaware Ave and North St, at the time the most prestigious corner in the city, and cost $175,000, a large amount for the time. Williams was a successfuly banker and promotor of the Buffalo Pan-American Exposition of 1901. He was to host President William McKinley at his house for dinner the day he was shot at the Expo. Williams sold the house six years after completion to Edward H. Butler, publisher of the Buffalo Evening News.
Butler lived in the house until his death in 1914. After that his son Edward Butler, Jr. inhereted the house and the newspaper. He, his wife and children lived in the house until 1943. It remained in the family until 1974. The house was sold to the William C. Baird Foundation, who gave the house to Roswell Park Hospital.
In 1979, Delaware North Companies bought the house from Roswell Park and proceeded to demolish the Metcalf Mansion next door to make way for a parking lot (very typical for Buffalo). Delaware North proceeded to spend $6 million to renovate the inside of the house. In 1990, the house was sold to Varity Corp to serve as their headquarters. The parking lot was removed and a garden installed in its place. The house was again acquired by Delaware North in 1999, and CEO Jeremy Jacobs deeded the house to the University of Buffalo and is now known as the Jacobs Executive Development Center.
Name of Historic District (as listed on the NRHP): Delaware Avenue Historic District
Link to nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com page with the Historic District: [Web Link]
NRHP Historic District Waymark (Optional): [Web Link]
Address:
672 Delaware Ave
Buffalo, NY 14201
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]
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