Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House Complex

YOWZA. This is by-​far, the most extensive FLW residence I’ve been to; it’s quite literally a COMPLEX. This is a must-​see while in Buffalo.
The video presented in the visitor center beforehand rounds out the history really well. Grounds are beautiful.
There are basically two homes (Martin and Barton Homes) intended for extended family, a lengthy pergola and conservatory connecting to the carriage house, and gardeners cottage (interior of which is not part of the tour).
Whereas the smaller Barton home is kind of typical-​FLW, and drawn to some of FLW’s default plans, the larger one looks more like a science experiment in creativity, scope, and design; it’s like every one of his basic concepts gone steps further!
Clearly, the money flowed, and the final product is the outcome of the relationship between Mr. Martin and FLW. You can see how the collaboration between the two exemplifies the depth of their relationship.
Here is a supplementary web site that I found —
Also, I’d highly recommend going to Graycliff (less than 20 miles outside of Buffalo)
…which is the Martins’ FLW commission to do their vacation home.

In a lovely neighborhood perfect for walking around in — short walk to Delaware Park and the Zoo, and there’s plenty of street parking around the house. The complex itself is large and there’s various tour options available. I loved our 1 hour tour ($ 17). There’s also the option to do a 2 hour or very special one day a week renovation tour. Our tour guide was wonderfully knowledgeable and enthusiastic and gave us a really fascinating tour of most of the first floor of the house (the public receiving areas), minus the servants’ dining area, which was under renovation. There’s so much to take in about the house and grounds and the amount of detail that went into every single aspect of the house was really interesting. There’s nothing roped off so you really get to experience the house firsthand. Highly recommend for those interested in history, architecture, art, or interesting characters, as FLW definitely sounds like one.

For decades fans of the work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright (FLW) could only drive-​by the Darwin Martin House and imagine what it originally looked like, now, after extensive and on-​going renovations and construction of a modern visitor’s center, regular tours allow one to understand one of FLW’s greatest residential complexes. Darwin Martin is one of several structures FLW designed for Buffalo (another one built for the same family is Graycliff on the shore of Lake Erie, which is also open to the public), and reflects the full evolution of the Prairie School phase of his architecture. Entry to the house proper is only possible as part of a guided tour and most of the public areas are accessible. There are facilities in the visitor’s center and a full gift shop in the carriage house. There is no food service and only limited street parking in the surrounding residential neighborhood; visitors are otherwise advised to pay to park at the nearby Buffalo Zoo.

My goodness. What a beautiful and aw inspiring place! The grounds and buildings are enough to just walk around in but the tour guide was a wealth of information.
I would highly recommend anyone stopping by while in Buffalo. The two hour tour is far more extensive and I would highly recommend it.

The Junior League of Buffalo, Buffalo News Multi-​purpose room is spectacular. Located in the basement of the main home, the space offers multimedia capabilities and plenty of space. The Darwin Martin is an architectural GEM for Buffalo and I would encourage you to take time to visit. There are many things I learned about Darwin Martin like the barrel chair and first floor window designs are famous in architect and design fields.

Some locals have complained about the $ 50 million spent on the restoration of this landmark site. On my recent visit, a docent mentioned that just one of the art glass windows has 750 pieces that have to be assembled. It’s a $ 30,000 window. The craftsmanship in that detail alone gives you an idea of the precision involved at every turn as you tour the complex.
Since my last visit, so much has been done. The exterior and grounds have been completed. A sleek white visitor center by architect Toshiko Mori is stunning and it doesn’t intrude upon Frank Lloyd Wright’s legacy. The interior has come a long way, too, especially the kitchen with its original cabinetry found and reinstalled. I look forward to another visit once the interior — including the restoration of an incredible fireplace — has been completed.
Mr. Wright supposedly considered this one of his greatest achievements. Taking the tour on a warm, sunny day in Buffalo may make you agree.

A must-​see in Buffalo for anyone with an interest in architecture.
Reservations are strongly recommended for tours, which begin in a gorgeous, modern visitors center on site. (They say to park at the zoo, but we easily found on-​street parking across the street.) The short film about the collaboration of the budding Wright and the established Darwin Martin is insightful and helps you understand the personalities behind the project.
The history of the buildings is pretty tragic, and what you’ll see is only a partial restoration of the originals. So this is unlike other house tours, in that it’s a work in progress. But it’s a terrific work, innovative and unconventional (at least compared with the other houses in the neighborhood). And it shows Wright at a point in his career when he actually had to defer to the wishes of his patrons. (Mr. Martin wanted a cellar; Wright grudgingly gave him a highly disguised cellar. Mrs. Martin hated the dining table Wright designed; Wright gave her a more functional table.) But the Wright genius is evident, both in structure and design.
The docents are outstanding: funny, smart, knowledgeable. Definitely seek them out before/​after your tour if you have any questions. We took the one-​hour tour, which was fine for casual fans; the longer tour does cover more ground, but you’d have to be pretty hard-​core to find it vastly more meaningful.

