Johnston, Edwin M. and Emily S., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1934 at 24 Tudor Place in western Buffalo, this Colonial Revival brick house was designed by the architectural firm Bley and Lyman for Edwin and Emily Johnston. It sits on land that was once part of the John J. Albright estate. The house has a cross-gabled main block, original polychromed slate roofing, multi-light wood sash windows, and an Adamesque-style entrance porch with fluted columns and a fanlight. A garage wing on the south side received a second story around 1940, and one-story additions from 1957 include a breakfast room and an indoor pool wing. Inside, much of the original plan survives, along with plaster cornices, white marble and black slate floors, a spiral front staircase, and a paneled library. The house was listed for its architecture, as a well-preserved example of its style and of Bley and Lyman's residential work. Later residents included Olympic skater Louise Weigel Atwill and neurologist Dr. Walter Stafford Jr.
Significance in brief: The house is significant under Criterion C as a fine domestic example of the Colonial Revival style that retains a high degree of integrity. It is also a representative work of the prominent Buffalo architects Bley & Lyman, known for residential designs based on historical precedents. Its setting on Tudor Place, a street of similar early twentieth-century revival houses, adds to its importance.
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 97000416, listed May 23, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 24 Tudor Pl., Buffalo |
|---|---|
| County | Erie County |
| Listed | May 23, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97000416 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1934-1940 |
| Architect / builder | Architects: Bley and Lyman; Builder: August S. Tuckenbrod |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Continues in use as a single dwelling; the 1957 north and west additions are non-contributing. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Within district | Delaware Park-Front Park System |
| Coordinates | 42.91712, -78.87483 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 97000416.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5346641
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.