Hudson Street

This may be the best kept secret in Allentown, because Hudson is a street of undiscovered marvels. Look at the wasp-waisted cut-outs supporting the porch floor under No.360, and don't miss the exceptional detail of the pilasters and window cornices of No. 367, which are curtained by a porch made of three semi-elliptical arches. Fine paired brackets support the roof of this fine little rkman's cottage.

At No. 376, the exceptional bracketing under the eaves and the finely detailed porch should catch your eye. No. 377 Hudson is a Painted Lady whose second floor window pediments house cutout foliate designs, while a fine geometric cut-out creates a frieze banding the porch roof.

At No. 382 is beautifully restored Queen Anne. Pay particular attention to a third-storey semi-circular blind arch housing a truly fine foliate carving of Art Nouveau vintage fanning over a recessed four light window separated by simple mullions and supported by two Doric columns. Don't fail to notice the dentilated cornices over the first floor segmentally arched windows, and the restoration work in progress in No. 384.

Hudson Street is an entry way into Allentown (the section of Hudson Street between Cottage and Wadsworth Street is part of the Allentown Historic Preservation District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places).  Hudson Street is the only pedestrian access point to LaSalle Park on the Niagara River.

Hudson Street originally stretched from the Erie Canal (where the NYS I‑190 is today) to College Street (Wadsworth St. was added later).  There is no record of why the name Hudson was chosen to replace its original name of Delaware St.  It may have been named for prominent Buffalo attorney John T. Hudson (1811‑4/16/1887) who owned a significant amount of land on Hudson Street near the Erie Canal, or it may have been named for the Hudson River, which was the Erie Canal's eastern connector and a place Buffalonians thought of frequently in the 1820s and 1830s.  The name may even have been a reference to the Delaware and Hudson Canal, which opened in 1829, linking the Delaware and Hudson Rivers and consequently the Erie Canal to the coal mines of northeastern Pennsylvania.

Hudson Street is the ending demarcation of many of the old Black Rock/Buffalo streets (Whitney, 10th and Cottage) and the beginning demarcation of new streets heading northward (Fargo, Plymouth, and Orton).  Some of the odd 45‑degree angles of the street intersections are due to the meeting of the grid design of Black Rock's streets and Buffalo's radial street design (Cottage at Hudson and Maryland Street as it joins College).  The Village of Black Rock included  the "One Mile Strip," roughly a one mile boundary along the Niagara River purchased from the Native Americans.

While Hudson Street began to be settled in the 1830s, most of the street was developed immediately following the Civil War when the city experienced an economic boom and residential areas ventured north from its downtown core.    The south side of the street (odd numbers) was primarily developed between 1864‑1868 on land owned by Thomas Day.    Many Buffalonians built here and at the time, this area was considered quite a trek from the industrial waterfront.  The north side of the street (even numbers) was developed primarily during the late 1870s and early 1880s.  While the street suffered from disinvestment in the 1960s and 1970s, many significant and irreplaceable structures remain.

At the northwest corner of Hudson Street and Wadsworth Street is the well‑known institution, Friends of the Night People, "A shelter of last resort" for those in need.  Many years ago, the building was a neighborhood grocery store.  During the Great Depression, it was known as the Nettie E. Messer Smith Grocery Store.  The KCA area is well known for welcoming diversity in its midst and Friends of the Night People has been a part of the neighborhood for over 20 years, providing a needed service to anyone who is hungry.  Friends is open seven days a week, 365 days a year and serves more than 200 meals daily and provides emergency health services to 1,600 people annually.

388 Hudson Street is a small cottage built in the late 1870s.  It is an exemplary small cottage dwelling notable for its fine arched windows.  It is also notable for its adaptive use in which the basement has been turned into a garage for an automobile.

382 Hudson Street is a home that is owner‑occupied and is notable for its detailed third storey window and Art Nouveau foliate carved fanning in the gable.  The house is also important for its dentilled cornices over the first floor segmentally arched windows.  A new Victorian‑inspired porch was replaced on this house in 1999.

377 Hudson is a good example of a Victorian house with Eastlake‑style details.  The house's second floor window pediments incorporate cutout foliate designs, while a fine geometric cut‑out creates a frieze banding on the porch roof.  The porch was restored in 2001.

The house at 376 Hudson is one of the older homes on the north side of the street, being built in the late 1870s for Samuel Graves' family.  Graves was employed by the Birge Wallpaper firm on Niagara Street.  The house is notable for its exceptional bracketing in the eaves and detailed front verandah which would be difficult to duplicate today with the same level of craftsmanship.

