History · Buffalo

Buffalo has 205 places on the National Register, 8 of them National Historic Landmarks

More historic than 98% of U.S. towns · #35 of 758 in New York. What drives it

With 61% of its homes built before 1940 and 29 historic districts holding 12,079 contributing buildings. Below: 10 old photos and papers, maps from 1889 on, the census since 1810, and every listing on the Register.

1810first post office

205on the National Register

61%homes built before 1940

10old photos & papers

28famous people

Add an old photo Share a memory

From Buffalo’s archive · credits on each photo

Quick answers

How Buffalo began

When was Buffalo founded?

1810

The Buffalo post office opened in 1810, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1832. Two smaller post offices, Ellicott (1852) and International (1883), opened inside today’s city and later closed.

First census: 1,508 in 18102020 census: 278,349216 years

How historic is Buffalo?

A⁺

More historic than 98% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓

Founding year: the first Buffalo post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1832.The full story ↓

History grade

What drives Buffalo’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Buffalo is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #35 of 758 in New York. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its age lowest.

A⁺

HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Buffalo’s overall grade.

Founding era1810, from the first post office: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA⁻Homes built before 194061.0% of homes (±1.2) · typical NY town 26.6% · U.S. 8.4%A⁺National Register205 listings, 12,079 historic buildings, 436 per 10,000 residents · typical NY town 12.3 · U.S. 2.4A⁺

All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 98%

NewerOlder

New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 96%

Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Buffalo ranks #22 on History.

New York towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical New York town has 12.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Buffalo’s 436 sits above most of its state (90% of New York towns have fewer) while its 12,079 historic buildings outnumber those of 100% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share (±1.2 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1832 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.

Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Buffalo’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A National Historic Landmark205 places on the National Register, 8 of them National Historic Landmarks.A historic districtThe Elmwood Historic District East takes in 2,405 historic buildings.On the map since 18943 editions of the USGS map, 1894 to 1948. Watch Buffalo change.Mapped building by building10 fire insurance maps, 1889 to 1916, drew every building in Buffalo.

★ What stands out · On the National Register

205 listings protect 12,079 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. 8 are National Historic Landmarks, the highest tier. Boundary changes and added documentation are counted with their listing.

places listed

205

National Historic Landmarks

St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral

historic buildings protected

12,079

each building in a district counts

first listed

1966

Roosevelt, Theodore, Inaugural National Histori…

BuildingsDistrictsSitesStructures★ landmark

Architectural styles listings

Queen Anne7

Classical Revival7

Colonial Revival6

Romanesque Revival6

Beaux Arts5

Italianate5

★ Landmark

St. Paul's Episcopal CathedralBuilt 1873

★ Landmark

Prudential BuildingBuilt 1896

★ Landmark

Buffalo and Erie County Historical SocietyNeoclassical · Built 1901

★ Landmark

USS THE SULLIVANS (destroyer)Structure

★ Landmark

Darwin D. Martin HousePrairie Style · Built 1905

★ Landmark

Buffalo State Asylum for the InsaneBuilt 1870

★ Landmark

Kleinhans Music HallInternational Style

★ Landmark

EDWARD M. COTTER (fireboat)Structure

All 205 listings

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

On the map

Buffalo on the map, 1894 to 1948

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Buffalo. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

1894Buffalo sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Buffalo.

The story

How Buffalo came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Buffalo.

Read it all →

Before the arrival of Europeans, nomadic Paleo-Indians inhabited the western New York region from the 8th millennium BCE. The Woodland period began around 1000 BC, marked by the rise of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the spread of its tribes throughout the state. Seventeenth-century Jesuit missionaries were the first Europeans to visit the area.

ChaptersPre-Columbian era to European exploration Erie Canal, grain and commerce Steel, challenges, and the modern era

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Buffalo, 1864–1911

Passages that mention Buffalo, cut from the printed page as they were published.

