Cheektowaga Historical Association Buys Long Sought After Building

For decades the Cheektowaga Historical Association Inc. has tried to acquire one of the oldest buildings in the central Erie County town. Now, the association does own the building. And, for good measure, the building at 3350 Broadway is located almost directly across the street from the Cheektowaga Historical Museum at 3329 Broadway, setting the stage for a natural synergy between the two properties.

According to documents filed on April 17 in the Erie County Clerk's Office, the Cheektowaga Historical Association Inc. paid $250,000 for the circa 1880-era building at 3350 Broadway, buying it from Aurora Recycling Inc.

The deal kicks off a long-term plan to have the museum annex the building, which since 1989 has been home to MusicMall, a rehearsal center for area musicians. MusicMall will remain in place, said Maureen Gleason, Cheektowaga Town Historian and a director with the Cheektowaga Historical Association Inc.

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“Our intent is to keep the building and preserve it and prevent it from being demolished,” Gleason said. “All I know is that today, we officially saved a beautiful old building."

Gleason said the association is working on a realistic cost estimate for renovating the three-story, 19,238-square-foot  building and also creating a long-term plan for its use.

“Our museum right now is too small and too cramped,” Gleason said.

The ornate, three-story building was constructed in 1880, originally for the German-led congregation of St. Stephen’s Church, which itself was founded on Buffalo’s East Side.
When it opened, it served as St. Stephen’s Church Evangelical Lutheran Home for the Aged and later, for the privately-operated, Owen Nursing and Convalescent Home.
After a series of private owners, it became home to the MusicMall in 1989.

Aurora Recycling Inc. bought the property in 2012, paying $113,700, according to county records.

“It does feel good to finally own this building,” Gleason said.

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