Frank Lloyd Wright was a master of American architecture, coining the term organic architecture and placing some of his most beautiful works here in Buffalo.
“His goal, in his own words, was to create buildings that look as if they bloomed where they planted, so the buildings were tied very much to the environment outside,” said Mary Roberts, executive director of the Martin House, one of Wright’s works.
He began construction on the Martin Complex in 1903 and took inspiration from the world around it. Surrounded by lavish landscape that could be viewed out of the art glass windows, all also designed by Wright, it's one of the most famed buildings in the area, drawing in crowds from around the world.
"Today it represents a very important architectural destination for our community,” she said. “The Martin House and the Barton House by extension is widely viewed as the lynch-pin of cultural tourism. Our community has spent a lot of time over the past decades investing human and financial capital into our architectural assets.”
Most recently, the Barton House completed a $2 million restoration project, thanks to a grant from New York State's Empire Development Corporation. The year-long project worked to restore the building to its original state.
By investing into this historical landmark, Roberts believe tourists will continue to visit the property.
"Beyond simply historic preservation and protecting our architectural heritage, this really is an investment in our community because this is a smart growth investment in a product that will attract people to Buffalo,” Roberts said. “We all want people to come visit Buffalo. We that live here know that it's a wonderful city but if more and more people find out about it, it just adds to our economic development as a community.”
Currently, tours are offered at the Martin and Barton House six days a week, in addition to their gift shop being open to the public.
There are a variety of spaces available for rent on the Martin House Complex, including the Barton House for dinner or cocktail parties, serving up not only some food and drinks, but a piece of Buffalo and architectural history.