Downtown in Buffalo in Erie County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
"...With Liberty and Justice for All."
Buffalo History and Architecture
— Niagara Square East —
The vista along Court Street from Niagara Square to Lafayette Square embraces a continuum of human struggle for freedom and justice. In the center of the vista stands a monument to the soldiers and sailors who perished in the war to preserve the Union over the issue of slavery. Adjacent to the monument, the Liberty Building celebrates the concept of freedom with two statues of Lady Liberty on its rooftop. At the farthest point is the Michigan Avenue Baptist Church, a stop on the Underground Railroad for fugitive slaves en route to freedom in Canada.
Whether serendipitous or intentional, the east-west axis of the street, as well as a similar orientation of the Liberty statues, represents the east-west expansion of the nation and its democratic ideal across the continent.
Located on the southeast corner of Niagara Square at present Court Street was the home of Indian agent General David Burt. Burt once hosted the nation's eighth president, John Quincy Adams, who in 1841 defended mutinous Africans being carried to slavery aboard The Armistad.
In 1851, Burt's property was converted to Central High School, the only one in the city until Masten Park and Lafayette high schools were opened on the east and west sides of the city on 1897 and 1903, respectively.
The Central High building was demolished in 1926 for the Buffalo State Office Building, built 1928-1932 to designs by E.B. Green & Sons with Albert Hart Hopkins. The building is notable for elegant stylized Art Deco elements combined with the classical.
Opposite is the Buffalo Federal Courthouse, designed in Art deco style by the two Buffalo architectural firms of E.B. Green & Sons and Bley & Lyman. On October 17, 1936, the building was dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who highlighted the partnership of federal and local governments in creating public works to overcome the economic disaster of the Great Depression then raging.
Previously occupying the site was the 1888 Women's Christian Association's building by architect Edwards Austin Kent, who designed a number of prominent extant buildings in Buffalo. Kent perished aboard the Titanic, while heroically guiding women and children to lifeboats. His body was recovered and returned to Buffalo for burial in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
1) Central High School
2) Michigan Street Baptist Church
3) Soldiers and Sailors Monument
4) Michael J. Dillon United States Court House
5) Bison relief, Walter J. Mahoney New York State Office Building
6) Liberty Building
Erected by Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo 21st Century Fund in collaboration with Landmark Society of the Niagara Frontier, et al.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • Architecture • Charity & Public Work • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Art Deco, and the Former U.S. Presidents: #06 John Quincy Adams series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is October 17, 1936.
Location. 42° 53.186′ N, 78° 52.667′ W. Marker is in Buffalo, New York, in Erie County. It is in Downtown. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Niagara Square and Court Street, in the median. Marker is at the east perimeter of the circular walkway around the McKinley Monument in Niagara Square, facing the monument. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Buffalo NY 14202, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. William McKinley (within shouting distance of this marker); Niagara Square (within shouting distance of this marker); From Social Center to Civic Center (within shouting distance of this marker); Our Legacy of Abundant Water (within shouting distance of this marker); Buffalo Burns!!! (within shouting distance of this marker); From Frontier to Major City / Buffalo City Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); Charles R. Turner (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Samuel Manning Welch (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Buffalo.
Also see . . .
1. Liberty Bank Building - Buffalo as an Architectural Museum. (Submitted on March 3, 2016, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.)
2. Liberty Building - Wikipedia. (Submitted on March 3, 2016, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.)
3. Buffalo Federal Courthouse - Buffalo as an Architectural Museum. (Submitted on March 3, 2016, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.)
4. Buffalo State Office Building - Buffalo as an Architectural Museum. (Submitted on March 3, 2016, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 3, 2016, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York. This page has been viewed 560 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 3, 2016, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.