20th Century Club
Why it's listed
Built in stages between 1895 and 1924, this clubhouse at 595 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo served as the home of a women's cultural club founded by Charlotte Mulligan. Green & Wicks designed the original building in 1895-1896, and Bley & Lyman later expanded and remodeled it. The exterior has a rusticated limestone base, buff brick and terra cotta above, and a second-story loggia with paired Ionic columns. Inside, the principal rooms are on the second floor, including the column-ringed Court, a paneled Gallery, and the oval Dining Room. The Glenny Room holds four large murals painted by club member Alice Glenny between 1898 and 1920. At the rear, an Italian-style garden laid out by Harold LeRoy Olmsted was completed by 1926 and is topped by a statue of Ceres. The building was listed for its social history, architecture, art and landscape architecture, with a period of significance of 1895 to 1933. The club still uses it as a clubhouse.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the clubhouse is significant in social history as the home of a women's cultural club founded by Charlotte Mulligan. It is also significant for its architecture, as one of the best local examples of Neo-Classical Revival work, and for its art, including the Alice Glenny murals and fine period interiors. The Italian garden by Harold LeRoy Olmsted adds landscape architecture significance.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 11000270, listed May 11, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 595 Delaware Ave., Buffalo |
|---|---|
| County | Erie County |
| Listed | May 11, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000270 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1895-1933 |
| Architect / builder | Green & Wicks, Bley & Lyman (Architects); Harold LeRoy Olmsted (Landscape Architect) |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals / Classical Revival (described in the text as Italian Renaissance style) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Social History, Architecture, Art, Landscape Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current function is clubhouse; the former pool room and dressing room are used for storage and the gymnasium has become a meeting room. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Within district | Delaware Avenue Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.90232, -78.87258 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 11000270.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7857700
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.