Turner Brothers' Building-American Household Storage Company
Also known as: J.B. Smith & Sons; Niagara Pedal Company; American Storage Company
Why it's listed
At 295 Niagara Street in Buffalo stands a connected complex of four building blocks that records more than a century of local industry and storage. The oldest part, a four-story brick-bearing, wood-frame Gothic Revival building from about 1848, was built by the Turner Brothers, who made balsam, sarsaparilla and ginger wine and sold them widely. Later occupants included J.B. Sweet & Sons, makers of children's carriages. A three-story brick addition followed around 1889, and a three-story addition around 1940. About 1910 the American Household Storage Company added a four-story annex and a six-story fireproof reinforced concrete warehouse, both designed by G. Morton Wolfe. Original cast-iron hoods, sills, storefront columns, wood floors and columns, and fire doors survive, though many windows and the storefront have been filled in. The building is notable for showing both mid-nineteenth-century manufacturing and early twentieth-century fireproof warehouse design in one site.
Significance in brief: The building reflects Buffalo's manufacturing and commercial storage history. It was built for the Turner Brothers, makers of balsam, sarsaparilla and ginger wine, and later housed a children's carriage manufacturer. The ca. 1910 fireproof reinforced concrete additions, designed by G. Morton Wolfe for the American Household Storage Company, show early twentieth-century warehouse construction.
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 12001128, listed January 2, 2013. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 295 Niagara St., Buffalo |
|---|---|
| County | Erie County |
| Listed | January 2, 2013 |
| Reference number | 12001128 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Turner Brothers (ca. 1848 building); G. Morton Wolfe (ca. 1910 Annex and American Household Storage addition); American Household Storage Company (builder of 1910 addition) |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century Gothic Revival Warehouse; Early 20th Century American Reinforced Concrete Warehouse |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function listed as work in progress; the lot to the south is vacant, but the building itself is not described as vacant. Original windows and storefront are infilled, and the concrete shows deterioration in places. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 42.89465, -78.88333 (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.
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 12001128.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14707524
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.