Advance Auto Parts

Advance Auto Parts was founded by Arthur Taubman in 1932 when he purchased a local chain of home & auto supply stores out of Roanoke, Virginia.  The chain was known at the time as Advance Stores, and they sold products such as toys, electronics, household appliances, as well as automotive parts.  When the retail landscape […]

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Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center

The Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center was originally established in 1916 as the New York City Reformatory at New Hampton (also known as New Hampton Farms).  The facility was built in order to replace the New York City Reformatory on Hart Island. The facility in New Hampton used agricultural, forestry and construction programs to rehabilitate juvenile […]

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Dulski Federal Building

Constructed in 1971, the Thaddeus J. Dulski Federal Office Building (The Dulski Building) was once the epicenter of the federal government’s presence in Western New York. Up until 2006, tenants of the Dulski Building included the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Commerce, The U.S. […]

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Thruway Plaza

Located in Cheektowaga, New York, the Thruway Plaza opened in 1952, and it was one of the earliest post-war shopping centers in the Buffalo region. The shopping center was originally built for $7 million dollars and consisted of 300,000 square feet. The Thruway Plaza was initially built as an open-air, strip style complex and included […]

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Statler Towers

With 1,100 guest rooms, three restaurants, a ballroom and numerous meeting rooms, the Hotel Statler was once the largest hotel in Buffalo, New York. Constructed in 1923, by Ellsworth Statler, it featured more guest rooms than any other hotel in Buffalo. With eighteen stories, it was the second-tallest building in the city. Hilton Hotels purchased […]

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Temple Beth Zion

Located at 805 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, New York, Temple Beth Zion’s current sanctuary was constructed in 1967, replacing its earlier structure at 599 Delaware Avenue that burned to the ground. Temple Beth Zion is one of the oldest and largest Reform congregations in the United States. The temple was designed by renowned architect Max […]

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The Edward A. Rath County Office Building (a/k/a the Rath Building)

The Edward A. Rath County Office Building is located at 95 Franklin Street in Buffalo, New York. The Rath Building was completed in 1970 and is currently owned by Erie County. Today, it is home to many government offices, including the Erie County Executive’s office, Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Public Works and numerous […]

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Midtown Tower and Plaza

The Midtown Tower and Plaza was a shopping and office complex located on nearly nine acres of land at Clinton Square, between Main and Broad Streets in Rochester, New York. Originally opened in 1962, Midtown Plaza was the first urban indoor shopping mall in the world. Midtown Tower, which was attached to the mall, was […]

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Monro Muffler Brake, Inc.

Monro Muffler Brake Inc., was founded in Rochester, New York, in 1957 by Charles J. August. Initially, Monro was a franchise of another automotive service company, Midas Muffler.  As service needs evolved, Mr. August expanded his business to include brake repair and other automotive services.  In 1966, Mr. August ended his franchise agreement with Midas […]

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MONY Plaza

Located on Madison Street in Syracuse, New York, MONY Plaza is a two-building commercial office complex. MONY Tower I, also known as AXA Tower I, was constructed in 1965, as offices for the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York (MONY). After AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company’s 2004 acquisition of MONY, the building is now […]

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New York State Capitol Building

Constructed over a period of 32 years between 1867 and 1899, the New York State Capitol Building was the most expensive government building of its time, with a total construction cost of $25 million at its completion. Located between Washington and State Streets in Albany, New York, the State Capitol Building houses the chambers of […]

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Leisure Land Bowling Alley

The former Leisure Land Bowling Alley on Camp Road in Hamburg, New York, opened in the late 1950s. With forty-eight bowling lanes, Leisure Land was one of the largest bowling alleys in Western New York. It contained more lanes than Orchard Park, Brierwood, Braymiller’s, Hamburg Legion and Victoria combined. In 2006, Leisure Land closed its […]

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Liberty Building

The Liberty Building, constructed in 1925, served as the headquarters for Liberty National Bank. Located on Main Street, it is the fifth tallest building in Buffalo, New York, featuring two replica Statues of Liberty on its roof. The Liberty Building is twenty-three stories tall, and it houses commercial offices. During the early 1960s, an addition […]

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M&T Plaza

One M & T Plaza is a twenty-one story high rise building located on Main and Eagle Streets in downtown, Buffalo, New York. Completed in 1967, the M & T building was designed by Minoru Yamasaki, the same architect who designed the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York City. The building is home […]

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Main Place Tower and Mall

Constructed in 1969, the Main Place complex is comprised of the Main Place Tower and Main Place Mall. Standing at twenty-six stories, the tower is the fourth-tallest building in Buffalo and houses commercial offices. Main Place Mall is the only shopping mall in downtown Buffalo, and in recent years, it has lost a great deal […]

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