Buffalo Rising Online

Stupid idea. Spend the to save a more endangered building.

I disagree - I think ti would be nice to have one authentic element, besides the stone foundations of brothels, down at the Canal Side site. It will help make it more than a glorified strip mall, and add a little gravitas.

I'm guessing Hoyt held a press conference to tell people that he's looking into it.

considering how many great structures are in need of basic securing and mothballing I think spending the money now to move this building is misguided. How about a new roof on the Bosche Building. Fix the falling apart St Vincent's Asylum, repairs the facade of the graystone, patch up a roof on St Anne's or Transfiguration.. the list goes on and on about nicer more worthwhile structures that could use the needed money.

Where was the money to move a structure when the Atwater fell. or the Chandler house, or the Franklin building? Instead of saving a structure with money we would spend money to move one around. Stupid idea because these structures can't snd shouldn't exist in isolation but need context to be great. Allentown works because it is one of the last pre 1900 neighborhoods mostly intact (for now). It is a good home for this building for the forseable future.

After we fix the literally falling down buildings, we can talk about moving stuff back to where it belongs.

I'll top Hoyt on this one.

We should move the Broadway Market INTO the Coit House, THEN move it to the Inner Harbor.

Why not? The idea is no less ridiculous...

I don't know where the best location for the house is, but I think that BRO has been too biased in its writing about the Coit House. A more objective appraisal of what has happened there would be instructive for future restoration projects on very historic properties like this one.

The work on the interior cannot be called restoration---especially the suburban kitchen that now sits sorely on the back of the house. The garage was also removed hastily. The house seems to have been mismanaged these past few years--maybe the intentions were noble, but it seems that taking on such an important historic home should only be done with utmost sensitivity, thoughtfulness and generous, eye-popping amounts of money. The Coit House needed at least half a million dollars for proper restoration when it was last sold, and I still don't know what the Allentown Association was thinking when they sold it. That said, I wish for a speedy sale for the owners--this house deserves the best care possible.

After we move this why don't we move Kleinhans music hall as well. The two attractions would be a hit......On a more serious note. I find it funny as I live in the west side and see abandoned homes and distressed buildings daily that the city either A) takes at the fastest 1.5 years to tear a house done and at the longest around 5 years B) When asked why things take so long they say "no money". Why is it that something like this generates money so fast while other buildings and houses waste away? Is it merely that because this house is a historic home they believe they have the backing of the city people on "saving" this home and putting it where it original belonged?

When are we getting the 700 foot Our Lady of the Worthless Miracle arch on the waterfront? I'd rather see that instead of this old shack.

This is not actually the oldest house in Buffalo. Hidden behind a bar storefront in the 1200 block of Niagara is a Federal style home built about 1814. It has been altered significantly but retains some original fabric. This area of Niagara was the village of upper Black Rock and still contains a handful of early (pre civil war) structures. I gotta agree, This is not really a restoration but more like a opportunity to cash in on history.

I think there's a lot to what EricOak writes. This building's most significant value is in its historic connection to Coit, who played an uber-critical role in Buffalo's early years, and not in being treated as a real estate project. If relocation to the waterfront also were to mean restoration, and helping tell the story of early Buffalo, I'd be all for it.

COIT the cleaning and restoration company? I had no idea that they were connected to Buffalo.

PaulBuffalo- Swan and Pearl was the original location, I believe the idea was to move it to the canal terminus. Still a bad idea leaving a big hole on Virginia St.

Rydog71- It wasn't a garage that was torn down but a small cottage/barn that appeared to be built about the time the house was moved to this site. It needed work but had much character and complimented the house. Yaskow claimed the structure just fell down but neighbors say it was it was the work of Yaskow and company.

rydog71- I don't know the history of the building but it would seem likely to have been built when the house was moved and looked about right for the 1870,s.

Maybe if Hoyt is running for some office in 2010, he can propose moving the Coit House to the Canal District.

And again in 2012, 2014, 2016... etc... etc..

Off the subject, but worthwhile: Falls Wintergarden to be demolished I know we talked about this one a while ago....

As one who lives next door to the Coit House, I am totally thrilled by the prospect of a field of weeds next to my house - so very east side !!

Marilyn - I believe that Assemblyman Hoit's proposal is to use money from the Power Authority settlement to move the house.............What a complete misappropriation of funds !!