375 Hudson is another beautiful Queen Anne style home that was built in 1884.  Today this is the home of Marianne Cassidy, KCA block captain for Hudson Street.  The land upon which this house is built originally belonged to its next door neighbor at 371 Hudson Street.  Charles W. Colyer, a physician and principal of school 18 built the house in 1865 on land he purchased from Thomas Day.  While this home has been modified somewhat, it still retains its original porch as designed nearly 135 years ago.

The homes at 370 Hudson Street and 366 Hudson Street are examples of the danger of drug elements in a neighborhood.  Both houses were owned by absentee landlords and were suspected drug houses.  Although they are calm now, they were notorious in the neighborhood during 1997.  370 Hudson Street, the two‑family home that was a HUD house, sold in 1999 for $1,255.  Since that time, it was purchased by a neighborhood resident on Hudson Street who is in the process of renovating the property.  366 Hudson Street is also in the process of being renovated.

The small house at 367 Hudson Street is a fine example of a worker's cottage built in the late 1860s and is notable for its exceptionally detailed pilasters, window cornices and fine paired brackets in the eaves.  It also was notable for its verandah that featured three semi‑elliptical arches, but unfortunately the verandah was demolished in 1998, although it began to be rebuilt by its owner starting in 2002.

The house at 363 Hudson Street is a charming home. The house was built circa 1867‑1868 by John M. Winter, a bookkeeper with I. S. & L.G. Newton, lumber dealers.  Winter sold the house in 1872 to Edward J. Atkinson, a soap manufacturer.  An immigrant from England, Mr. Atkinson studied the soap business in Montreal, relocated to Buffalo and became a partner with Isaac Wheeler in his soap factory.  Beginning in 1858 he managed the business himself until he retired in 1875.  He lived at 363 Hudson Street for about 12 years from 1872 until his death in 1884.  Typical for the Victorian period, the wake and funeral was held in the house.  Mr. Atkinson was noted as being "an estimable man of the somewhat old‑fashioned but sturdy, honest kind."  Mr. Atkinson would be pleased to know that his former home retains its 19th century charm and its mid‑Victorian appearance with the exception of a picture window installed on the second story.  Sadly, the house was abandoned in 2004 and vandalized.  It was sold at auction in 2005 and the community hopes that it will once more be restored.

The home at 360 Hudson Street is notable for its wasp‑waisted cut-outs supporting the verandah floor.

If the two houses at 357 and 359 Hudson Street seem newer than their neighbors, it's because they are.  Both homes were built about 1880 on part of a large lot that belonged to 353 Hudson Street, a substantial Italianate house built in 1865.  Both of these houses were advertised for sale in the September, 1887 edition of The Real Estate and Builder's Monthly by agents Hume and Sanford and were described as "357 and 359 Hudson Street, each 2 story frame, modern, lots 28 x 114, $6,500."  357 Hudson Street was sold at auction a few years ago for approximately $4,000.  359 Hudson was abandoned in 1999 and is in terrible condition.  It has been put up for auction numerous times by Erie County and The City of Buffalo with no takers.  It is currently on the City of Buffalo's demolition list and will likely be demolished in the near future.

One hundred years ago fine homes filled 335‑347 Hudson Street, but today the site is occupied by a playground and parking lot.  Several years ago, the playground on the site was leveled and the Days Park School/Community Playground Committee was formed to seek funding for a new playground.  After several years, the vision became reality and a new playground was constructed and dedicated in January 1999 to serve the needs of neighborhood children and students at the Bilingual Early Childhood Center #36 school.  Sonia Dávila Rypinski, Principal of School 36 at the time, said that she was pleased with the playground and that "the children are excited and can't wait for the arrival of warmer weather to enjoy the playground."

A new era of the building and playground will begin soon as the school building is scheduled to be closed and it is hoped that an adaptive reuse can be found.

The large Queen Anne style home at 348 Hudson Street was for many years home to Charles Wells Moulton, a famed Buffalo publisher, editor and writer during the Victorian era.  Moulton published books on poetry and a landmark volume on the Underground Railroad.  He was also author of Library of Literary Criticism of English and American Authors (still in use today) and a work on medical art co‑authored with Roswell Park.

344 Hudson Street, also known as 5 Orton Place is a lovely house that has been converted to a 4‑unit apartment building.  In the 1890s it was an elegant boarding house whose residents were devoted to its mistress, Hattie B. Haven.

Walk down Hudson to mid block between Orton Place and Plymouth Avenue.

