To spot the William Dorsheimer House, just look for a stately, three-story brick home with broad bands of gray sandstone crossing its ochre-brick façade, a mansard slate roof with big, peeking dormer windows, and a corner address that stands out like a historic gem on Delaware Avenue.
Now, take a moment to imagine yourself back in 1868, back when carriages clattered across Buffalo’s cobblestones and everything smelled just a bit more… “horse-powered.” Standing right here, you’d be staring up at the brand-new creation of a young architect who would soon become a legend-Henry Hobson Richardson. That’s right! This was his very first building in Buffalo, designed for William Dorsheimer, a top lawyer and ambitious Lieutenant Governor of New York. Clearly, Dorsheimer wanted a home with some political flair-just look at those bold, horizontal sandstone bands and the way the vertical stones frame the edges and windows, like a brick-and-stone power suit of the 19th century.
As you gaze up, notice those incised decorations-little rosettes and triglyphs carved into the brick-tiny touches that say, “Yes, I’m stylish, but I’m not flashy… unless you count this marvelous mansard roof.” The shape and design owe a lot to French influence, which was quite the trend after the Civil War. Richardson, of course, wasn’t done-this house launched him into architectural superstardom. Later, he designed not just Buffalo’s colossal State Hospital, but also got the call to help create the State Capitol in Albany, and even made a few more homes for the city’s upper crust.
Inside today, things look a bit different-a commercial remodel and an open-well staircase winding from the north entrance up to the third floor. Yet, you can almost feel the footsteps of politicians, artists, and dreamers echoing off those slate tiles and sandstone corners, a reminder of a time when Buffalo was booming and its buildings were as fearless as its people. Not bad for a house that’s over 150 years old and still standing tall, right? Keep your eyes open-you’re walking by history, one carefully-crafted brick at a time.
