At one point in time Front Park was the home to eight Civil War era cannons “Parrott Rifles” that faced out over Lake Erie. As with most nice things in Buffalo, during this city’s “dark time” the cannons throughout the city went missing, mostly scrapped for metal at the time of the Depression and also the WWII effort, never to be seen again.
Thankfully the Olmsted Parks Conservancy is on a roll these days, restoring the parks as close to their original grandeur as possible. Miraculously, two of the cannons were recently found in a City storage lot, in rough condition though in salvageable shape. Today marks the timely homecoming for these 100 pound shell-firing beauties. The reclamation of the firing pieces will help to restore the historic legacy of one of the city’s most forsaken parks in the Buffalo Olmsted system.
“The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy is bringing history alive by restoring the integrity of this historic landscape and presenting it to the public for their enjoyment,” said Thomas Herrera-Mishler, president and CEO of the Conservancy. “It’s fitting that these cannons come home on the morning before our nation’s Independence Day.”
Originally these cannons were placed at Lafayette Square before being moved to Front Park – near where Fort Porter once stood. The rifles are named after their inventor, Robert Parker Parrot and were first used by Union forces during the Civil War.
The restoration effort was made possible thanks to grant funding from the New York Power Authority through the Buffalo & Erie County Greenway Fund Standing Committee. The restoration work was handled by Cannons Online of New Windsor, Maryland, and the carriages (not part of the recent discovery) were fabricated by Steen Cannon & Ordnance Works of Ashland, Kentucky. Historic photos such as the one seen below were used to fabricate the new carriage assembly.
“The New York Power Authority is proud to see that the Buffalo and Erie County Greenway funding is being applied in support of the restoration of these historically significant Civil War cannons,” said Louis Paonessa, director of Community Affairs for Western New York, NYPA. “The restored cannons will enhance the natural beauty of Front Park, while also highlighting the rich history of this region.”
As for the rest of Front Park “The Front”, we have seen plenty of other restoration efforts underway including intensive work on the picnic shelter, and the addition of Peace Gardens. Soon Baird Drive (leading to the Peace Bridge from Porter Avenue) will be removed, thus reconnecting the park. Looking at the historic image above, the only issue that I have with Front Park (other than its barrier to the lake by freeways of course) is the asphalt that covers The Terrace surrounding the statue of Commodore Perry. I once asked if cobblestone could be laid down instead, and was told that cobble was not historically accurate, so “no”.
Is asphalt historically accurate? I think not.