Electric Tower

General Electric Tower

General Electric Tower, June 2009
Location 535 Washington Street, Buffalo, New York 14203
Coordinates 42°53′18.9594″N 78°52′18.8394″W / 42.888599833°N 78.871899833°W / 42.888599833; -78.871899833Coordinates: 42°53′18.9594″N 78°52′18.8394″W / 42.888599833°N 78.871899833°W / 42.888599833; -78.871899833
Area less than one acre
Built 1912
Architect Esenwein & Johnson; E.B. Green and Sons
Architectural style Beaux Arts
NRHP Reference # 08000865[1]
Added to NRHP September 12, 2008

Electric Tower (or General Electric Tower) is a historic office building and skyscraper located at the corner of Washington and Genesee Streets in Buffalo. It is the seventh tallest building in Buffalo. It stands 294 feet (89.6 m) and 14 stories tall and is in the Beaux-Arts Classical Revival style. It was designed by James A. Johnson and built in 1912. Additions were made in 1923 and 1928. Inspired by the electric tower at the Buffalo Pan-American Exposition, the white terra-cotta clad was originally built as the Niagara Mohawk Building and features an octagonal tower which steps back three times to terminate in a large lantern. It is also known as Iskalo Electric Tower.[2]

The decorative symbols featuring aspects of electricity production are considered precursors to subsequent art deco design.

Like One M & T Plaza, the spire of the tower is illuminated with different holiday colors at night throughout the year. Both buildings are illuminated blue and gold for the Buffalo Sabres during the National Hockey League playoffs.

The Electric Tower hosts the annual Buffalo Ball Drop on New Year's Eve, the second largest in the nation. People from all around gather in Roosevelt Plaza to ring in and celebrate the New Year. The Buffalo Ball Drop is accompanied by live performances and a spectacular firework show.[3]

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in September 2008.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. ↑ "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)" (Searchable database). New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2016-07-01. Note: This includes Tom M. Yots and Daniel McEneny (n.d.). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: General Electric Tower" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-07-01. and Accompanying six photographs
  3. ↑ "Ring in 2014 at the 26th Annual Buffalo Ball Drop and Fireworks". Buffalo, NY: City of Buffalo. 2013-12-27. Archived from the original on 2014-01-03. Retrieved 2014-01-02.
Preceded by
Erie County Hall		 Tallest Building in Buffalo
1912–1925
90 m 		Succeeded by
Liberty Building
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