Electric Tower

Architect:  Esenwein & Johnson           Year Built:  1912

Hours:  Sat. Oct. 18 & Sun. Oct. 19:  10:00am – 4:00pm     

Website:  www.electrictower.com

535 Washington St., Buffalo, NY  14203       P:  716-633-2096

The Electric Tower is one of the most unique and recognized landmarks in Western New York, with various ornamental details, cornice work, profiles, and high-arched grand openings on three sides of its octagon entrance on Washington Street.  Leading the world as one of the first fully electrified buildings, the Electric Tower symbolized Buffalo’s national reign at the start of the 20th Century.  Generations of Western New Yorkers vividly recall fond memories of a glorious and vibrant downtown Buffalo lit up by the Electric Tower as a welcoming beacon across Western New York.

During the proud era of the City of Buffalo's worldwide prominence, several architectural gems were created.  Among them was the Electric Tower which opened in 1912.  It was patterned after the Tower of Light, which was a highlight at the 1901 Pan American Exposition held in Buffalo, and the Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria, Egypt, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

The original building was designed in the Beaux Arts style by the local architecture firm of Esenwein and Johnson for the Buffalo General Electric Company. The Buffalo General Electric Company was responsible for the distribution and promotion of the electrical power being harnessed at nearby Niagara Falls to the residents and businesses in the City of Buffalo.

A 1930's renovation by the Buffalo General Electric Company's successor, the Niagara Hudson Corporation, introduced black ornamental glass, stainless steel, chrome trim, plaster  moldings and ceiling medallions to the building's interior, blending the classic Beaux Arts style with the more modern Art Deco style of the 1930's.

The central tower exterior is covered in white glazed terra cotta.  The various ornamental details, cornice work, profiles and high-arched grand openings make the Electric Tower one of the most unique and recognized landmarks in Western New York.  With its extensive use of illumination, the Electric Tower's light display solidifies the building as the centerpiece of the City of Buffalo's skyline.

The Electric Tower is recognized annually in the region's premier New Year's Eve celebration. With its fully restored cupola awash in bright lights and fireworks flashing brilliantly across the sky, generations of Western New York's can be reminded of the City's glorious past and energized by its promising future.