The sale of the Lyth Cottage can not only be counted as a win for preservation, but also the east side as well. This historic building will once again see new life instead of seeing the landfill and serves as a prime example that people are willing to invest in the east side. What makes the story even better is that the new owner, Matthew Newton, doesn’t come from another part of Buffalo, but rather one of its suburbs, East Aurora. Matt along with others have begun to see the value in coming back and reinvesting in the city.
The cottage was originally built for the family maid of Hamlin Park industrialist John Lyth in 1886. The Lyth family home is still intact and located at 183 Northland Ave, just behind the cottage. The J. Lyth and Sons Tile Company was a prominent industry begun in 1857 specializing in ceramic tile and sewer pipe which was located a few blocks away from the Cottage. Harwood Place actually gets its name from the maiden name of John Lyth’s wife, Mary Ann Harwood.
The cottage retains much of its architectural integrity and was built using many of the products that the Lyth Tile Company created. It has been a city owned property since 1997 and thankfully the Brown administration had the foresight to repair the roof with a simple patch. Says Matt, “If it weren’t for the roof patch, this building would not be standing today and it offers a great lesson for protecting neighborhood assets that are still at risk.”
Matt is very excited to own the property and verifies the trend of younger people moving into the city. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute to Hamlin Park’s revitalization, I can’t wait to get to work and restore it to its full glory” he says. Various community members were at the key ceremony including Henry McCartney of the PBN, Tim Tielman of the Campaign for Greater Buffalo, and Stephanie Barber of the Hamlin Park Taxpayers Association who ceremoniously handed the keys to the new owner. Matt acquired the home for $1 through the City’s Homestead Program which encourages people to rehabilitate distressed homes in the city.
Barber was thrilled with the sale. “It is monumental to us that someone would invest in our community and come back in a year to see the great improvements” she said. David Torke who helped facilitate the sale was able to located Lyth’s great-great grandson, John A. Lyth for the event. Lyth congratulated Matt for making the commitment to the Lyth Cottage and being a part of the family history which has been alive in Buffalo for over 160 years.
For more photos of the interior and exterior of the cottage, see David Torke’s photostream.
Lyth Catalog example of tile (left) and the same tile used in the cottage (right)
Final Image Courtesy of David Torke of fixbuffalo