31 College Street

April 2007

College Street was once to be the place where the University of Western New York was to be built.  The project never took place because of the financial panic of 1837, but the name of the street stuck.  The darling worker’s cottage at 31 College Street shows that both the high and mighty and the proud but practical lived in Allentown during the Victorian era.  The house at 31 College, still lovely and vibrant after over 130 years stands as a testament to the high quality of craftsmanship found in many of Allentown’s homes if they are maintained.

This simple frame worker's cottage was likely built during the Civil War era.  The original owner, a C. Hitchcock, apparently never lived here, but used the property as rental income.  By 1886 the house was occupied by Charles F. Graesser, a printer with the Courier Co.  By the 1890s the house had a front porch, now gone; its foliate carved pediment with house number now tops the door.  New windows were installed in the early 20^th century.

The current owners purchased the house about a year and a half ago and like many people in Allentown, claim the house found them and not the other way around.  They repainted the entire interior in clean simple colors of red, white and black to emphasize the cottage architecture.  There are two skylights in the home, one of them in the front of the house was used to provide light for a the portrait studio of a former artist-owner.  The home was formerly divided into two apartments, but the current owners have removed the dividing wall from the rear apartment and have incorporated the space into the main unit.  They now use this space for a den and look forward to adding a fireplace this fall to enjoy Buffalo’s magical winters.

This house shows the incredible housing diversity found in Allentown.  Mansions to cottages may be found in all price ranges and residents are bound together by their love of community, culture, arts, history and architecture.