Day 57 – July 30- Buffalo, NY – Rest Day

Our rest day really started last night as Phil took us to dinner and on a tour of Buffalo.  Buffalo is a city steeped in history.  Established on the eastern end of Lake Erie, Buffalo’s history was destined with the establishment of the Erie Canal.  Buffalo, the western terminus of the canal had all the advantages of the for shipping over the great lakes all the materials needed for America’s industrial growth in the 1800’s.  Key industries in steel production and grain milling and manufacturing were established.

With the great industrial growth and accompanying wealth, Buffalo was blessed with a wealth of architecture from many of the premier architects of the time.  Louis Sullivan, H.H. Richardson, E. B. Green, Richard Upjohn and Frank Lloyd Wright all contributed to the architecture of the city.  Fredrick Law Olmstead laid out many of the parks, parkways and neighborhoods.  Much of the architecture remains today.

At one point a city of nearly 600,000 people in the 1960’s, Buffalo was hit hard by the recession of the 1970s and the decline in steel production and manufacturing since.  Its current population is around 260,ooo.  The greater Buffalo – Niagara area however boasts a population of over 1.2 million allowing Buffalo’s retail economy to remain strong.

First Presbyterian Church of Buffalo is one example of the work of architect E.B. Green.  It was one of his first large projects.  Today we visited Frank Lloyd Wright’s, Darwin Martin House.  Completed in 1905, the house is currently undergoing restoration. Throughout the city are many examples of residential architecture being restored.  During an afternoon walk Joe and I were able to take in many examples of these works in progress.

Our route tomorrow takes us across the Peace Bridge into Canada.  We will follow the Niagara River north to the falls before crossing back into the US near Lewiston, NY.  From there we will continue east charting a course across the state on following the Erie Canal.