For a long time I didn't pay much attention to this house at 124 Jewett Parkway in the Parkside neighborhood. Its tall stature and massive 'blockiness' stand in stark contrast to the low and sprawling Darwin Martin House directly across the street. The Wicks House was designed and built by William Sydney Wicks for his own home. Wicks was one half of the prolific and highly talented architecture firm of Green and Wicks. These two architects together may be more responsible than any others in shaping the historic Buffalo we inherited. The house is designed in a very austere half timber revival style. It is tall and massive and could not be any more different than the Martin House across the street.
I paid no attention to it because it seemed a bit severe and a little overwhelming when compared to some of its Parkside neighbors. It also used to have an unfortunate paint scheme a few years back where the decorative half timbering boards were painted a light color which contrasted too sharply with the brick walls. The more I looked at it, however, the more I understood it and the more I could appreciate its real beauty and genius. It is built in the style imitating the half timber framing methods common to medieval Europe but with a twist. The house employs a stylized variation of half timbering by placing the (decorative) timbers very close together altering the house's apparent proportions. The spaces between are filled with a yellow/orange Roman brick yielding a very rich color and texture. A Medina sandstone base lends strength and permanence to the building.
The slate clad dormers are composed with simple Platonic shapes with no decoration adding a bit of the Shingle Style into the mix. In fact the building actually has a mix of stylistic influences. The treatment of the half timbering and the visually taught skin and volumetric forms and unusual proportions is very much in line with the Shingle Style in the manner of the influential firm McKim Mead and White's early work. The main stair at the front hall shows shaker influences and the simplicity of the overall interior suggests the casual atmosphere of a country manor house. This house is really one of Buffalo's major under rated treasures.
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I paid no attention to it because it seemed a bit severe and a little overwhelming when compared to some of its Parkside neighbors. It also used to have an unfortunate paint scheme a few years back where the decorative half timbering boards were painted a light color which contrasted too sharply with the brick walls. The more I looked at it, however, the more I understood it and the more I could appreciate its real beauty and genius. It is built in the style imitating the half timber framing methods common to medieval Europe but with a twist. The house employs a stylized variation of half timbering by placing the (decorative) timbers very close together altering the house's apparent proportions. The spaces between are filled with a yellow/orange Roman brick yielding a very rich color and texture. A Medina sandstone base lends strength and permanence to the building.
The slate clad dormers are composed with simple Platonic shapes with no decoration adding a bit of the Shingle Style into the mix. In fact the building actually has a mix of stylistic influences. The treatment of the half timbering and the visually taught skin and volumetric forms and unusual proportions is very much in line with the Shingle Style in the manner of the influential firm McKim Mead and White's early work. The main stair at the front hall shows shaker influences and the simplicity of the overall interior suggests the casual atmosphere of a country manor house. This house is really one of Buffalo's major under rated treasures.
love this house so much more than the Darwin Martin house....in fact I actually prefer the Martinview cottage more than either of these....less is more
Well I'm not sure its a competition...
Beautiful house though. Looks like it has some great owners too.