History of the Genesee Block: The H. Seeberg Building

The buildings of the new Genesee Gateway Historic District represent the commercial heritage of the City of Buffalo from its early pre-Civil War era to the early twentieth-century when the City was at the height of its international prominence.  They range from utilitarian, vernacular designs to high-style architect-designed buildings.  Portions of the H. Seeberg Building at the corner of Genesee and Oak streets date to the 1840s-1870s, making it among the oldest commercial buildings left in Buffalo, and also an excellent example of pre-Civil War brick architecture. It retains simple stone sills and lintels which were common in its late Federal style design.

Based on the 1854 fire insurance map and city directories, portions of this building appear to date to ca. 1845, making this building a rare example of pre-Civil War commercial architecture in Buffalo.  Clues now visible on the building's interior indicate that the building which is now 123-125 Genesee was originally configured as a two-and-a-half story side-gabled building dating to the 1840s and was later enlarged, modified and altered.  Maps indicate that this may have occurred ca. 1872 when the building was enlarged to a full three stories with a slate covered mansard roof on the fourth floor.

This type of alteration is not rare in both commercial and residential architecture; it was not uncommon for older "outdated" buildings to be renovated and altered to make them more functional and fashionable, and one of the most common alterations is the addition of Second Empire mansard roof levels to buildings in the 1870s and 1880s  when this style was popular.  Like many commercial buildings during this period, it appears to have served both as a commercial space and also as a residential building as well.

The chamfered corner of the building contained a small but remarkable entrance into the building, marking the importance of a corner location by recognizing and conforming the building to the location.  This was further augmented by the placement of the mansard roof at the corner of the 123-125 unit in the 1870s which further emphasizes the prominence of the Genesee-Oak Streets location.

The earliest known occupant, and likely the builder and owner of the 123-125 corner building is Henry Urban, who emigrated from Alsace, a French-controlled but culturally German region.  Opened with partner George Beyer, the grocery shop of Beyer and Urban was located at the corner of Genesee at Oak Street as early as 1847, and in the 1850 census Henry Urban's property was valued at $3,000 indicating his ownership of the building.  In 1872 Henry Urban was noted as having both his shop and residence in the building at 123-125 Genesee Street.

During the nineteenth century, the corner of Genesee and Oak was heavily occupied by the Urban family, including George Urban Sr.'s wholesale flour business located at the north-east corner (established in 1846) and later his son George Urban, Jr.'s Urban Roller Mills business was established in 1881 located at the north-west corner at 324 Oak Street. The Urban Roller Mills was the first mill in Buffalo to introduce the use of metal rollers in grain milling, with previous milling being done with large mill stones, and the Urban Milling Company became one of Buffalo's most prominent companies.

Henry Urban the elder may have died sometime before 1860, since his seven year old son, Henry J. Urban, appears residing at 111 Genesee Street in the house of grocer Louis. P. Adolf in the 1860 census. Henry J. Urban continued the family legacy in the grocery business, operating his own store from the building at 123-125 Genesee Street (perhaps an inheritance from his father) from about 1878 until at least 1902. Henry J. Urban not only ran the grocery store and resided in the building, but for a short time around 1880-81, he also operated a saloon from the building at 123 Genesee Street.

The units at 115-119-121 Genesee Street share similar exterior details and forms and appear to have been constructed as a group.  Constructed ca. 1850s, this series of brick commercial buildings housed a wide variety of services and shops.  Uniquely, because of the confluence of the angled lot lines in this portion of the building, the small 115 unit was originally a small, triangular shape building which did not have southern exposure.

One of the most noteworthy shopkeepers in this portion of the H. Seeberg Building is Christoph Wagner, who both lived and ran a shoe business at 121 Genesee Street from about 1872 (possibly even as early as 1868) until the turn of the twentieth-century.  Another early occupant of the building at 123-125 Genesee Street was John Armbruster, a local tinsmith.  These buildings hosted a wide variety of tenants and residents during its history including Charles P. Korn, a shoemaker who also made his residence in 117-119 Genesee Street which he likely built, as well as John Grossman, tailor. John Mesnard ran his confectionery shop from 115 Genesee Street in 1861, with his residence also in the building.  Additionally, this same building served as the house of Mrs. Henry Burkholder.  In 1890, 121 Genesee Street also was home of William J. Schwinn, decorator and younger brother of the Schwinns who ran the successful umbrella manufactory and shop from the neighboring 111 Genesee Street, indicating how intertwined the families and buildings of the Genesee Gateway Historic District were during its heyday.  These businesses reflect the nature of a local design, production, sales and sometimes residential economy, combined and accessible in one neighborhood; a model seldom seen in American today.

