One thing that everyone marvels at when I tell them where I work is… you work in that gorgeous mansion on Delaware?! They of course always follow that up with questions about what I do with the Red Cross inside the amazing building, but they always come back to questions about the origin of the building, and how all of us here at the Chapter got the amazing opportunity to work in a building with such a great history, fantastic architecture, the occasional mysterious smell of roses, and the late night walking of feet from an unknown source!!
Our building was commissioned by the late Stephen M. Clement, then president of the Marine National Bank. It was built in 1912 at a cost of $300,000 and was designed by prominent Buffalo architect E.B. Green, designer of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the Buffalo Saving Bank. The exterior of the house is constructed of a grey Medina sandstone, while the interior doors, archways, floors and mantels boast imported marble. There is also a large circular limestone staircase, as well as a copper lined elevator, the first of its kind in a Buffalo residence, and is still in use today!
Unfortunately, Clement never lived in the home that he envisioned and commissioned. After his death in 1913, the house was occupied by his widow, Carolyn Tripp Clement, the six Clement children, and eventually later generations of the family.
In 1941 Mrs. Clement donated the house to the Greater Buffalo Chapter of the American Red Cross. In an interview Mrs. Clement said, “I shall be amply rewarded through knowing that my home will be used by the American Red Cross.. There is no other organization to which I would rather give it… it serves day in and day out in times of war as well as in times of peace.” The building served as a base for thousands of volunteers during World War II and the ensuing decades.
To learn more about this amazing piece of architecture that sits at 786 Delaware Avenue, right here in Western New York, join us tomorrow (Saturday 6/25/2011) on a tour with Buffalo Tours!
When: June 25, 2011 10am-3pm
Where: 641 Delaware Avenue, the Wilcox Mansion/Teddy Roosevelt House
How to purchase tickets: Call (716) 852-3300, click here, or purchase the day of the event.
Cost: $25 per person ($20 for members) before 4:30pm on 6/24 or $30 the day of event
To learn more, visit Buffalo Tours online or visit Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site online!
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