Imagining Buffalo's Waterfront

Be sure to check out this video about the redevelopment of Buffalo's Waterfront, including an interview with local activist Mark Goldman as he discusses prospects for the future.

IMAGINING BUFFALO'S WATERFRONT from nathan m peracciny on Vimeo.

Visit Buffalo: This Place Matters

Watch the newest video from the Buffalo Convention and Visitors Bureau. Made in preparation for the 2011 National Preservation Conference

Buffalo Tours Docent Interview

Congratulations to docent Tom Mudra for his recent video interview on Skunkpost.com. To view the entire clip, click on the link below:

http://www.skunkpost.com/news.sp?newsId=2920

Docent in the News

Suzanne Prabucki was recently featured by Buffalo State College for her work curating the Fraunces Tavern Museum, a Revolutionary War landmark in New York City. While studying at Buffalo State, Suzanne gave several tours and even wrote a new tour highlighting EB Green's residential architecture in Buffalo. For more about Suzanne, visit the website for Buffalo State College.

Massachusetts Makeover on TV

WKBW Channel 7
YNN Time Warner Cable


This weekend's Massachusetts Makeover tour was well-attended, and got on TV, too! Click the links below to see what all the fuss was about. Be sure to take the next Massachusetts Makeover tour on August 28!

Niagara Square Exhibit at Historical Society

The evolution of a premier residential address to a civic hub
Click Here

Buffalo Tours in the News

Here's a link about our recent tour in the Village of Kenmore, featured in the Tonawanda News.

Here's another link about our docent training program, featured in Buffalo Rising.

And if you haven't done it already, click here to join our Facebook group, now 1000 people strong!

Pin your history to the world

Upload your vintage pictures of places and pin them to Google Streetview:
historypin.com

National Preservation Conference Planning

Representatives from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to Discuss the October 2011 Conference to be hosted in Buffalo -

Public Invited to Share Thoughts, Ask Questions, Volunteer

WHAT: National Trust representatives will kick off planning for the 2011 National Preservation Conference that will be held in Buffalo from Oct. 18-22, 2011. Officials will present their goals for the conference and solicit ideas for sessions, tours, speakers and more. The session will also be used to sign up volunteers to assist with organizing and marketing the conference and to assist during the conference itself. A question and answer session will conclude the evening. All interested organizations and individuals are invited to attend.

WHO: Valecia Crusafilli, NTHP, Acting Vice President, Programs
Lori Feinman, NTHP, Associate Director for Conferences and Training
Catherine Schweitzer, Preservation Buffalo Niagara, Chair
Edward Healy, Visit Buffalo Niagara, Vice President, Marketing
Michael Even, Visit Buffalo Niagara, Vice President, Sales

WHEN: WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 5:00 pm.

WHERE: Albright-Knox Art Gallery, 1285 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo

You can pre-register for this session and be placed on the conference planning mailing list by contacting Preservation Buffalo Niagara at 852-3300 or send your name, organization (if any), address and email to info@p-b-n.org. Updates on conference planning will be posted on p-b-n.org.

Buffalo Tours on WIVB Channel 4

Click here to see WIVB's visit to our "Inside the Central Terminal" tour from Sunday. Thanks to everyone who came to the tour!

Buffalo in London's Financial Times

Heritage and Culture

Happy Hour Tours Go Nationwide!

The Springfield Preservation Alliance in Ohio noticed the success of our Happy Hour Tours and started some of their own! You can read more about their tours in this article.

For dates and times of Happy Hour tours in Buffalo, including our Search Party scavenger hunt, visit this page at BuffaloTours.org. The first tour is Friday, June 18th!

Preserving Buffalo’s Religious Legacy

National Catholic Register
Wednesday Walks starting in July

Historic Tax Credit Workshops in Buffalo

BECHS TO HOST FREE WORKSHOPS ON NEW YORK STATE HISTORIC TAX CREDITS PRESENTED BY PRESERVATION BUFFALO NIAGARA

The Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society (BECHS) is hosting two FREE workshops given by Preservation Buffalo Niagara. The workshops, which are co-sponsored by the Historical Society, are on New York State Historic Tax Credits. The date of the workshops is Thursday, June 3, 2010. They will be held at the Historical Society, located at 25 Nottingham Court at Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo.

Both homeowners and business-owners may attend the free workshops to learn more about these specific New York State's tax credits-which are available to eligible property owners. The tax credits offer the chance for those rehabilitating eligible historic buildings to receive a credit covering a portion of the costs. Attendees will learn about the details, including eligibility and other requirements.

Featured will be speakers from the State Historic Preservation office-Daniel McEneny, Elizabeth Martin and Sloane Bullough. Additional speakers include Andrea Rebeck with Preservation Buffalo Niagara/National Trust; Michele Brozek-Knoll, City of Buffalo Senior Preservation Planner; and Steve Weiss, an attorney with Cannon, Heyman & Weiss.