336 Hudson, also known as 10 Orton Place has led an interesting, if charmed existence.  In the late 1880s and early 1890s it was an elegant boarding house.  It is a significant Queen Anne structure that retains all of its original features.  A three‑storey round tower, topped by a semi‑round hip roof, stands next to a second‑story porch covered by the main gable roof.  The pedimented gable end at the front house is a polygonal Palladian‑style shallow oriel.  A second‑storey tower is covered by a witch's cap topped by a crocket.  The tower rides the wrap‑around porch supported by square posts.  In the 20th century, the house was covered with asphalt shingling.  The house was restored in the early 1990s by Larry Bartz.  In 1995 and 1996 it had fallen on hard times and became a base for alleged drug dealing and prostitution.  After being vacant for a period of months, the home was purchased and rescued by Dr. Susan Persico at the end of 1997.  She has restored the home and made it a viable and livable 3‑unit apartment building.

Across the street there are several interesting houses.  Originally, there were only three houses on this block.  The first home to be constructed here was at 309 Hudson Street.  It is an Italianate frame house that was the home of Mrs. H. C. Snow.  Mrs. Snow owned the land on Hudson from Cottage Street all the way to 321 Hudson Street and maintained a good sized country home and gardens.  In the September, 1887 edition of the Real Estate and Builder's Monthly, the house was advertised for sale by agents Hume and Sanford for $12,000 and was described as a "two story frame, modern, lot, 165 x 66."  It was priced at $12,000, which was considered an expensive house in its day.

Today, Mrs. Snow's estate has become the One Stop Party Store.  The 1860s‑era Italianate eave brackets can still be observed adorning Mrs. Snow's original home.

A point of interest may be the homes across Cottage Street.  The houses at 136, 142 and 144 Cottage St. were alleged sites of drug dealing and prostitution.  They were featured in the February 9, 1999 Buffalo News article "A civil action" and the February 11, 1999 ARTVOICE article "The Perfect Spot."  146 Cottage, a large frame house at Hudson Street, was abandoned for many years before finally being demolished in March 1999.  Sadly, the site is now an abandoned, weeded lot.  136, 142 and 144 Cottage Street is in the process of being restored by architect Joe Delaney.

The next house to be constructed on this section of Hudson St. was the home of Mr. Franklin A. Wade at 321 Hudson Street.  The oldest brick house on this block, it was constructed in 1865.  Mr. Wade was a manufacturer and dealer in lard, lubricating and illuminating oils who worked at 51 Main Street.  The house is a good example of Italianate architecture.  The house was designed with paired scroll‑like brackets with pendants under the front eaves and is given distinction with the upper sash second story windows having a border of stained glass panes.  Today, Mr. Wade's former house is the home of the Weber family.

Another home that was a good example of a rural cottage is the modest Italianate gable style house at 323 Hudson.  It was built in 1865 by Bela Colegrove, Justice of the Peace.  Soon after the house was complete, it was sold to Mrs. Maria Rice, widow of Victor M. Rice, a supervisor of public instruction.  Originally Mrs. Rice's home was situated on a 100 foot lot.  The homes at 315, 329 and 331 Hudson Street were later additions to the neighborhood, being built on the Rice and Snow estates.  The house at 315 Hudson, constructed in 1890 on the Snow estate, is an excellent architectural example of the shingle style, being constructed of brick and frame.  Recently 315 Hudson was abandoned for about 1½ years and foreclosed by HUD.  In January 2000 a neighborhood resident purchased the home from HUD, turning the property from an abandoned dwelling to an owner‑occupied house.

On the north side of Hudson Street within this block are also some historic and notable homes.   At the southwest corner of Hudson and West, 270 Hudson, is a Victorian building converted to 2‑units with storefront.  The building is occupied by the owner who operated the deli until it closed in 1999.  The deli is said to have had the best storefront plan on the lower West side.  The building itself is noteworthy for its use of vinyl siding as a preservation tool.  Vinyl siding encapsulates the original clapboards while exposing the detailed Victorian window mouldings.  The project was overseen by the former Lower West Side Resource and Development Corporation.  The building was well known for its bright red paint and during the renovation, several samples of vinyl siding were reviewed with the contractor and there was a slight upcharge for the solid red color vinyl ‑ there is more pigment in it and it is therefore more expensive.  The whole job was done for $10,000 and which included some minor carpentry and a few windows.  State funds were used for some of the renovation, although the state wouldn't pay for any part of the building considered commercial so the 20% of the job benefitting the commercial portion was borne by the building owner.  Until recently, the building was owned by Mr. Martinez, one of the longest-term residents of Hudson Street, living through its good years and bad.  The building was recently sold and the storefront reopened as Vargas restaurant in 2001.