If you’re a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright, this is not to be missed! The tour starts in a beautifully designed visitor’s center. We did the two-​hour «plus» tour, which covers more of the grounds than the basic tour and includes the Barton House and the Gardener’s Cottage. (Be aware that there are stairs to climb and you’re on your feet for the entire two hours, with no place to sit down.) Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and provided lots of information about the history and restoration of the house. Although the restoration is not finished, the property is still unique and spectacular.

Who knew — a national treasure right in Buffalo. The Darwin Martin House is a place to marvel and behold. Such vision, such creative genius, such practicality is this Frank Lloyd Wright «Prairie» House in Buffalo. Located on what would otherwise be an ordinary street, this house and complex are being perfectly rebuilt, restored and put back to its original design after the house fell into disrepair in the 1930s and through a series of owners. We were fortunate enough to have Margie S., a senior staff member led a 2+ hour tour in which she brought the architect, the owner and Buffalo of the early 1900’s into life for our group. From the Gardner’s house, to the main house to the family member’s house next door the Martin House complex will exceed expectations for what is best in American architecture. Plus all the Frank Lloyd Wright designed furniture, windows, landscaping that make this house a one-​of-​a-​kind treasure.
For everyone in Buffalo, the foundation that is redoing this house needs your help — thank them for what they do and if you can — contribute your money or volunteer time often — this is a one of kind place.

This use to be a presidents house.
President of UB, many decades ago. The University owned the house at the time. This was in the 1960’s, when the University bought the house from the city, who owned it by default, back taxes after the Martin family abandoned the property (after loosing the family fortune in the Great Depression). While sitting empty the property was looted and much of the original furniture taken and sold. Some of that has since been found and put back into the house. In 2002 the University transferred the property back to the Martin House Restoration Foundation.
(Quick version — well worth a tour if you are interested in architecture and the like. Tours are lead by amazing docents who can answer every question I have ever heard asked.)
More info —
Now its a «destination place» for tourists and architecture buffs alike to visit. Its a National Historic Landmark, one of many in Buffalo actually. Near by, on Tillinghast, there is another FLW designed house (Walter V Davidson House), privately owned. FLW designed and built some other buildings in the Buffalo area as well. Buffalo was a large city at the time, and the Darwin Martin House is smack in the middle of an Olmstead designed neighborhood. Its all connected by Buffalos long and interesting history.
The Darwin Martin House was built in the first 10 years of the 1900’s. Literally. Its considered among Frank Lloyd Wrights most significant works actually. Next to the Guggenheim in NYC and Fallingwaters in PA. Darwin Martin was a wealthy businessman at the time. He eventually died in the home he loved.
It was designed as 5 connected buildings, anchored by the Main House. Connected to the Main House was the Carriage House, which housed not only the horses, but also the chauffeur. There was a Conservatory connected. He even built a smaller house for his sister and her family. A few years later, the gardener and his family were given a small cottage as well. The gardens here were magnificently landscaped, which was all tied into the house and landscape, typical of Frank Lloyd Wright’s other works. Its one of the Prairie Houses FLW designed.
Over time some of the buildings were demolished (disrepair), and it was not until 1992 that the foundation raised the funds to oversee a complete restoration of the site. Its not yet finished, but in the meantime what is has opened to be public and is magnificent. During the process the Greatbatch Pavilion was designed and built, which is a welcome center of sorts, or a party venue, depending on your needs. One of todays famous architects, Tishiko Mori, designed this space, to complement the Darwin Martin Complex buildings.
In the 1920’s Martin again worked with Wright to created Graycliff, on Lake Erie. Martin used that residence as his summer home.
To visit — they encourage reservations for the tours. You can take either a long or short tour. Closed Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Long — 120 minutes, not wheelchair friendly, lots of walking and stairs. Docent with LOTS of info to share will lead you on this tour. First and Second Floors.
Tickets range from $ 27 (member/​student) to $ 35 (adult)
Short — 60 minutes, wheelchair friendly. First Floor. Docent lead.
Tickets from $ 12 – 17.
They can accommodate groups if you plan in advance and you can reserve private tours for groups.
If you are in the area, its a short walk to the Buffalo Zoo or Delaware Park. You can also get some food at Sweetness 7 or Street Café, or a cupcake and treat at Fairy Cakes.
Street parking.
Also still standing in the area are Frank Lloyd Wrights:
Walter V Davidson House — Tillinghast
William R. Heath House & Garage (1904-​05) — 76 Soldiers Place
The Graycliff Estate — Derby, NY

