Elmstone, now a vanished estate, stood on a large lot running 264 feet on Connecticut Street, 214.5 feet on 7th Street, and 432 feet on Front Street (now Busti). It was constructed by Elijah D. Efner. He was an early Buffalo pioneer who fought in the War of 1812. He settled in Buffalo, operated a hotel near the waterfront and eventually became president of the Buffalo Savings Bank. He built Elmstone among elm trees and had a view of the Niagara River. It was said that a lantern was hung from a branch of the tallest to serve as a lighthouse for ships on the river. A few years after he died in 1873, a Rohcester couple, George H. and Katherine B. Lewis purchased it. |
The Elmstone estate (red border). Image source: 1894 Buffalo City Atlas
They loved the 25 majestic elms around the property, the largest of which was 150 feet high and thirteen feet in diameter. Avid gardeners, the Lewises added landscaping to the outside and significantly expanded the mansion. They added a north wing with a dining room measuring 40x25 feet and six additional rooms on the first floor. They also added a conservatory on the south side of the mansion where they had the first collections of palms and tropical plants and flowers in the city. The conservatory featured fountains and pools, making it a tropical paradise and an ideal habitat for George's orchid collection.
View of the home from the front on 7th Street. Image source: Picture Book of Earlier Buffalo
Broad marble steps led from the five-columned porch to the shaded lawn. Inside, the Lewises had mahogany woodwork throughout and Venetian glass chandeliers. They filled the home with items purchased on their travels and entertained as part of Buffalo's social life. After George Lewis' sudden death in 1897, his widow continued to live in the home during winters until her death in 1930. Shortly before she died, she had two new heating units installed and also an 8-person elevator that went from the basement to the attic.
View of the home from the north side. Image source: Lenses exhibit
These details of the manison emerged in 1934 when it was for sale. A group of citizens from the neighborhood began a campaign to have the city purchase the mansion and turn it into a neighborhood library and community center. They emphasized the number of reading rooms that could be constructed from the six rooms on the first floor and five rooms on the second. With its new mechanical systems and elevator, the mansion was in excellent condition for the new use. It was offered to the city for $40,000, far below its assessed value.
View of the front of the home, conservatory at right. Image source: Buffalo Evening News 12/21/1934
In 1937, with the city's refusal to purchase the mansion for a library, Elmstone was sold to the Scialfo Realty Company to be demolished and the property broken into builidng lots.
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Modern aerial view of the Elmstone estate property. Image source: Google Maps
For information on George H. and Katherine Bell Lewis, look here. To learn more about the Niagara Hotel, look here.
