Category: Front Page

We are excited to celebrate the people behind this year’s most inspiring preservation projects at the 2025 Preservation Awards. Join us on Thursday, May 29, 2025, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM  at The Caz (2221 Seneca Street) to celebrate the region’s most impactful preservation projects at Preservation Buffalo Niagara’s largest fundraiser of the year.

Please note: The Caz will stay open until 8:30 PM for the Afterparty! Enjoy great company and live music for an extra hour — Thank you, Jake!!

For more information on the Preservation Awards, please click here.
To purchase tickets for the Preservation Awards, please click here.

The Stunning Restoration of the Lockport Historic Palace Theatre

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Palace Theatre. Its grand opening night in 1925 featured Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments, and exactly a century later, the theatre celebrated with the hit musical Wicked. But beyond the movies and musicals, the true significance lies in the theatre’s revival—a powerful symbol of Lockport’s cultural heritage and community spirit.

Like many historic theaters, the Palace faced tough times. It wasn’t until 1999 that Curtain Up Productions began staging live musicals here, breathing new life into the space. By 2003, a dedicated nonprofit purchased the building, and under the leadership of an active board and Executive Director, Chris Parada, the Palace offered theatrical productions and kept the building standing despite tight budgets. Starting in 2018, with generous community support, foundation grants, and government funding, the theatre underwent a full-scale restoration, finishing in 2022.

The stunning ceiling murals, delicate stencil work, and expertly repaired plaster create an authentic glimpse into the past. But there’s so much more than just beauty behind the scenes—this is a fully modern performance space, blending historic charm with 21st-century technology.

The stage boasts upgraded rigging and backstage platforms operated by an impressive 32-bar counterweight system. The curtains include a cyclorama, LED-star drops, scrims, and a traveler track system, offering endless possibilities for spectacular shows. Beneath the stage, the orchestra pit has been expanded, now seven feet wider and six feet deeper than the original, complete with a hydraulic lift for enhanced functionality. Even the lobby’s concession stand has been carefully renovated to complement the historic 1925 design, illuminated by a dazzling crystal chandelier replacing the long-lost original. And movie lovers can rejoice—thanks to a new movie screen and digital projector, the Palace is once again showing first-run films.

For their tireless dedication to preserving and revitalizing a cornerstone of Lockport’s cultural and architectural heritage, we proudly present the Lockport Historic Palace Theatre restoration team with the 2025 Preservation Award for Commercial Project.

Congratulations to everyone involved in making the Lockport Historic Palace Theatre a restored gem and a thriving hub for arts, culture, and community.

To see what shows are hitting the stage, visit: Live Theatre Productions – Lockport Palace Theater

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We are excited to celebrate the people behind this year’s most inspiring preservation projects at the 2025 Preservation Awards. Join us on Thursday, May 29, 2025, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM  at The Caz (2221 Seneca Street) to celebrate the region’s most impactful preservation projects at Preservation Buffalo Niagara’s largest fundraiser of the year.

Please note: The Caz will stay open until 8:30 PM for the Afterparty! Enjoy great company and live music for an extra hour — Thank you, Jake!!

For more information on the Preservation Awards, please click here.
To purchase tickets for the Preservation Awards, please click here.

The Restoration of Mayfair Lane

In the heart of Buffalo’s historic Allentown District, Mayfair Lane is a striking example of early 20th-century design, charm, and architectural ambition. Conceived by the legendary E.B. Green, this private enclave of 20 townhouses and a castle is more than just a collection of homes. Fun fact: Green himself once called this enchanting lane home – talk about living in your masterpiece!

But as any historic property owner knows, preserving the past is no small feat. Over the decades, the unique deck structure that defines Mayfair Lane – with parking below and lush gardens above – had fallen into deep disrepair, suffering from water damage, drainage failures, and the wear of Buffalo’s winters.

By 2022, the situation reached a critical point. Facing potential condemnation by the City Housing Court, the residents of Mayfair Lane came together in a remarkable act of collective determination (and, we imagine, a few epic block meetings). Working hand in hand with the Buffalo Preservation Board, the lane’s residents took on an ambitious and comprehensive project, including:

• Full Replacement of the Concrete Decking – Restoring the structural backbone of the lane.
• New Copper Downspouts and Flashing – Bringing back period-authentic detail and durability.
• Brick Repairs and Iron Railing Restoration – Honoring the craftsmanship that defines the lane’s historic character.
• Complete Fieldstone Replacement – Preserving the distinctive upper lane walkway for generations to come.

For their extraordinary commitment to saving one of Buffalo’s most cherished historic treasures, we are thrilled to honor the residents of Mayfair Lane with the 2025 Preservation Award for Unique Preservation Effort.

