Buffalo Electric Vehicle Company Building
Why it's listed
Built around 1910-1911 on Main Street in Buffalo, this five-story building was designed as an automobile factory with showrooms on the ground floor. Its design is attributed to the firm Wood and Bradney. A fireproofed steel frame encased in concrete, with reinforced concrete floors and a brick exterior, allowed wide window bays that let daylight reach deep into the open loft floors. A one-story showroom addition followed in 1913, and a brick alley and stone retaining wall are included as contributing site features. The building is recognized as an intact early example of the factory type that preceded the "daylight factory" popularized by Albert Kahn. It also reflects Buffalo's place in the early automobile industry. The Buffalo Electric Vehicle Company, formed in 1912, made electric pleasure cars on the upper floors, and later tenants included truck makers, car dealers and a printing company. Interiors have been altered, but the main structure and the upper-floor facades remain largely intact.
Significance in brief: It is argued to be significant under Criterion C as an intact example of an Early Generation Automobile Factory of concrete-encased steel and reinforced concrete, a predecessor of the "daylight factory". It is also significant under Criterion A for its link to Buffalo's role as an early, important center of the American automobile industry.
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 05000571, listed June 10, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1219-1247 Main St., Buffalo |
|---|---|
| County | Erie County |
| Listed | June 10, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000571 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1910-1955 |
| Architect / builder | Wood and Bradney Architects of Buffalo, N.Y. |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century American Movements / "Daylight Factory" (early generation Automobile Factory) |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture, Industry, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is listed as vacant; the interior has been altered into offices, a medical clinic and a post office, and the first-floor showroom fronts have been altered. |
| Acreage | 1.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.90747, -78.87933 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 05000571.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4985718
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.