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St. Louis Place was once the home of Buffalo's first high school, the
Literary and Scientifick Academy, begun by a Board of Trustees among whom
Millard Fillmore and General Peter B. Porter were numbered as members. Today
the street is in danger of extinction.
Nos. 14-20 St. Louis are buildings whose history was once in dispute
but is no longer. Nos. 14 and 18 St. Louis were built in 1829 to house the
Academy. Sometime between 1829 and 1848, when the Sisters of Charily Hospital
was founded on the site, two wings exactly mimicking the original structures
were added: No. 10 St. Louis (demolished in the early 1980's) and No. 20, which
is in the process of rehabiliation by private owners. In 1876, the hospital
needed more space and the buildings were sold to one M. Steffans, who could
convert them to tenement use without much alteration.
It was probably at this time that the two wings at No. 10 and No. 14
got their face-lift. A one-brick-deep veneer converted the appearance of the
two wings to a more fashionable Italianate facade, which had recently led
historians to believe that these were newer buildings. However, research done
in an effort to save No. 14 and No. 18 from demolition demonstrates conclusively
that these two were built in 1829, making them the oldest original structures
in Allentown, and among the oldest in Buffalo.
Efforts are being made to defend these structures against demolition.
If they are still in front of you, you will know that we are making headway.
The prevention of their demolition has a purpose aside from saving
historical treasure. Look to the other side of the street and you will find
four charming cottages, all built in the Second Empire style and heavily
imposed with Queen Anne-style elements. There once were seven such cottages,
but three were demolished to provide parking. The little cottages provide a
streetscape unique in the City of Buffalo. It is difficult to imagine the
long-term viability of these cottages or the street as a whole if one side of the street literally disappears.
Vacant land is an invitation to debris and crime. Keep your fingers crossed.
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