As you’re aware, Frank Lloyd Wright architecture is not foreign to Buffalo, due in large part to Wright’s close friendship with Darwin D. Martin of the Larkin Soap Company. Wright’s best known work here is the house he designed for Martin on Jewett Parkway, though you can find more examples of his work on Soldier’s Parkway, Tillinghast Place, and through archived photos of the Larkin office building that was demolished in 1950.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Rowing Boathouse was added to Buffalo’s list of Wright treasures in 2007. Now, thanks to Senator William Stachowski, funding of $250K has been secured to allow for finalization of the project and its operation into the future. The boathouse project started in 2000 when enthusiasts of rowing and Wright’s work realized the waterfront could benefit from his beautiful design, originally meant for the University of Wisconsin.
(Senator Stachowski and the Frank Lloyd Wright Rowing Boathouse Board members)
Wisconsin declined to fund the project in 1905, and there it sat in Wright’s portfolio until his death – despite the fact that he considered it one of his finest works, and put it on display in an international exhibition of his work.
The rowing house sits at the water, built precisely to Wright’s specifications. It’s definitely good news for the West Side Rowing Club of Buffalo, who will call it home.