Entranceways at Main Street at Lamarck Drive and Smallwood Drive facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Entranceways at Main Street at Lamarck Drive and Smallwood Drive
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Entranceways at Main Street at Lamarck Drive and Smallwood Drive from east, April 12, 2009
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Main St. at Lamarck Dr. and Smallwood Dr., Amherst, New York |
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| Built | 1926 |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival |
| MPS | Suburban Development of Buffalo, New York MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 05001379 |
| Added to NRHP | December 7, 2005 |
The Entranceways at Main Street at Lamarck Drive and Smallwood Drive are cool stone structures built in 1926. They mark the entrances to a neighborhood in Snyder, a hamlet within the town of Amherst. This area is in Erie County.
These entranceways show how rural areas near cities started to become suburbs. This happened as people moved out of crowded cities. The Smallwood entranceway has two stone gatehouses and posts. The Lamarck entranceway has Y-shaped and U-shaped stone half-walls. Both sets of entranceways were added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 7, 2005. This means they are important historical sites.
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History of the Entranceways
The town of Amherst was founded in 1818. Back then, Main Street was the main road connecting Williamsville and Amherst to Buffalo.
Over time, other ways to travel became more popular. The Erie Canal opened in 1825. Later, railroads were built nearby. In 1866, a streetcar system started running on Main Street. Daily stagecoach service also began that year. By 1893, electric trolleys replaced the stagecoaches. The trolley track ran for about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) and had stops, including near these entranceways.
In the early 1900s, large estates began to be replaced by new neighborhoods. These new areas were called subdivisions. Charles S. Burkhardt started building a neighborhood called Audubon Terrace in 1919. It was north of Main Street. In 1923, he started another section, Audubon Terrace South, with 585 lots south of Main Street.
Where to Find the Entranceways
Main Street is a four-lane road that goes east and west. It connects Williamsville to places like Eggertsville and downtown Buffalo. The entranceways are near large lawns of houses built in the 1920s.
If you are driving west from Interstate 290 (I-290), the first traffic light you'll see is where Main Street meets Lamarck Drive and Smallwood Drive. Lamarck Drive comes from the south, and Smallwood Drive comes from the north. Both streets have two-way traffic. The entranceways are located on all four corners of this intersection.
Architecture and Design
The entranceways show influences of the Tudor Revival architectural style. This style was popular for homes and buildings in the 1920s.
Smallwood Drive Entranceways
On the north side of Main Street, the Smallwood Drive entranceways have two main stone groupings. Each has a tall, eight-sided gatehouse. These gatehouses are built on strong wooden columns. The columns are supported by stone half-walls.
The gatehouses have steeply sloped copper roofs. On top of the roofs are weathervanes shaped like flying birds. These weathervanes are almost two stories high! The sides of the gatehouses have tall stone posts with flat tops. These posts hold decorative wrought iron railings. You can still see the original hexagonal metal and glass lights hanging from metal brackets on the posts.
Lamarck Drive Entranceways
On the south side of Main Street, the Lamarck Drive entranceways also have two symmetric stone structures. Each one has a tall stone post with a cap. On top of the post is a large metal sign with a picture.
The posts have Y-shaped stone half-walls next to them. These half-walls, along with U-shaped stone blocks, form a square. New concrete sidewalks run through this square. The posts are about 4 feet (1.2 meters) wide at the base and stand 12 feet (3.7 meters) tall. The half-walls are about 4 feet (1.2 meters) high.
All these structures are made of rough-cut limestone. They also have some tan and brown granite blocks mixed in. The half-walls are topped with new stone slabs. The Main Street side of the posts still has the original hexagonal metal and glass light fixtures.
The metal signs on top of the posts are about 11 feet (3.4 meters) long and 3.5 feet (1.1 meters) high. They are different from each other. The sign on the west side shows a scene with Native Americans, including teepees, a campfire, and figures carrying a deer. The sign on the east side shows Tudor Revival style buildings. Christ the King Church is located on the southeastern corner of Lamarck Drive and Main Street. The other three corners have houses.
What They Mean Today
The entranceways are still in their original spots and look much like they did when they were built. They continue to mark the entrances for cars and people into the neighborhood. The eastern Smallwood Drive entrance even provides shelter for bus riders heading towards downtown Buffalo.
The houses next to the entranceways are also original. The area hasn't changed much since Main Street was widened in the 1920s. Charles S. Burkhardt bought the land for the Audubon Terrace neighborhoods, which these entranceways have marked since 1926. Even though they have had some repairs, the entranceways are in good condition.
These entranceways are important because they show how the rural town of Amherst became a suburban community called Snyder. They represent how land was developed for new neighborhoods as transportation improved and people moved out of cities. They also symbolize the idea of these neighborhoods as a great place to live, away from city life. The entranceways were added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 7, 2005.
