A Building Investigation of Buffalo's Paramount Lodge
An aerial view of Paramount Lodge, with the neighboring building seen to its right. The Paramount Lodge, 246-248 East Utica Street, was constructed in 1894. Originally known as Oronoco Hall, the building was built by Charles Reiner as a multiuse building, specifically providing meeting spaces for community and fraternal organizations, as well as commercial spaces and residential units. Despite changes in ownership and building names, the building has been continuously used as a home to prominent and notable fraternal organizations since its construction. Photo by Joe Cascio Photography
Since including Opera Houses on the 2018-19 Seven to Save list, the League has worked to document and develop strategies for the preservation of this important building type. We define the term “opera house” fairly broadly to include buildings that historically provided commercial and/or civic space on the first floor with a multi-use performance / meeting space in the upper stories. This summer, our colleagues at Preservation Buffalo Niagara (PBN) and BAC/Architecture + Planning, PLLC completed a Building Investigation on one such building: Paramount Lodge No. 73. The League was able to provide funding for this report thanks to a generous grant from the Arthur F. & Alice E. Adams Charitable Foundation, which previously funded a statewide study identifying and documenting extant opera houses.
Members of the Paramount Lodge hosted League President Jay DiLorenzo (second from left) and Preservation Buffalo Niagara Executive Director Jessie Fisher (second from right) in August 2021. The group is seen here in front of the building. A sign above the first floor reads “Prince Hall Masonic Temple.”
PBN staff conducted extensive historic research and produced a detailed Determination of National Register Eligibility as part of the report, documenting a fascinating tale. The building, constructed by an immigrant from Germany, came to house classic neighborhood businesses (including a saloon), a short-lived religious organization devoted to both divine healing and caring for “destitute women and girls,” and eventually a series of fraternal organizations. The occupant with the longest tenure in the building is its current owner, Paramount Lodge No. 73, an African American Masonic lodge that has owned the building since 1957. PBN concluded that the building is eligible for the State and National Registers under Criterion A for social history, and under Criterion C for architecture.
The Building Investigation report offers technical advice on how to care for the building, as well as suggestions for improvements to meet current and future needs. The first priority identified in the condition report – unlikely to surprise anyone who cares for a historic building – is to eradicate any water infiltration issues, which for this building means replacing the roof. The roofing itself is past its expected life, but equally important in any roofing project is to pay close attention to the flashing, parapet, and joints, as shoddy workmanship or incorrect repairs in these areas can cause even a brand-new roof to leak.
Looking beyond the immediate maintenance needs toward the future, the report includes a description and drawings of design options that would address three potential alterations to the building: rehabilitation of the storefronts to create rentable commercial space, development of an outdoor café, and accessibility improvements, including the addition of an elevator. As with most buildings of this type and vintage, accessibility is a major need if a building is going to remain in use – particularly for a use involving large gatherings – and development of rentable space can be a useful strategy to sustain an older building in need of ongoing investment. Original owner Charles Reiner was on to something when he had this mixed-use building constructed; diversifying its uses can again support its future care.
The intact upper floor auditorium space.
As someone who has not been inside the building, the most surprising parts of the report to me were the photographs of the beautiful and intact upper-floor interior spaces. The contrast between a modest exterior and delightfully ornate interior is a hallmark of many of New York’s opera houses and fraternal halls. These buildings typically have facades similar in composition and materials to those around them; a bank of tall windows at one of the upper stories may be the only clue that an auditorium exists. Paramount Hall is a great example: only the slightly taller, arched third-floor windows (some of which have been boarded or infilled with brick, but retain their arched surrounds) suggest the presence of a special space.
We commend the members of Paramount Lodge for their foresight in commissioning this report, and hope it will be a useful tool as they continue to care for this neighborhood icon.