{"nrhp_refnum":"11000594","name":"Coles, Robert T., House and Studio","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"321 Humboldt Pkwy.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Buffalo","county":"Erie County","state":"NY","lat":42.927094657000055,"lon":-78.84711735199994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2011-08-30","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A combined house and architect's studio at 321 Humboldt Parkway in the Hamlin Park neighborhood of Buffalo, Erie County, New York, designed and built in 1961 by architect Robert Traynham Coles as a customized prefabricated Modern Movement building.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is an outstanding and highly intact example of mid-twentieth century Modern residential architecture in Buffalo under Criterion C. It drew on prefabricated and pre-cut components from Coles's experience with the Techbuilt Company. Its design separates public studio space from private living space, a response to the new expressway traffic along the former Olmsted-designed Humboldt Parkway.","narrative":"Built in 1961 on Humboldt Parkway in Buffalo's Hamlin Park neighborhood, this property combines a family home and an architect's studio in two rectangular units joined by an entry hall. Architect Robert Traynham Coles designed and built it for himself, using prefabricated and pre-cut parts drawn from his work with the Techbuilt Company, including Douglas fir post-and-beam framing and non-structural drywall and glass panels. The house is partly sunk into the ground, and its upper level is cantilevered over the lower one. Unlike neighboring porch-fronted houses, it turns its solid walls toward the street and expressway noise, placing the studio at the front and opening the living spaces onto a quiet rear court and sunken terrace. Landscape, building and interior were planned together and remain largely as Coles left them. The property was listed for its architecture, as a highly intact example of mid-twentieth century Modern residential design in Buffalo.","period_of_significance":"1961","architect_builder":"Robert Traynham Coles, FAIA","architectural_style":"Modern Movement","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Preserved and maintained for fifty years by its original owner and designer; the form reports a high level of integrity and an interior essentially unchanged since construction. The studio now occupies the former garage space.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:48.07128-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/11000594.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/11000594/e8bfc0c02c-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/11000594/e8bfc0c02c-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Pubdog","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Robert_T._Coles_House_and_Studio_Jul_11.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Pubdog</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Robert_T._Coles_House_and_Studio_Jul_11.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"13000462","name":"Hamlin Park Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/new-york/hamlin-park-historic-district-13000462/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75317580","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_T._Coles_House_and_Studio","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7350213"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/erie-county/coles-robert-t-house-and-studio-11000594/"}