“Mayfair Lane is an extensive restoration project! E.B Green would be proud to see his legacy live on. I think what makes this extra special is that to accomplish this, the lane needed buy-in from every person on the lane to make this preservation restoration happen – which took a lot of hard work to do. I commend the Mayfair Lane board and its residents for tackling a very difficult preservation project!” – Bernice Radle, Executive Director, Preservation Buffalo Niagara

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We are excited to celebrate the people behind this year’s most inspiring preservation projects at the 2025 Preservation Awards. Join us on Thursday, May 29, 2025, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM  at The Caz (2221 Seneca Street) to celebrate the region’s most impactful preservation projects at Preservation Buffalo Niagara’s largest fundraiser of the year.

Please note: The Caz will stay open until 8:30 PM for the Afterparty! Enjoy great company and live music for an extra hour — Thank you, Jake!!

For more information on the Preservation Awards, please click here.
To purchase tickets for the Preservation Awards, please click here.

It Takes a Village: The Preservation Journey of The Turtle

The Native American Center for the Living Arts — affectionately known as “The Turtle”—stands as a powerful symbol of Indigenous culture and heritage. Completed in 1981 and designed by Northern Arapaho architect Dennis Sun Rhodes-Hinono’ei / Northern Arapaho: Wind River Nation, The Turtle was built to celebrate Indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere through art, history, and culture.

Its unique architectural design is deeply symbolic: inspired by the Haudenosaunee Creation Story, where the world rests on the back of an ancient sea turtle, the building’s striking features include large “eye” porthole windows gazing toward the Niagara River Rapids and a geodesic dome crowned with an eagle-shaped skylight over a circular 250-seat theater. The Turtle is a rare and powerful example of postmodern architecture that blends symbolism with function, making it not only a cultural landmark but also a significant architectural treasure.

However, after 30 years shuttered and under minimal maintenance, the building faced severe deterioration. Enter Friends of the Niagara Turtle, a passionate community group dedicated to “Reawaken the Turtle.” By December 2024, they had secured 63 architectural drawings documenting the building’s original construction and initiated an economic analysis to chart a path forward for restoration and revitalization.

The building’s cultural and historical significance was formally recognized in September 2024 when the New York State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) declared The Turtle eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Further elevating its status, in May 2025, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named The Turtle one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.

For their tireless dedication to preserving and revitalizing this living symbol of Indigenous culture and architectural heritage, we proudly present Friends of the Niagara Turtle with the 2025 Preservation Award for Neighborhood Preservation Organization.

Congratulations to everyone who made this happen! Your hard work doesn’t just save a building—it helps keep an important cultural story alive, bringing strength and pride to our whole City.

Please follow the Friends of the Niagara Turtle’s journey to Re-Awaken the Turtle: https://niagaraturtle.org/about-us

 

 

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We are excited to celebrate the people behind this year’s most inspiring preservation projects at the 2025 Preservation Awards. Join us on Thursday, May 29, 2025, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM  at The Caz (2221 Seneca Street) to celebrate the region’s most impactful preservation projects at Preservation Buffalo Niagara’s largest fundraiser of the year.

Please note: The Caz will stay open until 8:30 PM for the Afterparty! Enjoy great company and live music for an extra hour — Thank you, Jake!!

For more information on the Preservation Awards, please click here.
To purchase tickets for the Preservation Awards, please click here.

The Revival of Trinity Episcopal Church in Middleport

At the heart of Middleport, New York, stands Trinity Episcopal Church, a testament to faith, resilience, and the enduring power of community. Established in 1865 as the Middleport Mission, the congregation broke ground on its now-iconic brick, Gothic-style church in the spring of 1869, on land generously donated by Mrs. Avery DeLano. The first services were held in the church’s finished basement on Christmas Day, 1869, with the full structure completed by the spring of 1872, just as the congregation gathered the final funds needed to add its distinctive tower.

A defining feature of Trinity Episcopal is its Barkhoff Church Organ, installed in 1906 by the Barkhoff Church Organ Co. of Ohio for $1,200 – a piece of history that still fills the sanctuary with rich, resonant tones more than a century later.

However, like many historic buildings, Trinity Episcopal faced significant challenges after years of vacancy, including deteriorating masonry, damaged windows, a leaking roof, and outdated plumbing and electrical systems. Recognizing the importance of this local landmark, Hellner Development took on the formidable task of restoring the church, completing the work in just three months in September.

Their efforts included:

• Masonry Restoration – Repairing and preserving the brickwork that defines the church’s Gothic style.
• Window Restoration – Protecting the character and craftsmanship of the original stained glass.
• New Roof and Plaster Repair – Ensuring the structural integrity and longevity of the building.
• Organ and Systems Upgrades – Breathing new life into the 1906 pipe organ and modernizing electrical and plumbing systems.
• Exact Reproduction Front Doors – Honoring the church’s original design with faithfully recreated doors.

For its exceptional restoration and continued role as a place of faith and community, we are proud to honor Trinity Episcopal Church with the 2025 Preservation Award for Sacred Site.

Congratulations to Hellner Development, the Casanovas, and all those who have brought this beautiful piece of Middleport’s history back to life.

 

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