A fixture of Black architecture in Buffalo will be receiving more than half a million dollars for renovations, thanks to a pair of state grants from area politicians.
The Coles House Project is receiving a $500,000 grant thanks to State Senators Sean Ryan and April Baskin, while State Assembly Member Crystal Peoples-Stokes said the assembly would add $250,000.
CPL Buffalo Architect Kisha Patterson says it’s an impactful moment for her because Robert Coles, who built the house, showed her that architecture was about more than just infrastructure.
“Robert Coles taught me that being an activist and building community was as important as, if not more important than any of the other like physical structures that you built," she said. "So, as every building that he built, he formed coalitions. He understood how those buildings would impact the people The who were going to be using them.”
The Robert T. Coles House has been on the National Registry of Historic Buildings for more than a decade.
The grants will help the house remain an anchor within Hamlin Park and East Buffalo, Coles House Project Co-Director Albert Chao said.
"This will transform this unique and significant structure as an anchor point for design justice," he said. "We invite people in to learn about Robert Traynham Coles and to talk about the significance of this building. And also of the over a dozen community and public buildings that Mr. Coles has built, many in the East Side of Buffalo."