At the southeast corner of Hudson Street and West Avenue, a community garden was created on the site of a demolished house.  In 1999 the community garden received enhancements and upgrades.  Many foundation stones were placed there from nearby West Avenue homes which were demolished in the fall of 1999.  At 294 Hudson Street was a large abandoned apartment house now owned by the City of Buffalo.  It was designed about 1895 by architect Fred Harvey Loverin and called the "Valois."  It burned on Halloween, 2001 and was immediately demolished.  The site of the building may be targeted for new construction in the near future.

As already noted, 314 Hudson Street and 318 Hudson Street were built in 1888 on the site of an earlier home constructed circa 1860 for Charles Lamphier, a building and sign painter.

A few years later, Mr. Lamphier had a new neighbor who built the attractive Italianate gable style frame 1½ story cottage home at 334 Hudson Street in 1866.  His new neighbor was James W. Ruger, associated with the J. S. Ruger & Co. Iron Works, a manufacturer of cracker, bread and biscuit machines.  Mr. Ruger's property extended to where 330 Hudson Street is today and he built a barn in the back of his house for his horse.  He needed it too, because his daily commute was to his office at 239 Seneca Street ‑ too far for walking!

About two years later, these families were joined by a third, the family of Thomas M. Cutting, who built the house at 324 Hudson Street about 1869.  Mr. Cutting was an insurance agent and civic constable.

As the land in this area became more desirable by the late 1870s, these early pioneers sold some of their land to new owners who wished to build here.  Mr. Ruger sold some of his land adjoining his home for the construction of the large 2½ story brick Italianate home at 330 Hudson Street.  One of the first owners of that home was Mr. and Mrs. L. T. Kimball.  The house remains architecturally intact and is notable for its Italianate details including paired brackets and eave dentils.  The house is also notable for its double door entrance with elliptical transom.  The house sold in 2001 to Dawn Drummer, a family member of the owner of 16 Orton Place.  The new owner lives in 330 Hudson Street, thus transforming it from an absentee‑owned property to an owner‑occupied site.  The new owner opened the home to thousands of visitors during the 2002 and 2003 Secrets of Allentown interior tour of historic homes.

On the tour Mary A. Witherspoon (formerly Caligiuri), a woman who grew up in the home in the 1930s, visited the home and was excited by the restoration activities of Ms. Drummer.  Mary shared:  "My father purchased the house at 330 Hudson in 1938 from a Mr. Ricotta.  My first impression as a girl of fourteen was awe.  The high ceilings, hardwood floors, marble fireplaces  and a working telephone were just beautiful.  The house consisted of an upper and lower flat.  In the attic we discovered a trunk full of handwritten music from Dr. Werner who was an earlier owner of the house from the late 1880s and early 1890s.  We donated it to the Grosvenor Library.  We would walk to Holy Cross church  and shop at the Columbia market. I remember my mother picking out live chickens from the market on Pennsylvania Street between Niagara St. and Prospect St. The grocery store at West Ave. and Hudson St. was owned by Sam Gino.  The store at Hudson St. and Cottage St. was owned by Mr. and Mrs. Chemali and later by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas.  On Saturday we would go to the matinee at the Allendale theater for a nickel.  We could board the street car  on West Ave and go downtown for three cents. Our neighbors at 336 Hudson (also known as 10 Orton Place) were Mr. and Mrs. Carol Douglas. When I married in 1953 my husband and I  moved into the remodeled upper flat.  I remember the houses on the east side of Hudson Street being demolished in the early 1960s to make room for a playground where my children later rode their bikes. 330 Hudson Street was sold for  approximately $8,000 in 1969 when my widowed mother became to old to live on her own.  I was recently given a tour by the new owners of the house and was amazed at what they uncovered and all the work they were doing.  I am looking forward to seeing the completion and restoration of this grand old home which holds lots of  happy memories."

330, 334 and 336 Hudson Street together are significant for a less overtly visible reason: they reveal the economic diversity that existed for Buffalonians in the Victorian era.  Each house was built next to each other during a different decade (334 in the 1860s, 330 in the 1870s and 336 in the 1880s), and it is easy to see that when built, 330 Hudson and 336 Hudson were much more expensive houses than 334 Hudson.  It seems as though modern Buffalonians need to rediscover what their Victorian counterparts knew a century ago ‑ that it's okay to have mixed housing values within a geographic boundary.