M. Wile Factory

M. Wile Factory
77 Goodell Street in Buffalo, New York

Description
for the draft of the nomination to the National Register of Historic Places

By Dr. Francis R. Kowsky
Some research by Foit-Albert Associates, Architects

The complete nomination is online and may be found at
New York's State and National Registers of Historic Places Document Imaging Project

The M. Wile & Company Factory Building was erected as a four-story factory building constructed on a simple rectangular ground plan with a reinforced concrete frame, concrete slab floors, and flat roof. Most bays are filled entirely with metal sash windows above a low brick spandrel. Other bays have similar but smaller fenestration. At ground level, long horizontal windows light the basement level.

North elevation on Goodell Street
The north elevation on Goodell Street is considered the main facade. It is composed of eleven bays defined by upright concrete piers rising through four stories above a high concrete basement. This basement (which is now painted dark brown on all sides of the building) is partially above ground and has long horizontal windows in each bay near the ground level. The concrete piers as well as floor spandrels were originally clad in light brown colored brick. The vertical piers are now covered with white dryvit above the concrete basement level

The main entrance is centered in the facade and is defined by a pair of cast concrete Doric half columns, in antis, rising from street level to the base of the second level floor slab. In the spandrel above the columns can still be seen the original lettering of the company name, "M. Wile & Company," cast in relief. A canopy supported by iron turnbuckles anchored to decorative iron disks on the two central piers shelters the doorway, which still has its original wood and glass doors. The canopy is at a distance above the street half way up the column shafts. The original canopy was later enlarged somewhat and now bears the company name on the front and two side surfaces.

The two, slightly narrower, end bays of the north facade may have been capped with peaked cast concrete cornices, although now a continuous fat molded concrete cornice trims the roofline of the original four story section of the building. A later cinderblock and brick fifth floor addition over the five western bays has altered the original skyline in this area. The peaked cornice on the west end of the facade, however, is still there, embedded in the brickwork of the fifth floor addition. The opening of the north facade preserve the steel sash windows that were used throughout the building, and the original molded cast concrete pier caps and cornice are in place above the six eastern bays.

East elevation on Oak Street
The east elevation on Oak Street repeats the general pattern of the north elevation, but is only six bays wide and is entirely clad in brick above a high concrete basement level. Openings of varying sizes located near ground level light the basement. In the fourth bay from the north, an entrance leads to a stairway that rises through all four stories. The fenestration in this bay departs from the pattern of the adjacent bays and consists of three levels of three narrow windows. The roofline of the east elevation preserves the building's original cast concrete horizontal cornice and pier caps. A fifth floor brick addition is well recessed behind the original roofline on this side of the building. Windows on this side of the building are modern, but imitate the metal grid pattern of the original fenestration.

West elevation visible from Ellicott Street
The west elevation visible from Ellicott Street is similar to the east elevation. However, the piers here are unfaced concrete, except for those of the northernmost bay, which like the Goodell Street faÁade, are clad in brick. This bay is also somewhat narrower than the others on this side of the building. A fifth floor cinderblock addition has raised the roofline on this side of the building, but evidence is clearly visible of the original roofline and cast concrete peaked cornices capping the two end bays. In the fourth bay from the north, an entrance in the basement level leads to a stairway that rises through all floors of the building. Unlike the other bays, there are only three levels of metal-framed windows in this bay. Windows on this side of the building are modern, but imitate the metal grid pattern of the original fenestration. This side of the building overlooks an empty lot used for parking on Ellicott Street. In the 1920's, a building occupied this site.

Southern or rear elevation
The eleven-bay southern or rear elevation generally repeats that of the north elevation. The concrete piers, however, on this side of the building are left exposed except for the eastern bay, which, like the Oak Street faÁade, is clad in brick. A cinderblock and brick fifth floor addition extends across the four western bays. In the westernmost bay, the original concrete peaked cornice is embedded in the fifth floor addition. The original ground level loading platform with four openings occupies the central two bays of the building, which also housed two freight elevators. At a later date, the loading area was raised to create a loading dock level with the first floor. A penthouse stands above the windowless central bay and houses elevator equipment, and a round, tile furnace chimney rises next to it on the east, behind the adjacent pier. A ground level entrance in the fifth bay from the east leads to a stairway that rises through all stories. Two light windows centered above the door on three levels light levels light these stairs. The remaining bays on this side of the building are filled with modern windows that recall the metal grid pattern of the original fenestration.

Interior
On the interior of the building, each of the four floors and basement consist of open floor space. Floor slabs are supported by concrete columns 2' 6" in diameter with flaring capitals. These columns define twenty-one-foot-bays. Modern florescent lighting supplements the daylight that enters each floor from windows on all four sides. Remaining original interior features, include radiators attached to the spandrels, one of two freight elevators (the second has been changed to a modern passenger elevator), a floor balance scale (in the basement), and concrete stairs with iron railings.

While the main entrance on Goodell Street preserves its original external appearance, it has been changed on the inside. The original Tennessee marble floor, wooden pilasters, and recessed plaster ceiling panels of the entrance lobby are gone. All that remains of the original entrance is the plain marble wainscoting immediately inside the main doorway. And the floor plan of the 1924 first floor office area, which is reached by a short flight of steps from the lobby, has been lost to a modern reconfiguration.

An element of Esenwein and Johnson's original treatment of the site around the building survives on the Ellicott Street side. It is a fence made up of concrete piers and iron pickets. The fence, which defined the original property line, created an alleyway along side of the building that allowed employees to reach the western side entrance from Goodell Street.