I toured this building a few years ago. On the tour they said that The Larkin Co. used to generate their own electricity and the 12th generator that Thomas Edison built is still in the basement. They also said the owners of the Larkin @ Exchange building offered to paint the outside of 701 Seneca but the owner refused. That white exterior is not the original exterior. It's covering up the original brick.
awesome piece. I know that my Grandfather used to work in this building. Up until now I have never seen the insides, but have always been curious. Thanks for the insight!
yeah exteriors can often be deceiving, nice find Newell. I used to go into that neighborhood all the time for work but never once stepped foot into this building. I like the cafe, I want to go there now. Plus anyone who isn't car oriented can walk to this building in about 15 - 20 minutes from the Seneca Street train station. Or it is about a 5 minute bike ride down exchange street. I did that many a time.
Nice piece...I didn't realize that there was so much activity in this building. From the outside, I would've never expected this type of environment
Everytime I drove by this building...I always said when I grow up I want to own this building. Well I grew up but didnt grow wealthy enough to buy it. This building to me evokes probably more than any other building in Buffalo....what Buffalo was once. Oh yes we have a few remaining buildings downtown but this is different...this was an 8 story manufacturing and warehouse building for the Larkin Company. If was filled with activity and look how it soars above the sidewalk and curves with the street. To look at the exterior, its very evident that Buffalos former population is gone, its former neighborhoods are gone, its former workers are gone and the decay/age on the exterior seems to mirror the rest of Buffalo. If you look at a google map you can see the railroad tracks from the beltway passing between Hamburg and Larkin which would be a huge benefit if somehow we could reactivate that for Light Rail. It would connect practically a signifcant portion of Buffalos current growth areas. Ideas have circulated how to make the space manageable...such as cutting a hole thru the floors and putting in an atrium. In anycase..the build to the curb vertical office buildings are very much a design theme in the Larkin District and I hope that they continue to echo in future development instead of the 2-3 story suburban crud often being proposed these days. PS and why does Hamburg have to curve into South Division...and why does South Division have to curve into Hamburg instead of going straight....I mean make a rotary but more and more it seems like these urban planners are on acid and are trying to change our street grid into winding suburban lanes. message to urban planners: your in the friggin city....think about it!
Id keep the original french double hung panes.....they humanize the building and give it character Please no 1960s hippie colors like orange or blue.....and gawd forbid nothing with a bright white It needs something stately and human and reflective of business like a dark ivory or a very in color seems to be taupes (think coffee and creme)....its not to dark...its not to light...its very human and its very easy to match colors, then do those now invisable columns in a deep brown like chestnut....and the building goes from drabby to WOW. oh and a few pots with dwarf alberta spruces would do alot to humanize that sidewalk. Couldnt agree more the owner really needs to do something with the exterior.
PS and if I were a developer...id recommend following the theme in the larkin district and build more 8-10-12 story buildings and really create a mini-city that places like the Central Terminal could emulate. Dont forget within a few blocks of the Central Terminal is the old Wonderbread Factory and the Kraft what is it dogfood factory? so the central terminal area could turn into another mini-city.
(the area that shocks me the most is Broadway and Genessee...you could tell these areas once had something to them....and now they are empty...and you just have to wonder...what happened?)
This could become the Starrett-Lehigh Building of Buffalo.
( albeit, the rougher version )
Alan Dewart I think its great what Alan Dewart has done to the bldg, I used to work there as a security guard long ago,when the 7th floor wasnt nothing but shining cans of beans. if i ever get back to bflo i will ask permission to go hit the the clock one more time lol just to see the rest of it and see if i still remember my way around. hope tom snyder is still around to g. k
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