Pierce Arrow Factory Complex
Why it's listed
Covering 34 acres in Buffalo, this former automobile plant was built in 1906-7 for the George N. Pierce Company, maker of Pierce-Arrow cars. It includes about fourteen major buildings, among them a long Administration Building on Elmwood Avenue, one-story Manufacturing and Assembly buildings with sawtooth roofs, and a 1,150-foot Body Building along Great Arrow Avenue. Reinforced concrete was used for the structure. Albert Kahn's firm, Lockwood, Greene and Company, and the Trussed Concrete Steel Company took part in the design. The plant is noted because it combined clear interior spans, wide window walls, roof lighting and horizontal circulation from process to process, a pattern later copied in many factories. An arrow motif remains in the brickwork and stair railings of the Administration Building. The company went bankrupt in 1938, and the complex is now used for commercial enterprises, union meeting rooms, truck garages and warehouses. Alterations have covered many windows and roofs, yet the structures remain largely intact.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a significant landmark in industrial architecture. It combined reinforced concrete construction, one-story spaces with clear spans, window walls, roof lighting and horizontal circulation from process to process. This pattern foreshadowed later factory design. Albert Kahn's firm was one of three firms hired to design it.
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 74001234, listed October 1, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Elmwood and Great Arrow Aves., Buffalo |
|---|---|
| County | Erie County |
| Listed | October 1, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74001234 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1906-1910 |
| Architect / builder | Albert Kahn's firm; Lockwood, Greene and Company of Boston; Trussed Concrete Steel Company (reinforced concrete designs) |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Engineering, Architecture, Invention |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Buildings are occupied and have been converted to commercial uses, union meeting rooms, truck garages and warehouses. Many windows and sawtooth roofs have been blocked or altered, but no key elements have been demolished. |
| Acreage | 34 |
| Coordinates | 42.94297, -78.87365 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 74001234.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7191774
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.