Richard Alfred Waite (1848-1911) did not begin or end his life in Buffalo, New York, but it was a city he loved and called home. The amibitious and talented architect started his career in Buffalo and was very successful in securing prestigious commissions in the United States and Canada during the last three decades of the nineteenth century. His work played a prominent role in defining the urban envrionments of Great Lakes cities such as Buffalo, Toronto, Hamilton plus Montreal. Nearly a century after his death, Richard Waite is an architect for whom appreciation is growing stronger in the U.S. while his reputation in Canada is becoming less of an issue of controversy. His life and legacy is a compelling story of international architectural history.

To read more of Martin Wachadlo & Christopher Brown's story, see page 4 of the Winter 2004 Heritage Magazine. Subscribe now!

The Rev. J. Edward Nash House stands today as one of the few remaining landmarks of Buffalo's 20th century significance in local and national history across racial lines. The house at 35 Nash Street, in particular, has a very special place in the last century's history of the African-American community in Buffalo. It was from this house that Reverend Nash, early in the twentieth century, led and helped orchestrate some of the foremost civil rights causes of Buffalo and the nation.

Reverend Nash first arrived in Buffalo in 1892. The 24-year-old from Richmond, Virginia, was an impressive figure. He stood six feet six inches tall. The son of freed slaves was born in 1868, just after the Civil War, in a montain cabin near Irington, VA.

To read more of Felix L. Armfields story, see page 30 of the Winter 2004 Heritage Magazine. Subscribe now!