Old Post Office: then and now

1900 to 1906 vs 2009 · Buffalo, NY

NowThen

Then, 1900 to 1906A black-and-white photo of the building from a corner, shot from high above the street.Photo: Detroit Publishing Company · Public domain · Source · resized, cropped

Today, 2009The building and tower across a wide street in winter.Photo: Pubdog · Public domain · Source · resized

The story

The Old Post Office is at 121 Ellicott Street. The Office of the Supervising Architect, with Jeremiah O'Rourke, designed it, and construction started in 1897. It opened in 1901 and cost $1.5 million.

It was Buffalo's central post office until 1963, and it was the tallest building in the city from 1901 to 1912. Wikipedia describes it as a four-story Gothic Revival building with a 244-foot tower over the central entrance and a roofed courtyard.

After the post office moved out, federal offices used the building. Since 1981 it has been home to the city campus of Erie Community College.

Did you know? The tower is 244 feet tall.

Historians argue about this. Many people think a post office is a small building. Wikipedia says this one was the tallest in the city for 11 years.

Fact or tall tale?

SolidThe Old Post Office opened in 1901.
Wikipedia: opened in 1901.
Not trueIt has been a college since the 1930s.
Wikipedia: it has housed Erie Community College since 1981.

Sources

More: Look for historic photos at the Library of Congress

Stamp it in person

Go there, answer the question that only someone standing at Old Post Office can answer, and add the stamp to your passport. Free, no sign-up.

Play Buffalo

More in Buffalo

Next: Buffalo History Museum. Written from the cited sources, not yet walked on site unless noted.