Erie County Savings Bank

The Erie County Savings Bank building was a 10-story Romanesque Revival, office and bank branch building that was located at present day 9 Church Street in downtown Buffalo, New York.

Erie County Savings Bank
Erie County Savings Bank [foreground]
General information
StatusDestroyed
TypeOffice
Architectural styleRichardsonian Romanesque
Location9 Church Street, Buffalo, NY, United States
Coordinates42.88639°N 78.878609°W / 42.88639; -78.878609
Construction startedSeptember 11, 1890
CompletedJune, 1893
Renovated1932
Demolished1968
Cost1 million US$($28.5 million in 2019 dollars[1])
Height
Roof127 feet (38.7 m)
Technical details
Floor count10
Lifts/elevators4
Design and construction
ArchitectGeorge B. Post

Building history

The decorative castle-like building was completed in 1893 to serve as the headquarters of the Erie county savings bank. The building was the work of architect George B. Post whom also designed the Buffalo Statler Towers.[2] Built of pink granite from Jonesboro, Maine, the ashlar masonry walls were backed with brick. Although the exterior walls were load-bearing, the building had an interior steel framing system. The triangular shaped building was approximately 147 feet by 157 feet, and rose to nine stories high on Main Street side; ten stories high on the Pearl Street side.[3] The building was constructed on a lot within Shelton Square in which the "Old" First Presbyterian Church stood. The church was destroyed in 1890, the same year construction of the savings bank began.[2]

During the building's construction Thomas A. Edison served as the consulting engineer in charge of electrical installation.[3]

The building was demolished in 1968 together with a number of adjacent buildings as part of an urban renewal project and replaced by the Main Place Tower. The Lion statues that were located atop the building's main entrance pillars along with granite architectural remnants were saved and are now located on the Buffalo State College campus.[4]

Building site timeline

Bank history[5]
  • Erie County Savings Bank was known as "The Big E" in advertising campaigns.(late 60s - 80s)
  • The bank changed its name to the Erie Savings Bank (1977-1981).
  • The bank's name changed to Empire of America (1982-1990).
  • In 1992, M&T Bank and KeyBank acquired its remaining deposits and the bank was dissolved.
  • 1965 photo from Southwest view
  • Main entrance from Northeast
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References
  1. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  2. LaChiusa, Chuck. "Erie County Savings Bank". Buffalo as history. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
  3. "Erie County Savings Bank, 16 Niagara Street, Buffalo, Erie County, NY". Historic American Buildings Survey (Library of Congress). Historic American Buildings Survey. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  4. "Buffalo State College Rededicates Moot Hall". buffalostate.edu. 10 October 2001. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
  5. "Brief History of the Erie County Savings Bank". WNY Heritage Press. Archived from the original on 29 August 2012. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
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