Why not use Power Authority funds to pick up the Broadway Market, ramp and all, and move it to the Coit House site?

First of all, the original location of the Coit House at Pearl and Swan isn't anywhere near the Commercial Slip. And secondly, why move a residential structure to a place that never had anything but commercial and industrial buildings? The Coit House would not only look out of place at the Commercial Slip, it would be out of place. This is a dumb idea. Leave it right where it is in the historical context where it's been for almost 140 years. If Hoit wants a project, why doesn't he look in his own district and do something with the Breckenridge Street Church before we read about it in the newspaper like the Livery building?

Actually the location is like 2 blocks away. I think it would be cool for pearl street to be turned into a two way srteet and the coit house returned back to its original location. With the beautiful Pearl St brew Pub and Webb building and dunn building as neighbors th coit house would complete this historical block

George Coit's figure is engraved on a large frieze on the side of the History Museum, along with Charles Townsend and Samuel Wilkeson. These three men are considered the founders of the city of Buffalo because they were the ones most responsible for the creation of Buffalo Harbor and bringing the Erie Canal to their insignificant little village in 1822. By some miracle we still have the house of one of the fathers of Buffalo! This is our municipal equivalent of Mt. Vernon or Monticello! Gerhardt Yaskow knows this. Sam Hoyt knows this, too. But, there are a great many people in this city who don't know the most important history of this city. Gerhardt is doing everything in his power to get this house that he restored so well into the public domain and have it work in conjunction with the Harbor project, whether its downtown or on Virgina St. Right now our historical Buffalo Harbor has no history of it origin. The most important history is missing and it has everything to do with the Coit House! The sooner the people of Buffalo learn this most essential history of their city and get behind Gerhardt and Sam the better we will all be. When a city looses its identity it also looses its history. This saga of the Coit House is all about getting both our history and our identity back again. The house is for sale. Gerhardt is being as patient as he can and trying very hard to do the right thing, but he can't carry this load alone for us forever. He is doing us all a tremendous service. Will this be recognized before it is too late, before he can't carry the house any longer waiting for the right outcome? Wake up Buffalo!!!

with all due respect transientmuse that's a bunch of nonsense. Has Home Depot "renovated" Monticello's kitchen recently? This seems like a pure profit move, which is perfectly acceptable, but please don't pass it off as some civic minded altruism on the part of the current owner.

The kitchen section of the house has nothing to do with the main part of the house or George Coit. The original back section didn't make the trip to Virginia St. in 1867. What's there now was added on sometime in the twentieth century. So, there's nothing there that needs accurate period restoration. It simply makes the house more functional. And, if the house is moved back downtown the kitchen won't go with it.

There was an article in the Buffalo News on Friday, 8/1, about how mny people who live in Buffalo are totally ignorant of itshistory. The article was not critical and really should have been! How sad that people who live here do not know the rich history of our city. Ditto for about 90 percent of the negative comments on Yaskow and the Coit house. Shame on Allentown for selling the oldest house in Buffalo (this does not include Black Rock) to a private owner who renovates properties (not restores) and then criticize him for saving the house. Likewise, shame on the Buffalonians who criticize the Coit house and do not have any knowledge of Samuel Wilkeson, Charles Townsend, Geoge Coit and others who made the harbor accessible for the western terminus of the Erie Canal. Know your history and appreciate it before you make nasty comments. Read a book, take a tour and appreciate what has been done to renovate (not restore) the oldest house in Buffalo. All you are doinbg for our wonderful city is typing negative comments about something very positive--get out and do something constructive--Gerhardt certainly has!

If my memory serves me right - The Coit House was "on the market" for more than a year. It was not looking that great at the time and was expensive for a small not-for-profit to operate. I think that is is great that somebody stepped forward and purchased the home. Others certainly had the opportunity but for one reason or another decided to pass. Bravo for Gerhardt to take all the risk and work of bring this house back to productive use and at the same time improving the entire neighborhood by fixing it up on the inside and outside. I am not an expert on these terms, but I do not see how one can call this situation flipping when so much improvements have been made. I thought flipping was when somebody bought a house and sold it for more to an unwise buyer with no improvements. If he does sell it - the market will determine the price and the next owner will feel good about their purchase of this historic home.