Below is an excerpt from an editorial letter from the Buffalo News published on February 24, 2023. We are elated that Williamsville has created a historic district, and the reverence of our report “Everyone’s Heritage: The Impacts of Historic Preservation in Buffalo,” shows how beneficial historic districts and preservation can be for an area!
“The 13 structures in the district include the water mill, itself, which was constructed by the village’s founder, Jonas Williams, in 1811 and is located off Main Street along East Spring Street and Ellicott Creek. The district runs along Main Street, from Rock Street east to the pedestrian entrance to Glen Park, with the properties dating from 1811 to 1949.
Individual structures include the Eagle House restaurant, Moor Pat tavern, and Share Kitchen & Bar Room, which are among the village’s oldest commercial structures; there are also non-contributing buildings in the district that don’t share the designation. Preservation designation in Williamsville can include buildings that are 50 years old or older; their interest to preservationists depends on architectural style as well as historic factors.
It’s perplexing that the creation of the district met with as much opposition as it did. Clearly, there needs to be more education about preservation’s surprising benefits. Skeptics could start by reading a recent report commissioned by Preservation Buffalo Niagara, “Everyone’s Heritage: The Impacts of Historic Preservation in Buffalo,” which presents clear data supporting its conclusions that the economic benefits of maintaining a historic built environment include job creation and population growth as well as higher property values. The report is easily accessible at preservationbuffaloniagara.org.”
To read the full article visit the Buffalo News website.