113 Genesee has slightly different architectural features and was likely constructed ca. 1860.  The first known occupant of a building at 113 Genesee Street is August Datt, who ran his business from the 113 Genesee Street building as early as 1861, at which time it was recorded as having an address of 73 Genesee Street.  Datt, like many residents in the area, was also of German descent. August Datt, maker of hats, caps and furs operated out of 113 Genesee Street between the mid-1860s and 1880s. A permit indicates that the storefront was altered in 1898, and in 1902 the building was occupied by Gotthilf Buckenmaier, who sold "hair goods" and wigs from a small space on the second floor.  In 1925, replacement windows were installed on all three floors, and new flooring was also installed along was various "necessary repairs." In the late 1920s, the building was home to A. Haefner who sold art and religious supplies.

In 1929, portions of the building became the home of H. Seeberg, Inc., a specialty men's clothing factory and shop run by Harry Seeberg.  Born in Russia, Seeberg immigrated to America with his family at age 2. The son and brother of successful clothing retailers, each in their own right, Harry Seeberg founded his own store in the nearby Village of Depew in 1910.  Seeberg first appears to have opened his shop from 119 Genesee Street in 1929 and quickly began expanding his operations.  By 1937, Seeberg grew his factory and retail shop on Genesee Street, opening portions of the interior walls to allow access between the previous smaller buildings and creating one large commercial space located between 113-125 Genesee Street.  A ca. 1940s photograph reflects this enlargement, and the building features large, 1930s/40s era storefront facades which largely modified any earlier nineteenth century commercial storefronts.  This storefront was likely installed in 1934 or 1935 to the 113-117 storefronts and to the 121 and possibly 123-125 storefronts in 1945 as noted in several building permits issued to Harry Seeberg.

Some manner of darkly colored material, perhaps glass tile or even marble, ran the entire width of the Genesee Street storefront façade, with metal letters spelling out the Seeberg name.  Long advertisement signboards were installed along the entire length of the building on upper floors, serving to visually unify the various earlier architectural components and presumably overcoming the previous quaint individual storefronts with massive signage signifying retail power in the 1930s automobile age. The elegant 1870s-era slate mansard roof with its round-headed dormer windows is also clearly visible, marking the location of both the Genesee Street-Oak Street corner and the location of the primary entrance as well.

The H. Seeberg Building, like others in the Genesee-Ellicott-Oak neighborhood has faced alteration and suffered from general neglect towards the end of the twentieth-century.  Work done in 1945 by well-known local architect Louis Greenstein a new fire escape along the eastern façade of the building, as well as interior alterations.  A 1970 building permit notes that while repairs to the building occurred, the storefront windows were blocked in with stucco. 

By 1974, portions of the building were vacant.  The H. Seeberg Company continued to own the building until at least 1980, at which time the company appears to have gone out of business.  A 1980 photograph of the building (above) depicts a neglected commercial building with an enclosed storefront, accessed through one primary entrance on Genesee Street, with the fourth-story slate covered mansard roof now sheathed in some manner of board siding.

The buildings were subsequently purchased by Willard A. Genrich of Platinumdome, Inc. who in 1986 started a rehabilitation project which stripped the interiors of all the buildings down to the studs and brick.  Genrich in 1988 replaced the wood framing and flooring systems in the building, installing a fireproof steel frame in the building shell.

The wood framed mansard roof was replaced by this point with a concrete block structure which approximated the shape and design of the original. Windows were removed, leaving gaping voids in the building and leaving the interior open to the elements.  In 2007 the H. Seeberg Building was purchased by Genesee Gateway LLC, with support from the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation. Spearheaded by CityView Construction Management, the Genesee Gateway project saw the rehabilitation of the vacant buildings along Genesee Street between Ellicott and Oak Streets, creating a series of commercial and office spaces.

Source: Local Historic District Application, May 17, 2010.  Clinton Brown Company Architecture.

See Also:

Part One- Genesee Gateway Historic District