Electric Tower: Celebrating 100 Years Lighting Up Our City.

Photo by exposurebuffalo.com

"And all this started with one bright idea"                       

By Sarah Kuziomko

It’s been 100-years since the Buffalo Electric Tower first turned on its lights in 1912, but now it has become as much a part of Buffalo’s history as it has Buffalo’s skyline.  

     Each night for almost 100 years its 300-foot tower has lit up the sky, making it one of the most recognized buildings in the city.  Similar to the Empire State building in New York City, Buffalo’s Electric Tower celebrates holidays and special events along with the city by lighting up in colors. It even lit up in blue and gold during the NHL playoffs.  The building also hosts Buffalo’s New Year’s Eve “Ball Drop” 

each year, in which tens of thousands of Western New Yorkers turn out for the event. 

And all this started with one bright idea.

     In the early 1900’s Buffalo was just beginning to learn how to harness the hydroelectric power from Niagara Falls, although the public remained skeptical.  Would electricity really become an integral part of their future or was it a passing fad?

     Decades before three men believed in the power of electricity and what it could offer so they formed what would become known as the Buffalo General Electric Company. Their intention was to show people what it could do and how it could affect their lives. So their unofficial motto became: build it and they will come, or in this case, they will see.

     So before commercials and pop-up ads, companies had to take more of a direct approach to selling a product.  In 1912 the building went up and to the amazement of the people—the lights were turned on in the tower. Shortly thereafter GE moved in and set up its headquarters. Buffalo GE would later go on to become responsible for distributing and promoting electrical power from Niagara Falls to all the residents and businesses in the city of Buffalo. The tower itself was modeled after the electric tower at the Pan-American Exposition and designed by local architects Esenwein and Johnson. The building’s façade was done in white terracotta and featured a cupola, or dome inspired by the Pharaohs lighthouse in Alexandria, Egypt.

     It consisted of 14 stories plus its iconic tower. When it opened, GE occupied the bottom four floors while stories 5-13 served as office space.  The 14^th floor held a men’s lounge and steam room.   Additions were made twice during the 1920’s to provide more office space as well as display areas for the latest appliances and fixtures.  The tower was also expanded during this time.

In the 1930’s the building was bought by the Niagara Hudson Corporation and renovated in the Art Deco Style.  With this style brought black ornamental glass, stainless steel, chrome trim and ceiling medallions. For the next 6 decades only minor changes were made, with most of the renovating being done to help “update” the office spaces.   Many say this is the period the most damage was down with neglect taking a toll on the outside, and renovations inside that covered up the buildings unique personality.

Then in 2003 the Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation put the building up for sale and in 2004 Iskalo Development became the proud new owners.  The company went in with the intention of restoring the building to its former grandeur and preserving it for the future. Since its purchase, Iskalo Development restored its two-story lobby space and tenant office suites. Part of the renovation included removing a drop-ceiling to reveal the 2-story lobby again. Wood, stone, lighting and inlay floors dazzled visitors when the building was rededicated in August of 2007. These renovations cost approximately $18 million.

     This past June, the Electric Tower’s lantern section went dark and will remain so until the fall as Iskalo Development completes the final phase of renovation on the buildings upper exterior.  Crews will be reinforcing the tower’s façade and restoring it to its original magnificence. This includes repairing the terra cotta, re-pointing mortar, applying sealants and fixing the roof where necessary.  The work is expected to be wrapped up before the winter.

  The lobby of the Electric Tower. The Electric Tower celebrates holidays and special events along with the city by lighting up in colors. It even lit up in blue and gold during the NHL playoffs. The building also hosts Buffalo’s New Year’s Eve “Ball Drop” each year, in which tens of thousands of Western New Yorkers turn out for the event. Since its purchase, Iskalo Development restored its two-story lobby space and tenant office suites. Part of the renovation included removing a drop-ceiling to reveal the 2-story lobby again. Wood, stone, lighting and inlay floors dazzled visitors when the building was rededicated in August of 2007. These renovations cost approximately $18 million.    “The Electric Tower is a highly visible piece of Buffalo’s history and we take pride in being good stewards of this important community asset,” says president and CEO Paul B. Iskalo.

     Today the building has a variety of tenants.  There are state and federal agencies, a law firm, and an environmental services firm.  There are still suites available for less both in the Main Building and Tower floors. In 2008 the tower was named “Building of the Year” by the Greater Buffalo Building Owners and Managers Association and recipient of the 2008 Brick by Brick award for “Best Historic Restoration”.

     This coming January the Electric Tower will celebrate its 100^th anniversary.!