South Buffalo Reconnaissance Level Historic Resource Survey: Phase II

Schentag, Annie; Traynor, Kerry

From the Methodology and Project Approach Section: "The City of Buffalo Office of Strategic Planning initiated the Reconnaissance Level Survey of South Buffalo in the City of Buffalo. The present survey intends to identify and evaluate historic resources within the area so as they might be considered in future city planning and preservation planning. The Reconnaissance Level Survey of the South Buffalo in the City of Buffalo has been financed in large part by the New York State Department of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. The results of this survey were concluded by kta preservation specialists, and in no way reflect the endorsement by these funding entities. The survey activity has been administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. The current survey was conducted by kta preservation specialists, Buffalo, NY. The persons conducting the survey and involved in the historic research are all 36 CFR qualified. The resumes of the principal investigators are included in Appendix 3. The South Buffalo Reconnaissance Level Historic Resource Survey consists of two phases total, to be inclusive of all neighborhoods south of the Buffalo River. The boundaries of the Phase 2 survey were requested by the client in consultation with kta preservation specialists and have been defined to reflect the unified historical settlement patterns and architectural styles of the area. The survey evaluates and documents the existing conditions of the properties included in the Phase I boundaries: Bounded by the Buffalo River, eastern border of the City of Buffalo, Onondaga Avenue, Dorrance Avenue, Abbott Road, Southside Parkway, and Cazenovia Creek (4,124 parcels with buildings). The first phase, completed in September 2020, was a Reconnaissance Level Survey of the southwestern half of the two phase area. The completed two-phase project surveyed 10,172 improved parcels in total. A map of the two phases is at the end of this section. Most properties in the survey were constructed before 1970, although the survey also considers contemporary properties. The survey was limited to above-ground historic resources. Prehistoric and historic archaeological sites were outside the project scope. Kta has been conducting reconnaissance and intensive level surveys since 1999. While the technical methodology as described below is consistent with established standards, the approach to each survey is different because each building, each neighborhood, and each city, town or village is different. Our approach considers the character defining features and story that make a building, a neighborhood, a district, and a city, town or village unique. The research and documentation produced for the South Buffalo Reconnaissance Level Historic Resource Survey will be consistent with the requirements of the National Park Service and could also be used to produce National Register nominations at another time. A reconnaissance level historic resource survey will be the first step in identifying and gathering data on South Buffalo historic resources that may be worthy of preservation. A reconnaissance survey may be thought of as a “once over lightly” inspection of a neighborhood, useful in characterizing resources in an area. The survey process includes planning, research, fieldwork, data organization, evaluation, and reporting. The main goal of a reconnaissance survey is not to gain highly detailed information on every building in the survey area, but to get a general picture of the distribution of property types, architectural styles, and the character of the neighborhood." Project funding was provided in part by a Historic Preservation Fund grant to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, administered by the State, Tribal, Local Plans and Grants division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior (grant number P20AF00037).

South Buffalo Reconnaissance Level Historic Resource Survey: Phase II

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