By Norma Higgs
Niagara Gazette
NIAGARA FALLS —
On Oct. 2, the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center will be hosting a tour of six celebrated homes in the City of Niagara Falls. The tour will begin with registration and a reception at the 1924 landmark Niagara Falls High School, now the home of the NACC.
You will step into the past with visits to the famous Stanford White designed residence in historic Echota and the beautiful Tatler House, the former residence of Peter A. Porter overlooking the Upper Niagara River. Also highlighted is the stately Jefferson Apartments, with a rest at Murphy’s Café, the Hanover House, a beautiful bed and breakfast previously home to some interesting occupants Refreshments will be served (starting at 2 p.m.) with a view on the 17th floor of the Giacomo — built in 1929 as the United Office Building. Costumed re-enactors will be present at some of the locations and docents will be available to conduct the tours.
The hours are from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and you can head in any direction you wish, visiting the homes in any order. However, the Tatler will not be open for tours after 4 p.m. The event is not suitable for children and the Hanover House and Echota are not handicapped accessible. You may be asked to wear shoe coverings in some places. Tickets are available at the NACC at $25 each and advance purchase is recommended as visitors will be limited.
My assignment is to write a series of stories highlighting this tour and the places you will visit. Starting at the former Niagara Falls High School, 1201 Pine Ave., where you register, you will learn it was built in the Classic Revival Style in 1923-24 and replaced a school that was destroyed by fire. In 1963 and 1970 additions were added to the building for a total of 168,000 square feet.
In 1999, plans were announced to rezone the site to commercial for use as a mini-mall, which meant the school would be demolished. A group known as Save Our Sites was formed in 2001 to prevent this demolition and a plan for preservation and reuse began. After four years of effort by this grassroots organization, the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center was born. It continues to this day to be the primary cultural and social center in the City. I call it the miracle of Niagara Falls and if you have never seen what private citizens can do to save a deteriorating structure, you need to be a part of this tour.
You may choose to travel downtown first and stop at the Hanover House at 610 Buffalo Ave. where you may meet Barbara Leoncavallo, the proprietor and interior decorator, who transformed this residence into a delightful bed and breakfast 11 years ago. The dining room alone will dazzle you. My research found some interesting former occupants of this beautiful home. Harris Hurlburt built the home in 1922. He was the owner and manager of the Lumberg Theatre at 36 Falls St., which originally operated as a vaudeville venue, and later became a movie theater. The home, designed in the fashion of houses in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles, is the American version of Italianate style architecture. Former Niagara Falls resident and actor Franchot Tone attended parties here, often with his wife, Joan Crawford.
In the 1940s, Mary Gaskin, the second wife of Thomas Gaskin, a prominent real estate mogul, moved to 610 Buffalo Ave. Thomas Gaskin was from a pioneer family in the Niagara area. His began his career working on the trains between Suspension Village as Buffalo and later Detroit. He owned a newsstand, became well known in the north end of the city, and was elected president of the Village of Suspension Bridge. Gaskin was involved in the furniture, undertaking and real estate businesses. He is credited with the founding of the Niagara Falls Council 247 of the Knights of Columbus and remained active in the Church of the Sacred Heart on South Avenue. He and his second wife Mary lived at 1124 Ontario Ave., which is now part of the Rhoney Funeral Home. He died in 1919 at the age of 66.
Following her death, Niagara Falls Postmaster, Anthony J. Keller who was one of the founders of the present day A. J. Keller Insurance Agency on Pine Avenue, resided here for many years. Dr. Milton Robinson and the Western New York Institute for psychotherapies occupied this address from the early 1973 to about 1999 and were followed by chiropractor Michael Austin. In 2002, local artist Paul Hanover opened his gallery here and it remains as a unique feature of the present day Hanover House B&B. His work is displayed as a prominent part of the décor. Paul has received over 85 awards for his works in the past 15 years.
Barbara offers wedding and wedding reception facilities, showers, intimate teas and other special occasions at this beautiful setting. Check out her website at www.hanoverhousebb.com for more information. She has brought this residence back to what it may have been in its early years. Don’t miss it. Call the NACC at 282-7530 for information.
More next week on other historic buildings highlighted on this tour.
Norma Higgs serves with the Niagara Beautification Commission and Niagara Falls Block Club Council. Her columns appear Mondays in the Gazette.
