Save Our Sacred Sites

“Churches are not just places of worship; they are symbols of our community’s history. The architectural beauty and spiritual significance of these sacred sites are irreplaceable, and if locally landmarked and added to the National Register of Historic Places, they will have an opportunity to play a significant role in our future, too. ”
– Bernice Radle, Executive Director

Why We Started the Save Our Sacred Sites Initiative

Buffalo’s historic churches are more than architectural landmarks—they are sacred spaces that have served as spiritual, cultural, and social anchors for generations. In recent years, the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo launched its“Road to Renewal” initiative, resulting in the merger and closure of over 70 churches across Western New York. Many of these closed churches were listed for sale with restrictive covenants attached—provisions that prohibited certain future uses for 50 years, yet allowed unrestricted development if the building was demolished after just five years. These covenants created a troubling incentive for demolition, placing our sacred heritage at risk. In response, Preservation Buffalo Niagara established the Save Our Sacred Sites Initiative to protect these irreplaceable places of worship.

We work independently of religious institutions, but we often work in collaboration with the people of faith who have worshipped, served, and gathered in these spaces. By securing legal protections and advocating for thoughtful reuse, we aim to keep these sacred sites part of Buffalo’s living story.

How is this funded?

Nearly all of our local landmark applications are made possible through the generosity of congregations and community members. Preservation Buffalo Niagara provides a dedicated donation platform for each church, allowing supporters to directly fund the preservation of the sacred spaces they care about. Once a church reaches its fundraising goal, we begin the extensive process of research, writing, application preparation, and public hearings required for landmark designation.

While many of our Catholic church applications have been funded this way, the success of the Save Our Sacred Sites Initiative has inspired congregations from other denominations to take action as well. Seeing the value of landmark status, thesecommunities have independently funded their own applications, demonstrating a shared commitment to preserving Buffalo’s spiritual and architectural heritage. The historic status that being a local landmark also allows the congregations to apply for Sacred Space funding that is often only available to sites with historic status.

Disclosure: PBN is not being paid by the Catholic Church. PBN is a non-profit dedicated to saving historic buildings in WNY, and your donations are tax-deductible. 

Active Landmarking Projects

St. Mary Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church
124 Macamley St


For 130 years, the church at 116 Macamley Street (124 Macamley) has stood as a steadfast anchor in South Buffalo—first as St. Jude’s Episcopal Church, and today as St. Mary Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church. Its story is one of faith, resilience, immigrant identity, and community pride, and now we have the opportunity to ensure its future through local landmark designation.

A Century of Community Roots
The site’s history begins in 1896, when Rev. Charles A. Smith laid the cornerstone for the first St. Jude’s Episcopal Church. Designed by W. H. Archer—who would later design St. Mary’s School for the Deaf—the original church opened that same summer and quickly became a spiritual home for the neighborhood’s growing population of factory and steel plant workers.

By the late 1920s, the congregation had outgrown the modest frame church. Under Rev. George F. J. Sherwood, fundraising began for a new sanctuary—one that would reflect the strength and aspirations of its people.

A Norman Revival Masterpiece
In 1931, architects North & Shelgren designed a striking new stone church on the same site. Built of local gray limestone and modeled after a medieval Norman church, the building features:
• A square tower rising more than fifty feet
• A timber roof and oak interior columns
• A vaulted ceiling and choir pit for 30 singers
• Beautiful lancet windows and handcrafted details

The congregation worshiped in the basement while construction took place above them—a testament to their devotion and determination. When completed, the new church became one of South Buffalo’s most recognizable landmarks.

A Hub of Neighborhood Life
For generations, St. Jude’s was a center of community life. By its 50th Jubilee, the parish had celebrated over 1,100 baptisms, 1,000 confirmations, 459 marriages, and 738 funerals. It hosted Girl and Boy Scout troops, choirs, clubs, bazaars, fish fries, picnics, and countless gatherings that shaped the social fabric of the neighborhood.

A New Chapter: St. Mary Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church
In 2022, the property was purchased by St. Mary Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church, a vibrant congregation continuing the tradition of immigrant faith communities finding home and belonging within these walls. Their stewardship ensures the building remains active, loved, and spiritually alive.
Now, they are taking the next step: seeking local landmark designation to protect this historic sanctuary for generations to come.

We Need Your Help
A local landmark application costs $2,500 and covers the research, writing, photography, and public hearings required to move the designation forward.
This is where you come in. Your contribution directly supports the preservation of one of South Buffalo’s most enduring historic and cultural treasures. Every dollar helps safeguard a building that has served—and continues to serve—thousands of families across more than a century.

Please donate to this local landmark application by using the table below or visiting: Save Our Sacred Sites: Help Landmark St. Mary Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church

2026 Landmarked Properties

Centennial AME Zion Church: 127 Doat Street, Buffalo, NY 14211

127 Doat Street has long served as the home of Centennial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, a cornerstone of Buffalo’s East Side faith community. The church has played a vital role in the spiritual, cultural, and civic life of its neighborhood, hosting generations of worshippers and community events. In a remarkable act of initiative and pride, the congregation reached out to Preservation Buffalo Niagara to pursue local landmark designation, and they need your help to fund it!
Please click here to donate to this landmark application.

The Centennial AME Zion Church was locally landmarked on 02/17/2026!

TABLED

St. Jude Center: 760 Ellicott St, Buffalo, NY 14203 –
(Hospital Hill Historic District, tabled with the Buffalo Preservation Board)

The proposed  Hospital Hill Historic District captures a rare collection of eight intact 19th-century brick residences just north of downtown Buffalo. Among them is the St. Jude Center at 760 Ellicott Street, a former Italianate residence dating to the 1870s that has served the community since 1969 through chaplain services, bereavement support, and wellness programs. The district reflects Buffalo’s rich German-American heritage and its transformation into a medical hub, with ties to early brewers, merchants, and healthcare pioneers.

Completed With Local Landmark Status

  • St. Thomas Aquinas RC Church
    450 Abbott Road, Buffalo, NY 14220
  • St. Rose of Lima RC Church
    500 Parker Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14216
  • St. John Kanty RC Church
    101 Swinburne Street, Buffalo, NY 14212
  • St. Stanislaus RC Church
    123 Townsend Street, Buffalo, NY 14212
  • Our Lady of Perpetual Help
    115 O’Connell Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14204
  • St. Michael RC Church
    651 Washington St, Buffalo, NY 14203
  • The Delaine-Waring AME Church
    688 Swan Street, Buffalo, NY 14210
  • St. Martin of Tours Roman Catholic Church
    1140 Abbott Road, Buffalo, NY 14220
  • Greater Faith Temple Church of God In Christ
    480 Hickory Street, Buffalo, NY 14240

Determined Eligible by the state historic preservation office

  • Our Lady of Perpetual Help
    115 O’Connell Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14204

    Donate to the Save Our Sacred Sites Initiative Below:

     

     

Grant Funding for Sacred Sites

Contact Us:
For landmarking inquiries, media inquiries, further information on donations, media, or to volunteer, please contact us at: emily@pbnsaves.org

Watch our talk on “Reimagining Churches” below: