The former St. Ann’s school on Emslie Street is a roofless, frozen shell after a four-alarm fire Thursday night. Buffalo fire crews were called to the East Side site around 11 pm and the small fire quickly escalated to four alarms, engulfing the four-story building’s top floor and roof. The adjacent rectory and church facing Broadway, both vacant, were unscathed.
The gothic-style church was completed in 1886 (see background here). Church spires, which were 200 feet above the street, were removed in 1964 after suffering storm damage. Church services were suspended in 2012 after structural issues were found. It was closed by the Buffalo Catholic Diocese the following year.
Preservation Buffalo Niagara sprung into action today, quickly compiling documentation to submit to the NY State Historic Preservation Office to obtain a positive determination that the church campus is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, with or without the school. This is a positive for the site since tax credits could assist in repairing the school and the other buildings on site.
The City has not decided whether an emergency demolition order is necessary for all or part of the structure. According to WGRZ, City officials are still determining who owns the building as an investment group that purchased the property in 2022 with plans to convert the complex into a mosque and community center and health care facility may have sold the site this week. The cause of the fire has not been determined.
