MARTIN HOUSE TOUR
$5 off any public tour
PROMO CODE: TwoStories
Discount can be applied to any tour scheduled through March 31, 2023. Cannot be combined with any other offer.
BEYOND THE CANS
Two stories high.
1,000 stories deep.
The resurgence of Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House is a testament to the power of community – and the enduring influence of the Queen City.
Photography by Matthew Digati
“This is an internationally significant piece of architecture in our backyard. It will be our calling card to the world, and it must be saved.”
The genius architect
Frank Lloyd Wright is often described as the greatest American architect of all time. Over seven decades, he designed homes, offices, churches, skyscrapers, hotels and museums. He even designed the furniture, art glass windows, landscape and decorative elements for many of his buildings.
Wright created buildings that merged humanity with the environment, something he called “organic architecture.” This was especially true for the homes he built on hilltops, escarpments, deserts and over waterfalls.
As an up-and-coming architect from Chicago, he arrived in Buffalo in the early 1900s during the Queen City’s heyday at the request of Darwin D. Martin, an executive at the Larkin Company–a major soap manufacturer located in the neighborhood now known as Larkinville. Wright would go on to design and build the Martin family estate, the Larkin Company’s administrative headquarters, homes for two more of the company's executives, and eventually the Martin family’s summer home on Lake Erie.
Wright was known to dispense knowledge (and his fierce opinions) through witticisms. Raised in a strict teetotaling family, he didn’t start drinking until later in life. In 1958, he told the New York Times: “A man is a fool if he drinks before he reaches the age of 50, and a fool if he doesn’t afterward.”
Prairie comes to Buffalo
The relationship between Frank Lloyd Wright and businessman Darwin D. Martin produced a revolutionary residence. The Jewett Parkway estate let the prolific architect fully showcase his artistic vision and ignited his career. The house mimics the prairie with its horizontal frame, low-pitched roof, deep overhangs (to shield from the searing sun) and long bands of art glass windows.
Architects and architectural critics consider the Martin House a masterpiece with its many decorative elements, such as the massive mosaic fireplace, 400+ art glass windows, wide-open interior spaces and the interplay of connecting multiple structures.
Our community rallies
When the Martin House estate was completed, it consisted of six buildings – the family’s main house, the Barton House (for relatives), carriage house, conservatory, pergola and Gardener’s Cottage – located on a 1.5-acre plot in the historic Parkside neighborhood.
The estate fell into disrepair after Martin lost his fortune during the Great Depression. Several of the buildings were torn down, and an apartment complex was built on the site.
Then in the 1980s, Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan saw it and said: “This is an internationally significant piece of architecture in our backyard. It will be our calling card to the world, and it must be saved.”
Local foundations, businesses, and community leaders committed their own money and pressured the state to become involved. What happened next was a massive multi-year restoration and reconstruction project fueled by unprecedented community support.
Completed in 2019, the Martin House restoration is a testament to the Buffalo community, which rallied to save this National Historic Landmark. The Martin House now welcomes more than 40,000 visitors a year, making it a major international draw, just as Sen. Moynihan predicted.
Top 2022 destination
Buffalo’s recent resurgence has attracted attention, and that rebirth starts squarely with its architectural heritage.
Other genius architects also left masterpieces here. Among them is the Ellicott Square Building by Daniel Burnham. When it was finished in 1896, it was the largest office building in the world. Another is the Guaranty Building designed by Louis Sullivan, the “father of skyscrapers,” a 13-story structure clad in terra cotta with art deco details.
Then there is the Henry H. Richardson complex, built as an insane asylum. It may look spooky with its twin tower main building. Interestingly, it was used as the hospital in the baseball movie “The Natural” where Roy Hobbs recovered from a bullet wound.
These out-of-town architects had to compete against one of Buffalo’s own, Louise Blanchard Bethune. She was the first American woman who worked as a professional architect, and she designed mostly industrial and public buildings. Her masterpiece is the Hotel Lafayette. This neoclassical building was commissioned for $1 million in 1904.
In a city boasting designs by these notable names, the resurgence owes much to architects of the past. Architectural Digest recommends Buffalo as one of its top destination stops in the world in 2022: “Although it may feel like Buffalo has been dormant for decades, this Rust Belt city is in the midst of a resurgence thanks to its beautifully restored architecture, burgeoning culinary scene and new art compounds.”
MARTIN HOUSE TOUR
$5 off any public tour
PROMO CODE: TwoStories
Discount can be applied to any tour scheduled through March 31, 2023. Cannot be combined with any other offer.
Pick up a 4-pack of Two Stories Amber Lager
Available now at Resurgence Brewing Co. on Chicago St., Consumer’s Beverages, Tops Friendly Markets and anywhere good beer is sold.
