Silo City - Table
of Contents ........... Grain Elevators - Table
of Contents
Introduction - Silo
City
Childs
Street in the First Ward in Buffalo, NY
Silo City is a
collection of three grain
elevators on Childs Street owned by Rick Smith of Rigidized Metals Corp. who
dubbed the site "Silo City." Lake and Rail Elevator,
originally part of Silo City, was sold to a Minnesota
hedge fund in 2008 (online April 2013) and is now (2013) in
use. The Silo City elevators:
Beth
Tauke
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Associate Professor Department of Architecture, UB School of Architecture & Planning |
Left: Silo City steward "Swannie Jim" Watkins ... Right: Silo City owner Rick Smith ... Background: American Elevator office building |
Rigidized Metals Corporation
658 Ohio Street. This is located on the property adjoining Silo City. If you are approaching Childs Street from downtown Buffalo on Ohio Street, Rigidized is just past Childs Street on the left. A Rigidized owner - Rick Smith - bought the 4 elevators on Childs Street, sold one, and dubbed the remaining three "Silo City." See "For Buffalo's Grain Elevators, an Experimental Second Act" on The Atlantic Cities (online March 2013) for more information. |
The Electric Elevator Annex / Cargill Electric Elevator Annex / Gelinmac Feed and Storage Mill 20 Childs St. (Ohio Street Lift Bridge at left) This is the elevator at the corner of Childs and Ohio streets. It is NOT part of Silo City. HABS (online March 2013). 11 photos and 24 data pages. Industrial Heritage Trail Excerpts from Grain Elevators: How to See Them: The Electric Elevator, by Aaron Heverin in 1997 (online March 2013): The Gelinmac
storage bins are all that remain of the Electric Elevator,
which in turn was known as Cargill
Electric. The Electric was built in
1897 as Buffalo's first elevator to be powered by electricity rather
than steam. Electricity greatly reduced the risk of fire or explosion
caused by on-site burning of coal for steam power.
Excerpts from Feed Plant
Ordered to Shut Down, April 12, 2000 The Buffalo News article
(online in March 2013): After
trying for years, city officials Tuesday won their battle to shut down
a rat-infested Childs Street plant that has been manufacturing animal
feed without a permit.
See also: Electric
Elevator (DEMOLISHED)State Supreme Court Justice Frank A. Sedita Jr. ordered Gelmac Quality Feeds to cease operations within 30 days at the 20 Childs St. facility, a plant that processes old bakery goods into animal feed. His decision came after a two-hour hearing in the case, which dates back nearly four years in city records. Last fall, one city attorney claimed "rats the size of Buicks" had infested the former grain elevator in the Old First Ward, where, according to city inspectors, Gelmac has been operating.... |
Empty lot between the Gelinmac (background) and American elevators (not in photo). This is the site of the demolished (1984) Electric Elevator. |
American Elevator / Russell-Miller Milling Company Elevator / Peavey Co. Elevator 87 Childs Street Part of Silo City. "The Elevator was the first
in Buffalo built of reinforced
concrete, and is thought to be the first
in the nation raised by slip forms
into which concrete was continuously
poured. Previously, concrete had only been poured once a day before any
new concrete was placed." - HABS (online April 2013)
|
Elevator B Beehive Part of Silo City. A massive bee colony was lodged
in the American Elevator Office Building. The idea of a competition to
move the bee colony was hatched between UB School of Architecture and
Planning and Silo City owner Rick Smith. The Ecological Practices
Research Group
did much all of the planning and coordination of the competition
which was called Hive City.
The project was built mostly by UB students. Rigidized Metals was involved in fabricating the metal panels, but the students built the structure, built the bee (elevator) cab inside, and attached the panels to the structure. Majority of construction was done by the students. The students involved were Courtney Creenan, Kyle Mastalinski, Scott Selin, Lisa Stern, and Dan Nead. The faculty advisors for the project were: Joyce Hwang, Chris Romano, Martha Bohm. |
American Elevator Office Building A massive bee colony was lodged in the American Elevator Office Building. Owner Rick Smith contacted the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning's Ecological Practices Research Group to participate in a competition to transfer all of the bee colony from the office building to another site at Silo City. |
Perot Malting Elevator / American Malting Elevator / Genesee Brewing Elevator 100 Childs Street Part of Silo City. Located just past the American Elevator. The 1907 complex, with 1933 additions, consists of two distinct buildings: the workhouse/elevator and the malthouse. Perot never had marine legs. It was connected to the American Elevator next door by an overhead conveyor that transferred grain to the Perot bins. The elevator complex was always used for malting barley for beer. |
Lake and Rail Elevator / International Milling Elevator / ConAgra Elevator 120 Childs Street, Buffalo, NY This elevator is NOT part of Silo
City. Originally part of Silo City, it was sold to a Minnesota
hedge fund in 2008
(online April 2013) and is now (2013) in use as a grain storage
facility. Grain stored in this elevator gets shipped around the world.
|
This is the last elevator on Childs Street and it is the only one on the right (east) side of the street. |
View from downtown. . View from Silo City |