East Lovejoy, Buffalo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lovejoy
Neighborhood
Lovejoy District
Country	United States
State	New York
City	Buffalo, New York
Named for	Sarah Lovejoy
Time zone	Eastern (EST)

The Lovejoy District is a lively neighborhood in Buffalo, New York. It's located on the eastern side of the city, right next to the town of Cheektowaga. Lovejoy is named after Sarah Lovejoy, who was killed during the War of 1812 in 1813.

Exploring the Lovejoy District

The Lovejoy District is a neighborhood in Buffalo, New York. It's the easternmost part of the city. It runs along Buffalo's border with Cheektowaga. In 2017, the councilman for this area was Richard Fontana.

Lovejoy got its name from Sarah Lovejoy. She was an American who died in December 1813. This happened during a British-Indian attack on Buffalo. This attack was part of the War of 1812 in the Niagara Frontier area.

Who Lives in Lovejoy?

As Buffalo grew into a city with many factories, Lovejoy became a home for people from different places. First, many European immigrants moved there. Later, people from the rural Southern United States also came.

In the 1830s, many German families lived in Lovejoy. Over time, more people arrived from southern and eastern Europe. This made it a neighborhood with many Italian families. In the 1900s, African Americans and Hispanic people also moved in. More recently, in the 2000s, people from Arab and Asian countries have arrived. This shows how immigration patterns have changed. Today, many Italian Americans still live in the neighborhood.

Schools in the Neighborhood

PS #43 is the main school in the East Lovejoy area. Many students attend this school. It has a long and interesting history.

The school started in 1831. Joseph Churchyard, who owned the land, began it. An annex was built on East Lovejoy and Benzinger streets. This is where the current School #43 is located. It was built to hold 600 German children living nearby. The school had 49 classrooms, two gyms, a cafeteria, and other features. In 1926, a total of 1,662 students went there.

Recently, the school had a big construction project. A new building was built on the old parking lot. It was connected to the original building. PS 43 is now one of the Buffalo Public Community Schools.

St. Agnes Catholic parish school also operated in Lovejoy. It was open for about 100 years. However, it closed in 2009. The church group did not have enough money for needed updates. This school had opened in the 1800s.

Parks and Green Spaces

Lovejoy has several parks for people to enjoy.

• Hennepin Park is the largest and main park. It has a community center that was recently updated.
• Davey Park
• Moreland Field

What is "Iron Island"?

"Iron Island" is a popular nickname for a part of Lovejoy. This area is almost completely surrounded by train tracks. Tracks run along William Street and Broadway. Many tracks also go through the Buffalo Central Terminal. They also cross William Street.

There was also a CSX building on N. Ogden Street. This building was destroyed in a large fire in July 2012.

How Lovejoy Street Changed

Originally, Lovejoy Street ran from the Buffalo/Cheektowaga border. It went west to Emslie Street. The street was divided into two parts. This happened after the Buffalo Central Terminal opened in 1929.

The western part of Lovejoy Street was renamed "Paderewski Dr." This section went from Memorial Dr. (which used to be Lindburgh Dr.) to Emslie St. The eastern part of Lovejoy Street was renamed "East Lovejoy St." This section went from Central Ave. to the Buffalo/Cheektowaga border.