{"nrhp_refnum":"12000476","name":"Buffalo Meter Company Building","other_names":["Bethune Hall"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"2917 Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Buffalo","county":"Erie County","state":"NY","lat":42.945846516000074,"lon":-78.83031953299997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2012-08-07","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Industry"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A four-story reinforced concrete daylight factory with a fifth-floor penthouse and roof monitor at 2917 Main Street, Buffalo, New York, designed and built in 1915-1917 by Lockwood, Greene & Co. for the Buffalo Meter Company.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is an excellent intact example of a daylight factory in Buffalo, retaining significant interior and exterior historic features. It is also the work of the prominent engineering firm Lockwood, Greene & Co. Its additions of 1945 and 1949 reflect the success of the meter company.","narrative":"Built in 1915-1917 on Main Street in Buffalo, this four-story reinforced concrete factory was designed by the engineering firm Lockwood, Greene & Co. for the Buffalo Meter Company. Its exposed concrete frame, 20-foot structural bays, large metal industrial windows and red brick spandrels let daylight reach deep into the work floors, while a rooftop monitor lights the top floor. Modest decorative touches include hammered-surface corner panels, small concrete tabs below the fourth-floor sills and a flared concrete cornice. Additions in 1945 and 1949 closely follow the original design. The meter company left around 1970, and the University at Buffalo bought the building in 1971 for art and architecture programs, renaming it Bethune Hall. The university vacated it by 1994. Much original fabric survives, including windows, hardware, a crane and foundry hoods, though water damage and vandalism have degraded the interior. It is recognized as an intact Buffalo example of a daylight factory.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Lockwood, Greene & Co. (original building, 1915-1917); Thomas H. McKaig (1945 eastern addition); Siegfried Construction Company and architect John G. Schwartz (1949 western addition)","architectural_style":"Late 19th & Early 20th Century / Modern Movements: Reinforced Concrete Daylight Factory","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Vacated by the University at Buffalo by 1994 and used for storage; interior in poor condition from water damage, vandalism and graffiti. Current function listed as work in progress.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:48.441537-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/12000476.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/12000476/d5be52c390-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/12000476/d5be52c390-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Andre Carrotflower","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bethune_Lofts_-_fmr_Buffalo_Meter_Company_-_Buffalo,_New_York_-_20190919.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Andre Carrotflower</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bethune_Lofts_-_fmr_Buffalo_Meter_Company_-_Buffalo,_New_York_-_20190919.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75317560","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Meter_Company_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14706204"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/erie-county/buffalo-meter-company-building-12000476/"}