Who was Buffalo’s first preservationist? No, not someone from a Mark Sommer article or Donn Esmonde column or even a post on here. Preservation in Buffalo goes back much further. But is there one answer, or, like other things in Buffalo’s notoriously fractured and factional preservation scene, if you got five preservationists in a room – something easier said than done, as I witnessed first hand at an event earlier this year – you might get six opinions?
A reasonable and perhaps consensus answer to the question would seem to be: Bill Shelgren. If you’ve read the book, Beautiful Buffalo, you’re familiar with his story, and his role in preserving the Wilcox Mansion, site of President Theodore Roosevelt’s inauguration (the TR Site), and now the only national park in Buffalo. But his involvement went much further, and you can learn more at a talk this evening at the site.
The lecture complements a special exhibit called “From Father, to Son, to City: The Preservation Legacy of Olaf & Bill Shelgren, Western New York 1909-2010” that is now open at the TR Site and will be available through November 10th. The exhibit features items from the Baird Foundation’s collection of materials from his architecture office, including documents, books, and even drafting tools. Some of them are also currently on display at the Central Library’s outstanding Building Buffalo exhibit.
“Along with his father, Bill Shelgren was a pioneer in Buffalo’s historic preservation movement,” said Stanton Hudson, Executive Director of the TR Site. “He was, in fact, instrumental in saving and restoring the TR Site itself. We look forward to hearing more about this unsung local hero who helped to preserve many of the architectural treasures that Buffalo is known for today.”
Hudson stepped into the role of director of the site after long-time executive director Molly Quackenbush was hired to head the Richardson-Olmsted Complex.
Giving the talk will be Frank Kowsky, who has played a key role himself in preserving and sharing Buffalo’s heritage. Kowsky penned this fine tribute to Shelgren upon his passing in 2010.
There is no question that we need to understand, appreciate, and celebrate the work of Olaf and Bill Shelgren, and other Buffalo preservationists such as those featured in Beautiful Buffalo and Building Buffalo. But at the same time, we also need to take preservation in Buffalo up a notch (or two, or even three) in terms of professionalism. We need to get past the era of heroic efforts and personalities, and develop more effective collaboration mechanisms and platforms for getting preservation done on a day-in, day-out basis. Essentially, we need an effective preservation ecosystem in Buffalo. Yet sadly, Buffalo’s preservation community continues to drop the ball due to a lack of cooperation, collaboration, and even communication.
So let’s learn about Shelgren and celebrate Shelgren and be inspired by Shelgren. But afterward, let’s leave our egos and grievances behind and work together to do better on the fundamentals. Let’s leave behind the era of crisis and heroics, and build something more effective and sustainable.
Somehow, I think Bill Shelgren would agree.
Get connected: Event link