So cool, anyone with an interest in architecture or history will love this tour. Each and every detail of this house has a specific purpose. So interesting and the docent was knowledgeable and low-​key. Great find!

Came to the Darwin Martin house for a local beer tasting event with Unilocaler extraordinaire Krista M who also just happens to be my sister. And upon pulling up and parking I was blown away by the architecture that was put into this building just being on the outside of the building made me really appreciate what great structures and buildings buffalo has hidden away. I had no idea this place existed and so close to the buffalo zoo which I would go to as a child. The beer event was also well organized and the «tickets» we where given has no value at most stations they just simply wanted you to taste their beer and taste lots of it lol. The pearl street brewery was my top fav. While the brewery with the loganberry beer was second I just wish I could recall their name… Guess I tasted a lot of beer that day haha… Well after a quick google search everyone needs to check out Resurgence brewery down on Niagara st in blo. Since joining Unilocal and attending some events it has definitely opened my eyes on how much stuff there really is to do in this great city. Thanks Unilocal

I’ve lived in Buffalo for 20 years now and have gone to the Buffalo Zoo more times than I can count and can’t believe it took me this long to visit! It was a gorgeous date day with my 17 year old. We decided to play tourists and visit. I had read that reservations were recommended so we arrived at 3pm and called to see if we might be able to get in without one, they said yes so we parked the car.
What a gem right in my own backyard! Visitors enter through the Greatbatch center pay admissions and watch a short video about the the Martins, Wright and the complex. We moved from there to the tour. The volunteer docent was very knowledgeable and full of passion. She emphasized the foresight of Frank Lloyd Wright in building the main house and other areas of the complex. It was fascinating to hear the work and commitment that went into restoring the facility as we had people in the tour group that have been through the complex during the multi-​phases of the restoration process. Such dedication.
Definitely recommend! Educational and relaxing. Just wear comfortable shoes as you will be walking around and standing for about 1.5 hrs.

For fans of Frank Lloyd Wright or all-​American architecture, a visit to the Darwin Martin House is a must. It should blow your head off to learn that one of his most significant work is only a couple hours drive away from Toronto. Yes Toronto, there is more to Buffalo than just cross-​border shopping, football and hot chicken wings… at least when it comes to modern American architecture.
There are a handful of Wright-​designed projects in Buffalo, but none more important or accessible than the Martin House. Given free reign to do virtually whatever by one of his most important clients (Martin was instrumental in Wright securing the commission for the sadly-​demolished Larkin Building), FLW took this opportunity early in his career to explore to the extreme his Prairie Style design principles, producing an extraordinary mansion that reflected the family values of both Wright and the Martin family.
In typical Wright fashion, we actually had a hilariously hard time finding the entrance, until discovering 10 minutes later that visitors must begin via the adjacent ultramodern building (Greatbatch Pavilion), where the scheduled tours begin.
If you opt for the in-​depth tour (which I highly recommend), you will be for a good hour led through both floors of the main house, as well as inside of the other houses built on the complex. Our guide projected much knowledge, down to the details like the window designs and how the roof drainage system works.
Try not to mind so much the in-​progress reno jobs. I am sure once the restoration is complete the whole site will best showcase Wright’s original vision to our modern-​day eyes. But even as it is now, the house expresses much magnificence that gives visitors a good glimpse of life inside a special FLW home.
Some plights though: photography is forbidden, and there aren’t much in terms of parking options (the Martin House website recommends parking at the nearby Buffalo Zoo and asking the House staff for a parking token).

If you like FLW or even just enjoy beautiful architecture, take time to visit this home. It is beautiful, the renovation is stunning, and it’s seemingly only just beginning. The docents are knowledgeable and well-​spoken, and the 45 minute tour is worth it!
The Greatbatch Pavilion located next door is another gorgeous example of architecture, and the staff there is wonderful. We hosted an event there for dinner, and they were nothing but accommodating and friendly. I would happily visit and work with them again.

