Martin House Restoration Project Seeks Additional Funding
Eric Ortner
North Buffalo Rocket
Robert G. Wilmers, the Chairman of the Board and CEO of the M&T Bank Corporation will be serving as the Honorary Chairman of the Restoration Campaign. photo: Eric Ortner
April 2000: One of North Buffalo's most prized treasures will soon be getting the attention that it deserves. The Frank Lloyd Wright designed Darwin Martin House, located on Jewett Parkway, is on the books for a major restoration. A great effort is being made by the Martin House Restoration Corporation to raise $23 million for the project.
On Wednesday, April 12, an official announcement was made by the Restoration Corporation about the need for private funding in the project. Part of the announcement related to the fact that Robert G. Wilmers, the Chairman of the Board and CEO of the M&T Bank Corporation, will be serving as the Honorary Chairman of the Restoration Campaign.
Mr. Wilmers explained, "To date, we have raised $13.6 million, from public and private sources. The Martin House presents a true private/public partnership." Some of this funding is provided by The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation which has committed more than $2 million to the campaign.In addition, in early February, the Erie County Legislature announced that it would move $2.5 million in the year 2000 county budget for the Martin House restoration project. The county funding is intended for the design and construction of a Visitors' Center on the Darwin Martin Complex site.
Another $5 million has been allotted by the State of New York. The Federal Government has graced the project with $1.5 million.
The funding will be well spent. This is an ambitious restoration project, the likes of which has never been seen before. To fully understand the enormity of the restoration, you need to first have a general understanding of the history of the dwelling.
A Model of the Martin House as it will appear when the restorations are complete.The Darwin Martin House has been described by many architectural experts as the best example of Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie Style residences. It was originally designed with six structures in 1904. Its construction was completed in 1907 for the family of Darwin Martin. The original buildings included the Barton House, the Gardener's Cottage, the Martin House Pergola (enclosed walkway), Conservatory and Carriage House.
Darwin Martin passed away in 1935. After his death, his family's finances were in jeopardy. This caused the home to fall into disrepair. Eventually, the property was abandoned and was left vacant and open to the elements for more than 10 years. As a result, the furniture and some of the windows originally designed by Frank Lloyd Wright were sold off.
In the late 1940s, the entire complex was almost demolished. Fortunately this was not the case. However, the Conservatory, Pergola, and Carriage House were in fact demolished. This also resulted in the loss of the gardens that were an equally important part of the overall design.
The Martin House Restoration Corporation's goal is to do something to a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece which has never happened before. They plan to reconstruct the structures that were demolished in the 1940s. The restoration also includes recreating the gardens and returning or restoring Wright's art glass and furnishings to the home.
Clearly, this is an ambitious project, but an expensive one as well. This is why the Martin House Restoration Corporation is seeking additional private funding for the project. Robert Wilmer said that, "Virtually every member of the Martin House board of directors and many other private individuals have already contributed generously of their personal funds to this campaign. We thank each of the early donors for their commitment. And we invite many more citizens of our community - both corporate citizens and individual citizens - to become donors to this campaign in the weeks and months ahead."
Many people see the money spent on the restoration as a sound investment for the Western New York Region. Wilmers said, "Once the Martin House is fully restored, it will be a powerful tourism draw. Based upon comparable Frank Lloyd Wright attractions, we project that we can draw between 60,000-100,000 visitors per year. That could translate into $20 million in tourism revenue for the Western New York economy."
If these projections pan out, that could be a significant boost to the businesses right in North Buffalo. The national media has already paid some attention to this restoration project. Steve Thomas, the host of the PBS series This Old House, made a visit to the structure on March 16. This could be an early indication of the benefit that a restored Martin House might have on North Buffalo.
