Squaw Island – The Black Rock Channel

Squaw Island is an important component of Black Rock.  Historically and environmentally, its impact cannot be underestimated.  In posting about it, I’m including Rich’s Marina and boat yard along with the Army Corps of Engineers and the Black Rock channel.  These are integrated components that figure very much into life and history in the neighborhood.  The marina is a great place to walk and the Army Corps basically controls the river.

Squaw Island actually contains two park areas; one on the North end which is noted on this map along with Broderick Park, which is on the Southern end and falls outside of Black Rock.  I have already posted about the International Railroad Bridge so there’s no reason to revisit that – but its worth to note it on the map because it is there. 

When I posted about gulling and the Atlantic Flyway as it cuts through the neighborhood, I mention the jetty where the birds congregate.  There is a jetty on the South end of the Island which is known as the Bird Island pier – this should not be confused with the small jetty up in Black Rock.  “In the old days” the section of the city that contains what remains today of the Bird Island pier was considered “Upper Black Rock” but today it’s more or less part of the “West Side.”  The Dayton House is located North of the creek, which was considered “Lower Black Rock.” Head on over to Delish or the Black Rock Kitchen and Bar on Amherst St. and you'll be in what was considered "Downtown Black Rock."

The Black Rock Channel was an integral part of the old Erie Canal system and thus very important to the development of the village.  While the Erie Canal is now defunct as a shipping lane, the lock in Black Rock is still in use.  It is operated by the Army Corps.   The water level is raised and lowered for ships and the International Bridge span over the creek is turned for that purpose as well.

There will be mornings where you will hear a ship/tankers fog horn in the early morning hours.  If you drive on the 190 on your way to work, you’ll most likely see the tanker that is soon to be or may have just passed through the lock.  The big question might be where they are going to or from.  After all, the canal system is shut down.  And the only other path up North passes through Niagara Falls! 

Actually, most tankers that pass through are either destined for the fuel storage tank lines near the Grand Island Bridge or else they are delivering coal to the Huntley Power Station.  Sometimes you will see a garbage barge as well. It is very interesting to see the water level in the lock raise and lower in order to facilitate navigation.

Recreational boaters use the channel too.  There are specific hours of operation and a seasonal schedule that must be adhered to.  The channel is also a popular route for kayakers.  It is protected from the stronger current of the river and there are great opportunities to observe nature.  In the winter, ice fishing is a popular (if not perplexing) past time too.

One unfortunate aspect of the channel is that it receives run-off from the creek.  The creek is highly polluted.  For that reason, it is not advisable to swim in the channel.  While it is fun to take the dog for a swim in the river, this is one area we avoid.  After last year’s big fire on Chandler Street, the EPA put up warning signs about swimming.  Riverkeeper and local neighborhood groups are doing a lot to clean up the creek and take care of the area.  The conditions improve from year to year. 

The importance of the channel from an historic standpoint can’t be ignored, but even more importantly, the recreational aspects of it and it’s close proximity to the Dayton House plays a part in the quality of life for those who live there.



The Other Dayton House

243 is not the only “Dayton House” listed in the National Register.  There is a Dayton House in Lima, NY which was certified 8/31/1989.  It is a structure of local significance which I have not had any real time to research but I am curious about it.

Lewis P. Dayton owned his home in Black Rock in the 1860’s.  Prior to moving to Buffalo/Black Rock, he went to medical school in Geneva, NY.  Lima, NY is not very far from Geneva by today’s standards, but it would probably have been a bit of a trek back in Dayton’s day.  However, maybe it is possible that the same family was involved in both historic structures?  If so, it would be pretty cool!

Here’s a map of where to find the house in Lima:

The house shares many similarities. It was built about 1844 and expanded and upgraded in 1850s / 1860s. It is a two story, three bay dwelling with Greek Revival form and an overlay of Italianate and Gothic Revival design elements.  The Black Rock Dayton House doesn’t contain Gothic Revival touches but it certainly is Greek Revival with a later addition of Italianate.

Here’s a picture of the house from Google Streetview:

The structure is not brick but it carries somewhat similar design components.  The architect/builder is listed as David Dayton.   It is likely that the original roof of the Black Rock Dayton House was the same pitch and configuration as this one.  The three bay first story design is the same too, except for the door being on the right instead of the left.