Sometimes I pretend to like architecture so that girls would like me. Sad life, I know.
I remember in my teens I would invite girls out to museums on first dates so they would think I was sophisticated or whatever. Sometimes it worked, but other times they laughed while I stumbled over myself to feign appreciation. Or maybe this only happened in my head? I don’t even know. I could barely get a prom date in high school. In fact, she broke up with me before prom and ended up dancing with a friend of mine at this cursed event. Well, who’s laughing now, all the women who didn’t want me in the past?!
I’ve become a dude who genuinely enjoys museums, art galleries and architecture. Through traveling through the States, Russia, Estonia… I’ve enjoyed seeing, climbing on and experiencing some pretty fantastic sights. The view from atop St. Nicholas Top Naval Cathedral in St. Petersburg? Gorgeous. Old Town in Estronia with its cobblestone and castle-​like medieval buildings? I want to go back now! Fallingwater in Mill Run, PA? I still have fond memories of seeing the building with my-​then new friend and now fiancé. I think I even sincerely appreciate architecture now.
Buffalo is truly blessed to have the Darwin Martin House. Not only for all those lucky teens and college students who can totally woo an architecture nerd by inviting her out on a date here, but also for us younger and older adults who have grown to appreciate the symmetry, beauty and history of Frank Lloyd Wright’s work. The history of this building is fascinating and the staff who work here brim with passion for the building. They could tell you its history from being contracted to be built the Darwin family in the early 1900s to actually housing the President of UB in the 1960s. What a lucky bastard to have that be one of the perks of the job. Finally, the Darwin Martin Corporation (non-​profit) has been enlisted with the task or preserving and renovating the building and keeping it open to the public before it becomes a NYS Park of sorts.
They have poured over $ 50 million into renovating the house and having it be open to the public for tours and it shows. It’s now in impeccable condition, although there’s still work to be done.
The structure of it and how it stands is fascinating as you’ll learn that it’s built much like a Chicago skyscraper where the walls don’t actually hold the building up. This allows for perfect symmetry and many more windows and a blending of the inner and outer structure to really invite outside nature to «live inside the house.» Really though, the staff truly explains all this much better than I can in this review and their passion for it is infectious.
So come see some of Wright’s living work here. Take a tour, check their web site to see if they have events coming up that you would enjoy and celebrate with me that this is so accessible in our backyard.

45 million has been spent so far renovating.
A shrine for FLW fans

As far as Frank Lloyd Wright structures go Buffalo has, in a typical display of «bufflalonian» (see Urban Dictionary) wisdom and foresight, managed to tear down more of his architectural wonders than any other city has ever had such as one of his largest undertakings, the Larkin Building, which the city demolished for no other good purpose than to create parking lot.
Fortunately there remain two rather good Frank Lloyd Wright homes in the area of Buffalo that one may tour and the Darwin Martin House happens to be one of them.
Without getting into any details about it, Frank Lloyd Wright undoubtedly stands out as an architectural genius with unique detailing plus innovations which were way ahead of their time. However, being way of time is not necessarily such a good thing, because unless you have unlimited amounts of money and can afford open wallet upkeep and repairs, just maintaining anyone of his homes would bankrupt most multimillionaires. They’re all prone to falling apart (Falling Waters just about fell into the water) and this place, the Darwin Martin House, has been under renovation of well over a decade at costs exceeding $ 25 million and is still not complete.
The tours are pricey and not all that exciting but well worth the time and money to have an opportunity to see and learn what Frank Lloyd Wright and his architecture were all about. It’s a big house (not really a home) which I would doubt would be all that comfortable to actual live in, but it’s loaded with what were at the time cutting edge technology, uniqueness of design and unparalleled attention to detail.

What a great way to spend our time in Buffalo! We had a very interesting tour with Karen Smith. Love learning about the heart and soul that was put into this home. Walking through, I imagined what it was like growing up in the family – it was warm and welcoming and so appeasing to the eye. I highly recommend a visit if you are in the area. I would wait to do the ‘extended’ tour until more of the project is completed, although it may be interesting now too!

It was a great way to spend a Monday afternoon with a few out of town guests. I loved the tour, the history behind the house and the story of Martin and Wirght. Make sure you buy your tickets online before you go, they seem to sell out often. We did the 1 hour tour, where we watched a video in the new visitor center and saw the main house.
The highlight was definitely our docent. She was perfect, very knowledgeable and was great at telling the story of the house. The house is cool and so interesting, but parts of the interior are still being restored (2^nd floor and kitchen).