**An authentic and comprehensive history of Buffalo**1864 · page 66Read the page →
Read the text
By the same act, the village of Buffalo was included in the town of Willink, which bounded west on the Cattaraugus creek. In 1808 the town of Buffalo was erected, extending easterly to what is known as the " transit line," and in 1813 the village of Buffalo received its first charter.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

village of Buffalo, being solemnly sworn, deposeth and saith tliut a few days previous to the burning of Buffalo by the enemy, he saw Gen. Mc- Clure, with his aids, at Porter's tavern, in Clarence; they were then on their march from Buffalo towards Batavia Avith regular troops; that he heard Capt. … — **An authentic and comprehensive history of Buffalo**1864 · page 411Read the page →
Read the text
village of Buffalo, being solemnly sworn, deposeth and saith tliut a few days previous to the burning of Buffalo by the enemy, he saw Gen. Mc- Clure, with his aids, at Porter's tavern, in Clarence; they were then on their march from Buffalo towards Batavia Avith regular troops; that he heard Capt. Rogers, one of the aids of Gen. McClure, publicly declare that he believed the village of Buffalo would be destroyed, and he hoped it would be, for the inhabitants were all a pack of d — d rascals; that he hoped that would wake them up. Gen. McClnre was at the same time
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

In 1875 two parishes were added to the Catholic organization in Buffalo, namely: St. Stephen's in South Bufifalo, provided originally with a plain brick church on Elk Street, which gave way before many years to a fine edifice of stone; and the parish of the Sacred Heart, for which a church was buil… — **A history of Buffalo**1911 · page 77Read the page →
Read the text
In 1875 two parishes were added to the Catholic organization in Buffalo, namely: St. Stephen's in South Bufifalo, provided originally with a plain brick church on Elk Street, which gave way before many years to a fine edifice of stone; and the parish of the Sacred Heart, for which a church was built on Seneca Street, occupying a site running through to Swan.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

The third enterprise in crude oil refining at Buffalo is the one which survives alone at the present day, represented by the Atlas Oil Works of the Standard Oil Company, on Buffalo River and Elk and Babcock streets. It was started in 1880 by the Kalbfleisch Sons, of the Buffalo Chemical Works, alli… — **A history of Buffalo**1911Read the page →
Read the text
The third enterprise in crude oil refining at Buffalo is the one which survives alone at the present day, represented by the Atlas Oil Works of the Standard Oil Company, on Buffalo River and Elk and Babcock streets. It was started in 1880 by the Kalbfleisch Sons, of the Buffalo Chemical Works, allied with some Cleveland interests, and the building of a pipe line from Rock City to Buffalo was part of the undertaking. This was a project of rivalry which chal-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Buffalo, 1810 to 1981

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

19th century
1810Post officeThe Buffalo post office opens
1852In the archiveFranklin Street looking south from West Eagle Street, some time between 1852 and '76 (fro…
1852Post officeThe Ellicott post office opens
1860Born hereHerman Hollerith is born here
1865In the archiveBarnes, Bancroft, & Co., dry goods house.Alternate Title: Views of the principal streets …
1873BuiltSt. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral is built
1883Post officeThe International post office opens
1892Post officeThe International post office closes
1894On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
1896BuiltPrudential Building is built
20th century
1901BuiltBuffalo and Erie County Historical Society is built
1903Post officeThe Ellicott post office closes
1905BuiltDarwin D. Martin House is built
1950CensusPopulation peaks at 580,132
1952Born hereChristine Baranski is born here
1955Born hereJohn Roberts is born here
1975LandmarkPrudential Building named a National Historic Landmark
1981Born hereChad Michael Murray is born here

By decade

Buffalo, decade by decade

2 decades in the archive, from the 1850s to the 1860s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1850s–1860s10 items

Franklin Street looking south from West Eagle Street, some time between 1852 and '76 (from Views of Old-Time

