Niagara Square

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Niagara Square
City square
Taste of buffalo 2008.jpg
View of the Taste of Buffalo held in Buffalo's Niagara Square, taken from the City Hall observation deck
Design Joseph Ellicott
Opening date1805
OwnerCity of Buffalo
Locationintersections of Delaware Avenue, Court Street, Genesee Street, and Niagara Street
Buffalo, New York
USA New York location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Niagara Square
Coordinates: 42°53′11″N78°52′41″W / 42.88639°N 78.87806°W / 42.88639; -78.87806 Coordinates: 42°53′11″N78°52′41″W / 42.88639°N 78.87806°W / 42.88639; -78.87806

Niagara Square is a public square located at the intersections of Delaware Avenue, Court Street, Genesee Street, and Niagara Street in Buffalo, New York. It is the central hub of Joseph Ellicott's original radial street pattern that he designed in 1804 for the then village of New Amsterdam. It continues to be the nexus of downtown Buffalo.

Contents

History

The 1805 plan for the village of Buffalo Buffalo 1805.jpg
The 1805 plan for the village of Buffalo

Niagara Square's origins date back to the conclusion of the French and Indian War in 1763, which ended French domination of the Niagara Frontier and marked the advent of permanent settlement of the area. This trend increased after the Revolution, and in 1804 Joseph Ellicott (1760–1826) mapped a town on the banks of Lake Erie at the mouth of the Buffalo Creek. The site of the city was part of the vast land holdings of the Holland Land Company, a Dutch firm that had purchased most of western New York. Ellicott, who was the local Holland Land Company agent, had earlier in his career helped his brother Andrew survey Pierre L'Enfant's plan for the new capital at Washington.

The influence of L'Enfant's Washington is readily apparent in Ellicott's design for Buffalo (first named New Amsterdam). Niagara Square, located near the lakefront, became the center from which eight streets radiated in several directions. Among the streets passing through Niagara Square was Delaware Street (after 1879 called Delaware Avenue), which Ellicott is said to have named for one of the Indian groups that frequented the portage road around nearby Niagara Falls.

Despite Ellicott's lofty vision for the new city — he said that the site was "developed by nature for the grand emporium of the Western world" — Buffalo remained for the first quarter of the nineteenth century a small village. [1] As Buffalo's wealth and population grew in the 19th century, Niagara Square became a desirable residential address. Mayor Samuel Wilkeson, whose efforts to build the Buffalo Harbor were rewarded when the State of New York selected Buffalo as the terminus of the Erie Canal, built his mansion on the west side of Niagara Square, presently the site of City Hall.

2020 Niagara Square police violence incident

External video
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Footage of the incident between a 75-year-old man and officers, filmed by a WBFO news team

On June 4, 2020, amid the George Floyd protests in New York state, police officers from the Buffalo Police Department pushed 75-year-old Martin Gugino during a confrontation in Niagara Square, causing him to fall to the ground which left him bleeding from the ear. He was brought to the hospital and was in "serious but stable condition." [2] Two days later he was still listed as being in "critical condition" at Erie County Medical Center. [3] He suffered a brain injury as a result of the fall and was still unable to walk nearly two weeks after the assault. The BPD claimed in their official statement that the man "tripped and fell". [4] [5] Following the incident, Buffalo mayor Byron Brown announced that the city would pause arrests for marijuana possession and ease restrictions on releasing police body camera footage. [6]

Buildings and monuments

Niagara Square looking toward Lafayette Square from Buffalo City Hall in a snow flurry 20080307 Niagara Square to Lafayette Square.JPG
Niagara Square looking toward Lafayette Square from Buffalo City Hall in a snow flurry

The square's transformation from a residential neighborhood to the center of government began in the early 20th century, with the erection of Buffalo City Hall (1929–1931), Michael J. Dillon Memorial United States Courthouse (1935), and the Walter J. Mahoney State Office Building (1928–1932).

This square is also home to the Statler Towers, Buffalo Athletic Club, the Buffalo City Court Building, the Robert H. Jackson United States Courthouse to the northwest side, and several other office buildings.

Within the center of the modern square is a large monument commemorating the assassination of President McKinley, who was assassinated in Buffalo during the Pan-American Exposition of 1901.

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Occupy Buffalo

Occupy Buffalo was a collaboration that included a peaceful protest and demonstrations which began on October 1, 2011, in Buffalo, New York, in Niagara Square, the nexus of downtown Buffalo opposite the Buffalo City Hall. It is related to the Occupy Wall Street movement that began in New York City on September 17, and called for economic equity, accountability among politicians and ending lobbyist influence of politicians. Protesters camped overnight in Niagara Square as part of the demonstration.

Ellicott Development Co. is an American property management, leasing and development real estate firm based in Buffalo, New York and led by CEO William Paladino. The company's asset base includes residential, commercial, hotels, parking garages, and convenience stores. Ellicott Development Co.’s services include legal, administrative, financial, management, accounting, development, site selection, site assemblage, architectural design and drafting services, construction, leasing, maintenance, janitorial and security services.

Buffalo Police Department

The Buffalo Police Department (BPD) is the second-largest city police force in the state of New York. In 2012, it had over nine hundred employees, including over seven hundred police officers.

There have been a series of protests in New York following the murder of George Floyd.

Buffalo police shoving incident Incident between protesters and police during George Floyd protests in Buffalo, NY

On June 4, 2020, amid the George Floyd protests in New York state, police officers from the Buffalo Police Department pushed 75-year-old Martin Gugino during a confrontation in Buffalo's Niagara Square, causing him to fall to the ground which left him bleeding from the ear. Gugino was seriously injured, sustaining a brain injury, and was still unable to walk nearly two weeks later. He was hospitalized for nearly four weeks.

References

  1. ↑ LaChiusa, Chuck. "A Brief History of Niagara Square". Buffalo Architecture and History. Archived from the original on 2007-06-07. Retrieved 2007-06-30.
  2. ↑ Miller, Ryan W.; Culver, Jordan; Robinson, David; Hauck, Grace; Taddeo, Sarah. "2 Buffalo cops charged with assault after video shows officers shoving 75-year-old man to the ground". USA TODAY. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  3. ↑ DeDario, Lindsay (June 9, 2020). "Buffalo police arraigned for felony assault, elderly protestor still critical". Reuters. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  4. ↑ Elisha Fieldstadt (June 12, 2020). "The 75-year-old man shoved to ground by Buffalo police suffered brain injury, lawyer says". NBC News . Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Buffalo protester Martin Gugino has a fractured skull and cannot walk". CNN .
  6. ↑ "Buffalo adopts policing changes after protester is hurt". Star Tribune. The Associated Press. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
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