Larkinville, also known as The Hydraulics, is an area of

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...

located near downtown, South Buffalo and Canalside. Once an industrial neighborhood, it is now home to offices, shops, and a public gathering space called Larkin Square that regularly features

food trucks A food truck is a large motorized vehicle (such as a van) or trailer, equipped to cook, prepare, serve, and/or sell food. Some, including ice cream trucks, sell frozen or prepackaged food; others have on-board kitchens and prepare food from scratc ...

, events, and concerts. The current form of the neighborhood came as a result of the

gentrification Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and planning. Gentrification often increases the ec ...

of the former headquarters complex of the Larkin Soap Company, which includes the Larkin Terminal Warehouse, and other abandoned warehouses nearby.

History

The Buffalo Hydraulic Association was formed in 1827, constructing the Hydraulic Canal as the city's first source of industrial power on the site of the neighborhood. Soon after, numerous mills sprang up on the site, now called the ''Hydraulics''. In 1876, John D. Larkin began manufacturing

soap Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are use ...

in the neighborhood, laying the foundation for his company, which became a large

mail-order Mail order is the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote methods such as: * Sending an order form in the mail * Placing a telephone call * Placing ...

soap company well into the early twentieth century. By 1901 there were 87 retail businesses on Seneca Street between Larkin and Smith streets, housed in numerous warehouses and buildings, of which many still stand to this day. Buildings such as the famed

Larkin Administration Building The Larkin Building was an early 20th century building. It was designed in 1903 by Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1904-1906 for the Larkin Soap Company of Buffalo, New York. The five story dark red brick building used pink tinted mortar and ...

, the Larkin Terminal Warehouse, and the 250-foot tall chimney of the Larkin Powerhouse were erected between 1902 and 1912. The Larkin Company continued its prosperity until the 1930s after the death of John Larkin and the Great Depression, going out of business in the 1940s. The Larkin Administration Building was demolished in 1950. In 2002, the Larkin Terminal Warehouse was purchased by the Larkin Development Group. The renovation of this building sparked the revitalization of the Hydraulics neighborhood, as the Larkin Development Group acquired numerous other buildings in the neighborhood with the vision of creating a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood. By 2012, Larkin Square opened along with the ''Filling Station'' restaurant, and more renovated buildings opened in later years. It has since become an entertainment district and has seen residential and commercial uses.

Buildings and attractions

* Larkin Terminal Warehouse, a 10-story former warehouse that now houses offices for The John R. Oishei Foundation,

Kaleida Health John R. Oishei Children's Hospital (viewed from Ellicott Street in 2017) Kaleida Health, founded in 1998, is a not-for-profit healthcare network that manages five hospitals in the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area. Prior to the merger of ...

and

KeyBank KeyBank, the primary subsidiary of KeyCorp, is a regional bank headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, and is the only major bank based in Cleveland. KeyBank is one of the largest banks in the United States. Key's customer base spans retail, small b ...

(formerly

First Niagara Bank First Niagara Bank was a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-insured regional banking corporation headquartered in Buffalo, New York. Its parent company, First Niagara Financial Group, Inc. was the 44th-largest bank in the United States with a ...

) *Remains of the

can still be visited *Larkin Square — the gathering place features events such as ''Food Truck Tuesdays'', ''Larkin Live Wednesdays'', as well as author visits, weddings and parties. **The ''Filling Station'', a former gas station-turned-restaurant **The Hydraulic Hearth Restaurant and Brewery at 716 Swan Street **Buffalo Distilling Co. at the Dutchman Building **Swan Street Diner at 700 Swan Street

References

External links

*Larkinville is covered in the
Larkinville on Visit Buffalo Niagara
{{Culture of Buffalo, New York Neighborhoods in Buffalo, New York Tourist attractions in Buffalo, New York Gentrification in the United States Manufacturing in the United States History of manufacturing

History

Buildings and attractions

See also

References

External links