This beautiful little masonry pavilion came to my attention when Chuck LaChiusa dropped me a note that he had added it to his website, Buffalo as an Architectural Museum. It is a little jewel that has been stranded in a sprawl wasteland hard up against the south edge of the roaring Kensington Expressway and surrounded by the massive parking lots of the Erie County Medical Center. No one seems to have any information about the little structure which is composed of an unusual mix of limestone, medina sandstone, brick, and cedar. Its most striking feature is a beautiful and unique copper pagoda style birdhouse/cupola.
It sits on a service drive of the massive hospital campus between Maplewood and Kensington Avenue. It is just barely visible from the expressway. It is easy to miss and most have never taken note of it. Its story may have been lost to history as the neighborhood was gradually removed. To find any clues to its original use I scanned through a 1951 aerial photo map of Buffalo. The map was not very high resolution but ghostly grainy shadows suggest the little structure might have been a gate house for long gone buildings on the site. LaChiusa was alerted to the pavilion’s existence by landscape architect Dean Gowen. The images shown here are his. Mr. Gowen notes “…I am afraid it’s just being forgotten until at such time as it is ready to be demolished for being ‘too dangerous’. Unfortunately it is in a location which is no longer connected to any facility or park, etc. and is surrounded by parking lots and roads.” It is fitting that a landscape architect would take note of this wonderful building which is basically a landscape ornament.
The building probably has received little or no maintenance for decades but is still in relatively decent condition. The roof shingles are showing severe signs of decay and water is leaking onto the still-sound wood roof structure below. Without a new roof the pavilion will deteriorate quickly. I have found nothing in the hospital master plan, available to me, showing any plans for the building. It would be great to get it moved to a more inviting part of the hospital campus. There are parks not too far from here which might be enhanced by it. It could be a nice focal point in a park or maybe on the UB South Campus. What a shame if it is tossed in the trash. Hopefully someone is at least smart enough to save that cupola.