In 1903, Frank Lloyd Wright called the Darwin Martin House Complex on Jewett Parkway a “well nigh perfect composition.” These days, members of the Martin House Restoration Corporation (MHRC) would say the same thing.
With a $3 million grant, supported by New York State and championed by Senate President Malcolm A. Smith, along with Senators John L. Sampson, William T. Stachowski and Antoine Thompson, the interior restoration phase of the Martin House is expected to be completed by fall of 2011, when Buffalo will host the 65th annual National Preservation Conference. In fact, Richard Moe, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation has said that believes the Wright complex may be the most historic restoration project to date and can envision it becoming the leading Wright site nationally, according to MHRC President Jack N. Walsh III.
Walsh, who says he is not a big fan of debt-financed restoration, says the $3 will allow the MHRC to bid out work that will commence by this fall, but that another $3 to $5 will be needed shortly. Walsh says that on top of the $40 M raised ($20 public/$20 private), “This $3 million could give us a big jump start in reaching out to cobble together the pieces. We’re working hard not to go into debt financing,” Walsh said. He added that funding is critical for this initial phase and may have to come from the private sector incrementally, though it will be difficult “barring the strategic death of someone who loves us.”
In the big picture, Walsh addressed the Complex’s ability to draw tourism to Buffalo, saying that “Buffalo needs victories” and noting that Wright visitors are almost an international cult, of whom “we want our share.” Presently, the complex draws around 50,000 tourists annually, with nearly two-thirds of those coming from outside the area.
“We have the Shaw Festival, Niagara on the Lake, the Albright, the Burchfield-Penney, the Roycroft…we need to find aggressive ways to market,” Walsh said. He pointed to Glasgow, Scotland as a city transformed from rust belt city to cultural center and believes the Martin House Complex is key in doing the same here. “[Marketing] has to be global and outreach oriented,” Walsh concluded.
Walsh also said that he expects the Martin house to be at least one of the top 3 Wright destinations, noting that it’s already the most expansive project of its kind in the international media, with more online hits than any other WNY project.
The $3M will address structural restoration, and money will still be needed for the ongoing phase of art glass restoration, furnishings and decorative elements.