Hotel Touraine


262-274 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo NY 14202

 Click on illustrations for larger size -- and for more information






1922postcard 1922 postcard - before the four-story annex was added.


Gothic Revival style


Different lighting conditions account for coloring.
Third story: Straight-headed arches with center crocket topping.






Stone basement level, with paired square openings with grille work.


Central entrance:


Stone ogee arch

Crockets on ogee arch






First floor tripart window: double hung, 1/1 lights, with stone ogee surround.
Note the crockets on the ogee arches.


Delaware Avenue front: original storefronts (now apartments to the left of the front entrance.






Detail of basement (tavern) entrance: iron ancones support cornice.

 

 

 



Brick grille

Building Material

 Stone, brick, terra cotta

Structural System

 Steel frame

History

 Erected 1902. Constructed as an apartment house, but may have been a hotel from date of opening.

1903 - The hotel was leased to H.C. Griswold of New York City. The term of the lease was 10 years. Mr. Griswold was connected with the most fashionable hotels and apartment houses in NYC.

1923 - Four-story annex added

1982 - Hotel converted to 104 apartments

Architects

 Esenwein & Johnson (designed the 1923 addition, also)

Location

 The building is situated on the southwest corner of Delaware Avenue and South Johnson Park (one block north of W. Chippewa). The Greystone Hotel, directly to the west, is listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings. Located in the core of of Buffalo's business district, among early and mid-twentieth century commercial buildings.

Description

 Nine-story Gothic Revival style hotel with four-story annex (added 1923). Unique example of the Flamboyant Gothic style in Buffalo as it was applied to a multistory structure, built as a residential hotel. Many hotels were built in Buffalo around the turn of of the century in anticipation of the Pan-Am Exposition which opened in 1901. The Hotel originally had 250 rooms.

The building has a roof line 118 feet above the street; frontage on Delaware Avenue of 64 feet, and 122 feet on Johnson Park. One feature of the building was the installation of 100 bathrooms. The rooms were finished in red polished tile work with golden oak woodwork. Each room had a modern shower attachment. The tubs used were exhibited at the Pan-American Exposition and won a gold medal.


Information provided by: http://ah.bfn.org