Erie County

US States / N / New York / Erie County
Erie - O

Erie County is named for the Erie Native American tribe.

 

Surrounding County Courthouses: 

N – Niagara County

E – Genesee County and Wyoming County

S – Cattaraugus County and Chautauqua County

W – Lake Erie and Ontario, Canada

 

Created:  April 2, 1821                            Map of New York highlighting Erie County

County Seat:

Buffalo  1821 – present

 

Old County Courthouse – Buffalo  

 

Location:  92 Franklin Street / Church Street

Built:  1871 – 1876

Style:  High Victorian Romanesque and Norman Romanesque

Architect:  Andrew Jackson Warner of Rochester

Contractor:  S H Fields and John Druer

 

Description:  The building faces east and is a three story gray colored granite structure. The granite came from Clark Island, Maine. The building is located on landscaped grounds ion the center of Buffalo. The east front has a high seven story clock tower with two arches on the first story. The sculpture on the central tower was completed by Giovanni F Sala. The building was renovated in 1925 and the architect was Harold Jewett Cook. Alterations were made in 1935. The architect was A John Ort and Stephen L Clergy. The building was renovated in 1959 to 1962. The architect was Pfohl, Stoll & Roberts.  The building was renovated in 1980 and the architect was Milstein, Wittek and Davis. The building houses the administration for the 8th Judicial District.

 

Note:  There was no general contractor and S H Fields was hired as Superintendent of Construction and John Druer was hired as Assistant Superintendent. There were 42 separate contracts let for the construction. The cost of construction of the courthouse was $1,450,000. The building also served as City Hall until 1932.

 

County Courthouse – Buffalo  

 

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Location:  25 Delaware Avenue / Church Street

Built:  1962 – 1964

Style:  Modern

Architect:  Milstein Wittek & Davis

Contractor:  Unknown

 

Description:  The building faces west and is a nine story stone, glass and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Buffalo on the west side of the courthouse. The west front has vertical dividers. The north and south sides have no windows. The roof line is flat. The building is connected to the old courthouse on the east side.

 

See:  The 8th Judicial District is located at 92 Franklin Street in Buffalo and includes Alleghany County, Cattaraugus County, Chautauqua CountyGenesee CountyNiagara CountyOrleans County and Wyoming County.

 

History:  The county was created from Niagara County in 1821 and Buffalo was selected as the county seat and Lockport was selected as the county seat for the remaining portion of Niagara County. The first courthouse was a two story structure built by the Holland Company in 1806 as the Niagara County Courthouse and burned in 1813. The second courthouse was a two story brick structure designed by Joseph Ellicott in 1816 to 1817. Construction was supervised by Samuel Tupper, Joseph Landon and Jonas Williams. The third courthouse was three story brick structure constructed in 1849 to 1850 at a cost of $17,000. The cost for the construction of the fourth courthouse in 1871 was $ $772,000.

 

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Old County Courthouse – Buffalo

 

 

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County Courthouse – Buffalo

 

 

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Photos taken 2010