Photo: w_lemay · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Asylum · Buffalo, United States
Buffalo State Asylum (Richardson Olmsted Campus)
- Dated
- Dated 1870–96
- Declared purpose
- State asylum for the insane
- Today
- Survives (hotel and architecture center)
- Architect of record
- H. H. Richardson, architect: about 32 when credited (1870, born 1838). Build time on record: about 25 years (1871–95).All architects of record →
Hidden history
Found, Not Built
H. H. Richardson's twin-towered asylum in red Medina sandstone, on grounds by Olmsted.
Towers in the center
Twin copper-roofed towers rise over the admin building, with wards stepping back on each side.
Next to the fair
It's a short walk from the 1901 fair site.
Questions worth asking
- What were the towers for?
Possible original uses
- Hospital
- A grand institutional palace
What the photos show
Surrounding Buildings
Old buildings nearby in Buffalo. Compare the stone, the domes and the dates.
Research
Further viewing
Episodes from My Lunch Break (Michael Kruse), the main lens for this app. They open on YouTube.