I would be interesting to get a hold of this homes application to find out if there is any relationship between the Lewis P. Dayton who owned 243 Dearborn and the Dayton’s who lived in Lima.  History is interesting, intriguing and often a bit of a puzzle!



ps. as a curious side/end note... we are moving to a smaller home (The Dayton House will have a new owner soon).  The house we are moving to is a curious combination of features that make it look as if it were a hybrid cross between our Dayton House and this Dayton house!

Atlantic Flyway

Buffalo gets a bad rap environmentally.  We are maligned for our snow and our industry among other things.  But one thing most people don’t know about; is that the region is an important part of the migratory path for birds known as The Atlantic Flyway. Birds heading north to Canada pass through territory encompassing Buffalo and out as far as Rochester.  The Niagara River is an important route on this path.

The Dayton House is located in the flyway and is just a short walk away from a spot that many gull watchers consider a hot spot for “Gulling.”  That is watching for Gulls, Terns and other migratory birds. 

In November, you can walk down to Rich marina and hear a cacophony of calls.  It is loud!  The Northern tip of Squaw Island is so full of birds that it almost looks like a coating of snow.  It is like that for about a month or so, then the flocks move on.

When you sit in the side yard sipping cocktails on a summer night, you can always see and hear gulls flying overhead.  As a person who grew up on an island, it’s a very comforting sound.  Once fall hits, the sound of geese starts in too.  A very nice aspect of the Dayton House and its location is that although we are in the city proper, many elements of nature are still close at hand.  Squaw Island and the Atlantic Flyway is one excellent example of this.

And it’s also pretty cool to watch bats circling the St. Francis bell tower!

John Esser at the Dayton House

One owner of the Datyon House that was of some consequence in the latter half of the 19^th century; was John Esser.  Esser was one of the partners who built the Banner Mill in Black Rock in the 1880’s.  He was also part of The Black Rock Land Company: The earliest developer of the area, the Black Rock Land Company, formed in 1888 as the first development company in the city. Comprised of John Hertel, John Esser, Frank Angus, Louis Roesch and Frederick Ullman, they sold the current site of RiversidePark, the former Germania Park to the city, for inclusion in the Buffalo Parks System. The names of many streets in the area reflect their influence here.

Esser Avenue is in Riverside, running between Tonawanda and Skillen Streets:

Along with ownership of the Dayton House, I have been told Esser also owned 87 Amherst Street:



It’s not always easy to determine which owners of the house actually occupied it because the title shows multiple names for certain periods.  At the time where Esser appears on the title, the only names are his and his wife’s.  It may have been that Esser owned and lived in the house either before or during the time 81 Amherst Street was being built. 

John Esser did not hold the same place in history as Mayor Dayton and as a result, it’s not easy to find information about him.  However, he had enough influence to have a street named after him.  He was also an important figure in the development of Black Rock and Riverside.  The Dayton House, as stated in previous posts, was not a home built or occupied by laborers.  It was the type of home that belonged to plant owners, managers or other positions of standing.  John Esser is another example of the type and stature of occupants who held title to the house.

It’s a Boiler, not a Furnace!

The Gas Breathing Dragons were serviced in October - A yearly committment

The cellar of the Dayton House is home to two gas breathing dragons; Dunkirk1 and Dunkirk2.  These are gas boilers and are the source of heat for the lower and upper floors, respectively.  People often refer to the permanently installed major heat providing appliance of a home as a “furnace,” but there is a difference between a furnace and a boiler.  A boiler differs from a furnace in that a boiler supplies heat via intermediary fluid movement – water or steam through a radiator.  In the case of the Dunkirks, they are residential gas boilers that feed water through a number of beautiful radiators throughout the house. 

Unlike a boiler, a furnace distributes heat through a blower.  To make it simple; Boiler = Water, Furnace = Air.  In a conventional boiler, fuel is burned and the hot gases produced are passed through a heat exchanger where much of their heat is transferred to water, thus raising the water's temperature.  This is highly effective form of heating and is ideal for allergy suffers as dust and mold are not blown through the house every time the heat kicks in.

