Buffalo NY ~ Plymouth Methodist Church ~ Karpeles Manuscript Library
The Plymouth Methodist Church on Buffalo's Lower West Side, for a decade a focus of preservation concern, has been taken off the critical list by a combination of hard work and its residue, luck. But at the same time, some voices are being heard calling for the total or partial demolition of adjacent Grover Cleveland High School, the former State Normal School. Both buildings are on Porter Avenue, which, as part of Frederick Law Olmsted’s park system, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
First, the good news. The Plymouth Methodist Church, designed by Cyrus Porter and Sons in 1911 and landmarked in 1989, has been purchased by a California real estate developer and manuscript collector David Karpeles. According to preservationist Larry Bartz, who has been hired to oversee renovation, Karpeles is to use the church to store and display part of his collection through a not-for-profit institution set up for the purpose. Karpeles reportedly has similar projects in other cities. Proximity to the Peace Bridge and the Toronto market appealed to Karpeles, said Bartz.
Allentown Historic District NRHP #80002605
Karpleles Manuscript Library
Buffalo NY ~ Plymouth Methodist Church ~ Karpeles Manuscript Library
The Plymouth Methodist Church on Buffalo's Lower West Side, for a decade a focus of preservation concern, has been taken off the critical list by a combination of hard work and its residue, luck. But at the same time, some voices are being heard calling for the total or partial demolition of adjacent Grover Cleveland High School, the former State Normal School. Both buildings are on Porter Avenue, which, as part of Frederick Law Olmsted’s park system, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
First, the good news. The Plymouth Methodist Church, designed by Cyrus Porter and Sons in 1911 and landmarked in 1989, has been purchased by a California real estate developer and manuscript collector David Karpeles. According to preservationist Larry Bartz, who has been hired to oversee renovation, Karpeles is to use the church to store and display part of his collection through a not-for-profit institution set up for the purpose. Karpeles reportedly has similar projects in other cities. Proximity to the Peace Bridge and the Toronto market appealed to Karpeles, said Bartz.
Allentown Historic District NRHP #80002605
Karpleles Manuscript Library