800 West Ferry - Table of Contents

800 West Ferry Residents
Buffalo, NY
Research by Richard Heye
Photos taken from Buffalo Architecture and History





 1873 to 1887
Mr. and Mrs. Alonzo J. Holt
- Source: Buffalo Address Book and Family Directory

The Holt family was one of Buffalo's delightful old families which was broken up years ago by the death of the father and mother [Alonzo J. Holt, 1820-1886, and Lucretia  M. Hough Holt 1824-1885; their son, Walter C. Holt died in 1880, aged 22.]

The old home is now the Hengerer home on Ferry Street. Elizabeth Holt married [Dr. Leon P. Clark] and has a beautiful daughter and Rosa Holt is living with them in Vienna. ... [Rosa Holt was an expert on oriental rugs.]
- Source: Buffalo Courier.  Buffalo, NY.  December 13, 1901

1905
WM. HENGERER HOME BOUGHT BY JOHN J. ALBRIGHT
Beautiful Residence at No.800 West Ferrv Street Is Sold and Is Said to Have Brought $100,000.
Noteworthy Sale of Years – A Handsome Stone and Brick Structure
  
One of the most noteworthy sales of residential property that has been consummated in Buffalo in a number of years was made recently through the agency of John Otto & Sons, the William Hengerer, at No. 800 West Ferry Street, being sold to John J. Albright. 
  
The house is a handsome two and a half-story stone and brick structure. There is also a brick stable on the premises. The house has been Mr. Hengerer’s home for very many years. The lot is "L" shaped, with a frontage of 132 feet in West Ferry Street and a depth of 670 feet through to Cleveland Avenue, and having a frontage of 264 feet in Cleveland Avenue.  The property is one of the largest in the city, and is really a good-sized private park.
  
The terms of the sale have been kept private, but it is reported on reliable authority that the price paid was in the neighborhood of $100,000 divided as follows: Ferry Street frontage at $300 a foot; Cleveland Avenue frontage at $75 a foot; dwelling and stable between $30,000 and $40,000.
  
Mr. Albright owns a large tract of property in West Ferry Street, west of Delaware Avenue, and it is presumed that he has made this large addition to his holdings to prevent other purchasers getting possession of it. The Albright homestead is separated from the Hengerer property by two houses in West Ferry Street and one house  in Cleveland Avenue.
- Source:  Buffalo Courier.  Buffalo, NY.  August 27, 1905

The William Hengerer home in West Ferry street, which, a few weeks ago, was sold through the agency of John Otto & Sons to John J. Albright, has been resold to William H. Gratwick, who will use the handsome residence as a home. The Hengerer house is only two doors from the Albright mansion and has a depth extending from West Ferry street to Cleveland avenue. The consideration was private.
- Source: Buffalo Courier.  Buffalo, NY.  October 7, 1905


Upper left: Albright ... Upper right: Hugo Schoellkoph ... Lower left: William H. Gratwick ... Lower right: Charles Clifton

1916
A number of liberal, public-spirited citizens of Ferry Street, including John J. Albright [730], Hugo Schoellkoph [761], William H. Gratwick [800], Charles Clifton [789], Gerard O. Curtis [805] and James L. Crane [801] have bought the property at Nos. 813-815 West Ferry Street and have demolished the two old houses in order to avoid the erection of an apartment house.  This [is] in line with the spirit in which Ferry Street property owners have continued to improve the beautiful residential street.
- Source: Buffalo Express, April 23, 1916
1923
Dr. George T. Moseley has purchased the William Hengerer house at 800 West Ferry street, near Delaware  avenue. It is planned to use a portion of the large lot for home sites and to remodel the present residence. Landscape gardeners are planning to construct and English park in the property purchased by Dr. Moseley.
- Source: Buffalo Evening News.  Buffalo, NY.  April 3, 1923
1929
Construction of a million-dollar apartment house, eleven stories high, will begin next month on the site of the  old Hengerer homestead at 800 West Ferry street which also was occupied at one time by the Gratwick family.
  
Darwin R. Martin, Buffalo capitalist, has purchased the property from Dr. George T. Mosely. The new structure will contain 21 apartments, some of which have already been sold. It will be of brick and stone and of  Tudor design and will be located far enough back from the street to make large and attractive grounds possible.
  
On the ground floor there will be four simplex apartments. The next eight floors will be divided into sixteen duplex or two-story apartments. Mr. Martin's living quarters will occupy the upper two floors, and there will be  a large garage in the basement. No restaurants or commercial establishments of any kind will be permitted in  the building. Bley A. Leyman, architects, are now preparing plans.
- Source: Buffalo Courier-Express. Buffalo, NY.  February 10, 1929

Apartment house built by Darwin R. Martin

800 West Ferry was built as 21 duplex rental units except for the four first floor "simplex" units. The duplexes included [on 2 Floors] 6 Bedrooms, 5 Baths, Living Room, Dining Room, Library, Large Kitchen, Separate Pantry, 2 Dressing Rooms, Lavatory. As the depression wore on, it became necessary to divide up the large duplex apartments; in 1940, the building was emptied and these apartments were each subdivided into two or four units. The first floor remains unchanged as they were built as one floor units. The building was converted to a condominium association in 1980.
1937
Mrs. Charles Clifton
Mrs. William A. Douglas
Mrs. S. Hamlin Folwell
Mr. and Mrs. James S. Foster [Darwin R. Martin‘s sister and brother-in-law]
Mr. and Mrs. Geo J. Grammer
Mr. and Mrs. Darwin R. Martin
Mr. and Mrs. George A. Mitchell [brother and sister-in-law of William H. Gratwick’s wife Emilie Mitchell Gratwick]
Source: Social Register - Buffalo


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