December Preservation Advocacy & Fundraiser Dates!

Our December Events Calendar is PACKED! We have advocacy, education, art, and exercise (bowling!) this month! See our events below.

Local Landmark Hearings at the City of Buffalo Preservation Board – 12/19

Join us at City Hall on 12/19 at 3 pm (Room 902) to support and advocate for the local landmark applications for St. Martin of Tours, All Saints, St. Michaels, and the Brewers Hill Historic District. These hearings are open to the public and each application will be reviewed and decided on by the City of Buffalo Preservation Board. If the applications are approved, they will go onto the Buffalo Common Council for a decision in early 2025.

Can’t come? Send an email of support to info@pbnsaves.org. The email doesn’t have to be long or include fancy language – just a reminder that our history matters and we want to celebrate and protect it.

Do you own a historic home in a historic district – join us on 12/19? (Elmwood, Allentown, Hamlin Park & More)

Join us on 12/19 for our Historic Homeowner Tax Credit Workshop! This virtual event is FREE and will have Tom Yots from Preservation Studios and Francis Stern from SHPO available to answer questions. We will review the application process and discuss what repairs and rehab work qualify for the tax credit. Let us help you save money on those repairs for 2025!

Preservation in Focus: Photography From The 2024 Tour Season at the Richardson Campus.

Join us on Friday, December 20th from 6pm – 8pm in the Lipsey Architecture Center at 444 Forest Ave. Buffalo NY. This event is free but we ask that you sign up here so we have a proper headcount for refreshments!

Bowling & Pierogi: A FUNdraiser for Preservation

Buy your tickets here!

Bowling & Pierogi: A Fundraiser for Corpus Christi & Preservation Buffalo Niagara

When: Saturday, December 28, 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Where: Bowling: Corpus Christi Church Athletic Club –165 Sears Street, Polonia District, Buffalo, New York
Tours: Corpus Christi Church — 199 Clark St, Buffalo, NY 14212

Step back in time and bowl on Corpus Christi’s vintage bowling lanes, which are now open for the first time in years! Your ticket includes a guided tour of this stunning church, a game of bowling, shoe rental, and a serving of Babcia’s Pierogi.

Extras:

Babcia’s Pierogi will have additional food available for purchase.

A craft table will keep the kids entertained while you enjoy the event.

Proceeds support both Corpus Christi Church and Preservation Buffalo Niagara’s vital work.

Team Bowling: Have a group of 4 or more? Email Emily@pbnsaves.org to reserve your lane, as there are limited lanes available (first come, first served).

Join us for an afternoon of fun, food, and preservation in action. See you there!

It is Giving Tuesday! Help Us Raise $15,000 For Our Annual Appeal Campaign This Year.

Saving buildings is hard work!

We have had a great deal of accomplishments this year. We hope you will consider donating to our Annual Appeal campaign.

Four of our big achievements include:

Stabilizing several buildings across the East Side of Buffalo, including the Juneteenth Building, Dnipro Ukrainian Center, and 198 Emslie. This work was done in-house with our team and funded by Empire State Development.
Locally landmarking five historic churches in Buffalo as a response to the closures (and more to come!).
Researching & submitting to get the Turtle in Niagara Falls determined eligible for historic status by SHPO to provide a layer of protection as the owner threatens to demolish the structure for a hotel.
Working with the City of Buffalo to stop the demolition of the historic Cobblestone building after the big fire in June. We facilitated meetings with the State Historic Preservation Office and rallied the community to urge the City of Buffalo to stop the demo – which was critical.

We hope you will consider donating to us today for Giving Tuesday! Your donation directly supports active preservation efforts in WNY.

You can donate here (and see more of our work): Annual Appeal – Preservation Buffalo Niagara

From the bottom of our hearts – thank you for supporting us!

-Bernice, Brandon, Constance, Emily & Laura

NYSCA Announces $25,000 Grant Award to PBN!

Preservation Buffalo Niagara awarded $25,000 by the New York State Council on the Arts

Buffalo, NY – Preservation Buffalo Niagara announced today a grant award totaling $25,000 from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to support the nonprofit arts and culture sector. Through New York State’s continued investment in arts and culture, NYSCA has awarded $82 million this year to 509 artists and 1,497 organizations across the state.

“As the unparalleled leader of arts and culture, New York’s creativity and innovation inspires the world,” Governor Hochul said. “Our continued investment in our dynamic creative sector will further boost tourism, strengthen our local economies and continue New York’s success as a rich and vibrant place to live, work and visit.”

Executive Director of NYSCA Erika Mallin said, “On behalf of the Council and staff, I am so proud that we are supporting the critical work of so many nonprofit organizations all across the state, including the work of Preservation Buffalo Niagara. New York State’s art and culture nonprofits make us a global leader, strengthening our connections to each other and the larger world. I thank you for your dedication and service and look forward to all your work in the coming year.”

About the New York State Council on the Arts

The mission of the New York State Council on the Arts is to foster and advance the full breadth of New York State’s arts, culture, and creativity for all. To support the ongoing recovery of the arts across New York State, the Council on the Arts will award $162 million in FY2025, serving organizations and artists across all 10 of the state’s regions. The Council on the Arts further advances New York’s creative culture by convening leaders in the field and providing organizational and professional development opportunities and informational resources.

Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1960 and continued with the support of Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature, the Council is an agency that is part of the Executive Branch. For more information on NYSCA, please visit arts.ny.gov, and follow NYSCA’s Facebook page, on X @NYSCArts and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts.

PBN Local Landmark District Update: Brewers Hill Historic District

SoSS Update: A Local Historic District!

PBN has submitted the Brewers Hill Historic District for local historic designation as part of the Save Our Sacred Sites initiative! This nomination was inspired by the closing of the St. Jude Center, now listed for sale by the Catholic Diocese. You can find the application data here.

Advocacy need: We will alert you when the public hearing is scheduled. If you’d like to submit a letter of support, email it to info@pbnsaves.org and we will print it and provide it to the City of Buffalo.

Located just north of downtown Buffalo near the medical campus, the Brewers Hill district features eight historic buildings on Washington and Ellicott Streets. These structures, dating back to the mid-19th century, are the last remnants of a once-thriving residential neighborhood. The proposed district showcases a variety of architectural styles, including Italianate, Second Empire, and Queen Anne.

Key Highlights:

Historic Significance: The district’s development began in the 1830s, driven by German immigrants and other settlers.
Architectural Gems: The eight contributing buildings, including the St. Jude Center, are rare examples of late 19th-century residential architecture.
Preservation Efforts: Early preservationist Austin Fox played a crucial role in saving these buildings in the 1980s.
National Recognition: In 2016, these buildings were deemed eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. This is a huge lift and one that does not come lightly. This helps strengthen our application.

The adaptive reuse of these buildings to serve the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus underscores their continued relevance and utility. Designating Brewers Hill as a historic district will ensure these significant structures are preserved while honoring the legacy of the community that once thrived here.