In 1918, the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" was the time appointed for the guns across Europe to fall silent.  Ever after, November 11--originally known as Armistice Day commemorating those who lost their lives in WWI--has been a day for honoring veterans.  The Connecticut Street Armory will host a public Veteran's Day commemoration at the historically correct time of 11AM on Wednesday (11/11), to be followed by a public reception and a public tour of this monumental fortress.  The other opportunity to tour the armory is at a similar event held every Memorial Day.  The tours are led by Warren Baltes, who literally "wrote the book" on the armory.

The City Hall mural commemorating our shared border with Canada as a frontier "unfettered by any frowning fortress" glosses right over the Connecticut Street Armory--located just a couple of blocks from the strategic point where Lake Erie becomes the Niagara River.  This mammoth castle-like structure is the second-largest armory in the state, and was built on the site of a War of 1812 skirmish and the site of one of the city's original reservoirs.  Although to-date it has never fired a shot at an army invading Buffalo, it hasn't been without its battles--many over its construction.  City leaders, as always in their infinite wisdom, planned to replace the sandstone of the original design by architect Williams Lansing with cheaper brick.  After much bitter struggle, the sandstone thankfully was retained.
 
And the building was also the subject of one of the major preservation battles of the 1980's, after a large fire destroyed the rear section and left the fate of the entire building very much in doubt.  Thankfully, among those on the armory's side was a product of the west side neighborhood around the armory, State Senator Tony Masiello.  Painstakingly, the collapsed walls were rebuilt, and the smoke damage expunged--a story told in the book Beautiful Buffalo, Preserving a City.  Incredible photos--and firsthand tales--from the fire are among the highlights of the tour.
 
So if you can take time out on a weekday, pay a visit to the Connecticut Street Armory this Veteran's Day, Wednesday, November 11, at 11AM.  Parking is on nearby side streets (keep in mind that college is in session at D'Youville nearby), or take one of several buses that run nearby (including routes 5-Niagara, 22-Porter-Best, and 3-Grant).

 
And all armory fans should also keep in mind the event on November 22 at the Tonawanda armory, now known as "Tonawanda Castle."
 
The Veteran's Day events at the armory begin at 11AM this Wednesday, at the Doughboy statue (image right) at the corner of Connecticut and Niagara Streets (inside in the event of bad weather, although the forecast looks great).  The Veteran's commemoration will be followed by a public reception inside the armory, followed by the hour-plus public tour.  An advance peek at what awaits can be found here, at Chuck LaChiusa's magnificent Buffalo Architecture and History website.

Entry image from Buffalo Architecture and History website.