These old-style boilers are not to everyone’s taste; however once you live with them you come to appreciate them as a steady type of heat that is attractive not only to humans, but small furry four-legged animals who like to curl up on or next to them for warmth.  They are easy to service and require a yearly check-up and a periodic twist of a key to let excess air out of each radiator.  We keep a collection of keys, which we’ll pass on to future caretakers.  The radiators work best when they are periodically bled of air.

While technology has made advancements and improvements on this form of heating, the standard form of hot water boilers are still in use in the Dayton House.  New high efficiency condensing boilers are now becoming popular in Europe but have not taken on wide-spread use in the US.  This is likely because their high prices don’t offer a very attractive return on investment as compared to the standard boiler like the Dunkirks in the cellar.  Dunkirk does make high efficiency condenser-type boilers and they, like their standard-style counterparts are well-made and dependable, with one of the best warranties in the business.  But at this point, it’s moot – the two gas breathing dragons in the basement are young and have many years of life ahead of them.

One note in regard to the two previous dragons that met the end of their days in the cellar; boilers use to be completely made of cast iron.  They were heavy.  It took two large men and a lot of effort to remove their carcasses for disposal.  The bottom two steps of the cellar were completely destroyed in the effort of transporting the old gas-breathers to their final resting place.  Anyone who has and old house that might still have an ancient cast-iron boiler needs to be advised; when you get a replacement, make sure installation includes removal of the old monster.  It’s not a job you want to do yourself!

Repoint or Remove?

The second/unused chimney has recently been repointed.   Since it is not used to vent anything, it would not have been worth it to rebuild it.  It was in good enough shape that replacing missing mortar did the job.  The chimney at the front of the house vents two boilers and a hot water heater.  That was completely rebuilt six or seven years ago.  That was a major job and cost a pretty penny.

The Dayton House gets a tax break because of its designation and also because it falls within a census tract.  It is harder for lower-income home owners to spend money on repairs that keep a house intact.  A chimney that is not used would very rarely if ever be repaired.  Because this house is historic and the chimney is a visually interesting element, it just seems  better to have it there.  The original section of the house had other chimneys that were removed -- most likely at the time of the Italianate update.

This house is across the street.  The second chimney here was just removed.

This one is two houses over.  The chimney wasn't repointed -- it was just covered with mud. 

Neither looks are very attractive.  We care a lot about this house, which is why we have chosen to preserve what we can.  The chimney is no exception!

It's a Cellar -- Not a Basement

This is a picture of an old-style cellar door, often referred to as a bulk-head.   In earlier days, the Dayton House almost certanly had a trap-door like this.  Eventually it was covered by what is now the side porch and the access is covered with a trap-door that is not unlike the one shown above, except that it is flush to the floor and covered with linoleum.  Old exterior basement doors are/were susceptible to rotting and rusting, and many of the old wood doors that still remained exposed to the elements end up ultimately being replaced by steel doors.   Keeping the doors in good condition is a crucial part of protecting a cellar from moisture, cold air and debris.   Luckily, the doors in the Dayton House are protected by a porch.

Modern steel doors look more like this:

Here’s an example of a bulkhead on a home near Delaware Park (66 Agassiz Circle, near the entrance to Medaille).  I picked this one as an example because it’s attached to a brick house and it is likely a configuration that existed on the Dayton House at some point.

Aside from the style, the type of foundation stone (cut and structure) along with the raised elevation marks this as home built much later than the Dayton House.

The trap door on the Dayton House is a very rudimentary form of access to a very rudimentary cellar.  The below-grade area of the house is not finished and never could be.  Aside from the fact that the foundation is a stone water table which is designed to attract moisture from the ground, finishing the basement and improving the access would make no sense.  Modern/current building code requires that furnished basements have two points of egress, which would mean either serious excavation, or a loss of living area to provide access directly through another point in the house.

In short, there is no reason to consider the type of entrance to the cellar as a problem.  The style and configuration is about the best that can be done for the style of cellar under the front portion of the house.  The below grade area of the home is the ideal place to locate the boilers and hot water tank and perhaps a stash of fine wine.  But other than that, its access is best left as is.

Black Rock Ingredients for New Year's Eve....

Lobster Ravioli from Gondola Pasta.  Big Chocolate Brownies from Carriage Trade Pastries.

In 2012, please support your local Black Rock merchants!!!