The workshops are free; however, space is limited and pre-registration is required. Registrants may attend one or both sessions-to register, please call Preservation Buffalo Niagara at (716) 852-3300 or email your name, organization (if applicable), mailing address, phone number and email to info@preservationbuffaloniagara.org.


Who: Preservation Buffalo Niagara and Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society
What: FREE workshops on NY State Historic Tax Credits for Business- and Homeowners (pre-registration required)
When: Thursday, June 3, 2010
2:30 to 4:30 pm Commercial Properties
6:30 to 8:30 pm Homeowners
Where: Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society, 25 Nottingham Court at Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo


CONTACT:
Jana Eisenberg, Communications Manager
Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society
bechspr@bechs.org
(716) 873-9644 x319

Twilight Tour of the Electric Tower

Thanks to the 300 members, visitors, and docents who came to our kick-off for the new Buffalo Tours season! May is also National Preservation Month. Visit Preservation Buffalo Niagara for more May events at P-B-N.org.

Doors Open Niagara on MSNBC

Click here for an excellent overview of Doors Open events throughout the continent, including Doors Open Niagara where we will give tours of Buffalo City Hall. Doors Open Niagara 2010 is October 17th and 18th.

Dyngus Day in Buffalo

From TrueBlueBuffalo.com. Easter Monday is only a few days away! For info on Dyngus Day festivities, visit DyngusDayBuffalo.com. And be sure to come back to the East Side for our Inside the Central Terminal tour on April 18th.

Last year's post: How to Make a Butter Lamb

Buffalo Preservation Documentary

In 2009, Preservation Buffalo Niagara worked with filmmaker Diedie Weng on this documentary as part of Squeaky Wheel’s Channels program. Through this film, Diedie Weng aimed to promote a conversation about low income communities’ efforts and struggles in revitalizing neglected historic Buffalo neighborhoods. We want to help you promote a conversation as well. To arrange a public screening of this film or to procure DVD copies for distribution, contact PBN.

Inside the Tonawanda Castle

Click here for a short documentary about the newly renovated Tonawanda Castle, formerly the Tonawanda Armory. For a tour, don't miss this summer's "Tona-Wander" tours on August 8th and October 17th. Write to info@BuffaloTours.org with your address and we'll send you a 2010 brochure!

Extreme Makeover: Buffalo Edition

In case you missed it, the entire two-hour episode of last night's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is available online. (You may have to install the media player.) The show with the Powell family is in two parts.

WKBW-TV also aired an hour-long special before the event, including live footage of the viewing party at Shea's. You can see some of their footage online, too.

Preserving Buffalo's Statler Hotel

WBFO radio recently aired this news segment about the status of the Statler towers, as well as efforts by Preservation Buffalo Niagara to save the building. The Statler may be closed and mothballed in the next few weeks. Buffalo Tours gave an exclusive tour of the building in October of 2007.

Photo: Charles LaChiusa

Buffalo-Niagara Docent Training now taking applications

Learn to tell Buffalo’s stories to the world! Beginning February 13th, Buffalo Tours hosts its docent training program for those interested in sharing Buffalo Niagara’s architectural, environmental, cultural, and historical heritage. During weekly Saturday sessions from 9:30am to 12:30pm, trainees will learn about Buffalo’s cultural heritage, develop public speaking skills and practice docenting and concierge techniques.

This year Buffalo Tours partners with the Roycroft Campus Corporation, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site, and the Buffalo Religious Arts Center to train volunteers who are passionate about leading tours in the Buffalo Niagara region. Buffalo Tours’ main architectural tour is called Queen City Downtown. Roycroft Campus tours give visitors a glimpse into the 1900’s arts and crafts community located in East Aurora. The TR Site tells visitors about the most famous (or infamous) event in Buffalo’s history, while the Buffalo Religious Arts Center preserves and displays sacred cultural artifacts. Niagara Riverkeeper EcoTours give participants the opportunity to paddle around Strawberry Island and Cayuga Creek, hike the Niagara Gorge and Scajaquada Creek, and lead programs with Buffalo Audubon.

Each Saturday session includes training and related lectures or field trips around Western New York. On field trips, trainees deepen their understanding of local history and current events and the influence of world famous architects like Wright, Green, Richardson, and Olmsted while exploring places like the Roycroft Campus, the Niagara Falls Power Vista, and Gothic Revival cathedrals. The entire class lasts ten weeks.

The first five joint classes run from February 13th to March 13th at different locations. Volunteers choose to continue training with individual organizations for the remaining sessions. A one time fee of $75 will cover the cost of docent training materials and other costs. To register, please fill out an online application at BuffaloTours.org before the February 1st deadline. For more information, call 716-852-3300 or send an email to info@BuffaloTours.org.

Buffalo Tours is a public education program of Preservation Buffalo Niagara, a nonprofit organization created to identify, preserve, protect, promote and revitalize historically and architecturally significant sites, structures, neighborhoods, commercial districts and landscapes in Erie and Niagara Counties. Visit P-B-N.org for details.