On September 6, 2006, we broke ground for the Frank Lloyd Wright Boathouse, which will be named in honor of my parents, Charlie and Marie.
My dad dedicated much of his life to the sport of rowing internationally and to the West Side Rowing Club in Buffalo. My mom made it possible for Dad to devote hours of sportsmanship, caring and encouragement to thousands of young oarsmen for over forty years.
In 1905, Frank Lloyd Wright designed a rowing boathouse for a site in Madison, Wisconsin, but the project was never built. A group of rowing and architecture enthusiasts in Buffalo have acquired the plans, negotiated a land deal and are currently raising the funds to build this unique structure on the Black Rock Canal.
The design of the boathouse is classic Frank Lloyd Wright, featuring large vertical piers supporting horizontal planes, design elements that are seen in his other Buffalo works, including the Larkin Building and the Martin House. In fact, Wright identified the boathouse as one of his best designs and included it in the Wasmuth Portfolio (the compendium of Wright,Aeos ,Aeubest early works,Aeu) first published in Berlin in 1910. Wright also included the building in his 1930/1931 touring exhibition featuring eight of his best designs. The boathouse,Aeos addition to other Western New York Frank Lloyd Wright buildings will give the local economy a much needed boost, helping to attract tourists.
The boathouse also meshes perfectly with the waterfront development plans of my alma mater, Buffalo State College. These plans include a home for the school,Aeos Great Lakes Research Center and a community boat building school. This development will turn a piece of prime, currently underutilized waterfront property into a wonderful resource for both the residents of Buffalo and environmental studies.
Last, but certainly not least, the boathouse will provide much needed space for the West Side Rowing Club, an important community asset, and the USA,Aeos largest rowing club. WSRC has been providing Buffalo / Niagara access to the sport of rowing for 90 years, offering the city,Aeos youth an opportunity to participate in great amateur sport. A remarkable success story, the current boathouse is filled to capacity.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Boathouse is a very important project for the future of Buffalo. The non-profit corporation has raised $4.86 million, or 90%, of the projected $5.4 million cost of this project. Your gift would help us meet a $200,000 Challenge Grant from M&T Bank. For every $3 we raise, the bank will donate $1, up to $200,000. Any amount from you is welcome!
Just imagine a building that was already famous before it was built on the gateway to a great city.
Sincerely,
Tom Fontana
For information on how you or your company can help, please send us an email.