1852Franklin Street looking south from West Eagle Street,…

1855Untitled photo

Barnes, Bancroft, & Co., dry goods house.Alternate Title: Views of the principal streets and buildings in the city of B…

c. 1865Barnes, Bancroft, & Co., dry goods house.Alternate Ti…

Buffalo, N.Y. Central Presbyterian Church.Alternate Title: American scenery. Stereoscopic views

c. 1865Buffalo, N.Y. Central Presbyterian Church.Alternate T…

City Hall, Buffalo, N.Y.Alternate Title: Views on the line of Erie Railway

c. 1865City Hall, Buffalo, N.Y.Alternate Title: Views on the…

Every building

Buffalo, building by building, 1889–1916

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Buffalo fire insurance map, 1889, sheet 2

1889Sheet 2 of 97

Edition

Sheets

+96 more at the Library of Congress

BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Retake this viewFranklin Street looking south from West Eagle Street, some time between 1852 and '76 (from Views of Old-Time, 1852

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Buffalo’s page.

Retake this view · +15

People over time

Buffalo, census by census

Peaked at 580,132 in 1950; 278,349 people lived here in 2020.

22 censuses, 1810–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Buffalo’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

28 famous people were born in Buffalo

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →

Herman HollerithAmerican statistician and inventor（1860-1929） · b. 1860

John RobertsChief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Unite… · b. 1955

Chad Michael MurrayAmerican actor · b. 1981

Christine BaranskiAmerican actress · b. 1952

Frances ClevelandFirst Lady of the United States from 1886 to 18… · b. 1864

David BoreanazAmerican actor · b. 1969

Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Buffalo’s post office has been open since 1810. Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Buffalo

1810–today

Ellicott

1852–1903

International

1883–1892

18101920today

Hamlets and corners on the map

Soldiers Place

Gone or out of use

Academy TheaterbuildingBishop O'Hern High SchoolschoolBuffalo City HospitalhospitalFort PortermilitaryMillard Fillmore HospitalhospitalNormal ParkparkOfferman StadiumlocaleOpportunity SchoolschoolSaint Francis HospitalhospitalWar Memorial Stadiumlocale

2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Buffalo

ConcordiaForest Lawn

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Finish Buffalo’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos

00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s

0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.

Retake an old viewFranklin Street looking south from West…: stand where they stood+15 Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Cheektowaga4 historic placesB Eggertsville5 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town West Seneca1 historic placeB Amherst14 historic placesB⁺Lackawanna1 historic placeA⁻Tonawanda4 historic placesB Tonawanda Town1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town SloanIts storyC⁺

Questions about Buffalo’s history

What year was Buffalo founded?

The Buffalo post office opened in 1810, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1832.

How does Buffalo rank for history?

Buffalo is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #35 of 758 in New York. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Buffalo?

205 listings, 8 of them National Historic Landmarks: 162 buildings, among them the St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral (a National Historic Landmark since 1987) and the Roosevelt, Theodore, Inaugural National Historic Site (listed 1966, the first), 29 historic districts with 11,520 contributing buildings, 2 sites, and 12 structures. 12,079 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Buffalo?

61% of Buffalo’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.2 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1938.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →

Start a conversation

Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (10), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (205), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.

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Buffalo has 205 places on the National Register, 8 of them National Historic Landmarks

How Buffalo began

When was Buffalo founded?

How historic is Buffalo?

What drives Buffalo’s History grade

What stands out about Buffalo’s past

205 listings protect 12,079 historic buildings

Architectural styles listings

Buffalo on the map, 1894 to 1948

How Buffalo came to be

What they wrote about Buffalo, 1864–1911

Buffalo, 1810 to 1981

Buffalo, decade by decade

Buffalo, building by building, 1889–1916

Stand where they stood

Buffalo, census by census

28 famous people were born in Buffalo

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Finish Buffalo’s story

History across the town line

Questions about Buffalo’s history

Memory lane

Where this page comes from