Kensington High School / Frederick Law Olmsted School at Kensington
319 Suffolk Street, Buffalo, New York
Frederick Law Olmsted School at Kensington - Official website (online Feb. 2017)
Erected |
1934-1937. A project of the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works, the school was a child of the Depression (when Art Deco was popular). |
Architect: |
Daniel G. McNeil |
Year Kensington HS closed: |
2003 |
Beginning of the Olmsted School occupancy in the building: |
2007 |
Neighborhood |
Kensington-Bailey |
Architectural Style |
Art Deco. One of two public Art Deco buildings in Buffalo, the other being City Hall. (Central Terminal was privately financed.) |
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Center bay ![]() Center bay ... Details below from the top down: ![]() Center bay ... Copper roof ... Art Deco lettering and geometric ornamentation ![]() Reeding ... Art Deco stylized bas-relief bison ... Cf., Market Arcade and Old Post Office/ECC ![]() Center bay ... Common bond brick pattern (headers every 6th row) ... Center fountain ... Flanking sunbursts ![]() Main entrance ... Owl detailed below: ![]() Center bay ... Indiana(?) limestone ... Chevrons ... Scallops ... Owl: Mascot ![]() Art Deco scalloped ornament ![]() Center bay ... Bas-relief ... Reeding ... Chevrons |
Facade south bays![]() Five details below, starting at top left: ![]() Detail #1 - Fountains ... Flanking sunbursts ![]() Detail #2 - Dentils ... Sunbursts with volutes ![]() Detail #3 - Spandrel panels ... Torches ... Flames ... Chevrons ![]() Detail #4 - Dentils ... American bond brick pattern ![]() Detail #5 - Art Deco stylized eagle ... Chevrons ... Scallops |
Two northern bays ![]() Auditorium entrance ... Three details below: ![]() Auditorium entrance detail #1 ![]() Auditorium entrance detail #2 - Chevrons ... Art Deco lettering ... Owl ... Scallops ![]() Auditorium entrance detail #3 - Chevrons ![]() North entrance ... Two details below: ![]() North entrance detail #1 - Spandrel panels ![]() North entrance detail #2 - Chevrons |
![]() Cornerstone ... City seal detail below: ![]() ![]() |