After reading our recent note on a modest but pretty bungalow going for a half-million dollars in Sacramento, reader Jean Emery sends us this article from Buffalo Rising on that town’s own "bungalow belt." Read the complete article on their site. There are plenty of good photos as well, and Jean notes that she "can guarantee these don’t cost half a million dollars like the one in Sacramento!"
One of Buffalo’s most charming neighborhoods is centered on a
cluster of streets running off Abbott between Lakewood and Hubbell on
the South Side. The streets stand out from their surroundings as they
are lined with distinctive bungalow style houses. The bungalow,
sometimes referred to as craftsman style, was popular in the early 20th
century. It is a derivation of an Indian house type with rustic
detailing and broad porches. Common features include low rooflines on a
gabled or hipped roof, deeply overhanging eaves, exposed rafters, and
decorative brackets. The front porch is often formed by extending the
main roof out past the front wall.The craftsman style of design became popular as people started
yearning for a simpler time. The 20th century was a period of major
change. Rapidly developing technology and a shift to urban living
brought new wealth and convenience along with a sometimes stressful and
unfamiliar way of life to many people. Design, with an emphasis on hand
craft and natural materials, was a way to capture the nostalgia of a
simpler America. The Roycrofters in nearby East Aurora, led by Elbert
Hubbard, were leaders in this movement. Even the work of Frank Lloyd
Wright could be included as a part of this movement (if peripherally
so). His Connection to Darwin Martin and subsequent commissions in
Buffalo came through Hubbard.