To wrap up this historical day in Buffalo I have the story on how this mini-series got underway. While biking around the grounds of the BECHS at the corner of Nottingham and Elmwood I came across this old stone building. Not knowing anything about its history I decided to call and ask some questions. It turns out that the former house is now called the Reinstein Center - named after Julia Boyer Reinstein who was an active member of the Historical Society. The house, built in 1920, was the former home of Leonard Adams who maintained it as a residence and a music studio. The interior was designed with a large open space to accommodate his grand piano. The exterior windows and the second floor balconies give the room a feeling of openness, even though the outward appearance does not let on to the inner expanse.
With the help of Julia Reinstein, the Historical Society was able to purchase the house in 1989 as part of the 'History Lives Here' capital campaign. Not only was this an important acquisition for the society, it was also imperative to save the structure from ruin. The ceilings had been leaking, the walls were in bad shape... there could not have been a more appropriate time for the purchase. In 1992 Hamilton, Houston and Lownie Architects went to work on the house thus restoring it to befit its National Register of Historic Places honor.
A massive fireplace graces what is now a series of offices used by the Historical Society. A wonderful wood, split staircase leads visitors to the upper balcony area and a massive 12'x12' arched window acts as a focal point on the opposite end of the room. As far as visitors go... the Reinstein Center is available as a meeting space. In the past, community groups have used the center due to its prime location and the conference tables on hand. The meeting rooms accommodate 40 people and 15 people.
One interesting point of interest that was recently brought to my attention was the home's bizarre relationship to Elmwood Avenue. At one point Elmwood actually ran between the Historical Society and the center. When Elmwood was redesigned, the resulting 'raceway' that divides this part of the park system created a disruption in the natural flow of the surroundings. The exterior of the house is a glorious site for those that venture near its stone walls... but the roadway to the west is more of a thoroughfare than the boulevard that it will (hopefully) one day become.
The Resource Center is located at 25 Nottingham Terrace.
For further information on rentals, visit the society's website.