Today started the same: a visit to Petsmart this time, Camping World for some fluid for the hydronic heating system, and lunch at Savory's.
Savory's has an eclectic menu, and very extensive for a neighborhood diner. We decided on the Pirogies with sautéed onions and sauerkraut. There were four Pirogies on the plate, with a spoonful of kraut and onions. Just enough for a light lunch. I passed on most of the kraut because of suspected salt content, but the few bites I sampled were wonderful! The Pirogies (sometimes spelled Pirogues) were filled with three cheeses and mashed potato.
As we shot through downtown Buffalo ( oh, I forgot to mention that), we spotted a sign referencing a car museum and "gas station". Couldn't pass up the car in the parking lot!
This is the Pierce Museum. Pierce and Pierce Arrow were locally built cars starting in the early 1900's, and this museum has a wonderful selection of partially and fully restored vehicles. The museum is privately owned and can be rented for a variety of functions. The owner has seven nearby wear houses filled with cars and trucks from the early days, and rotates the vehicles in and out. Several of the displayed cars were on loan from private owners who come in and get their cars from time to time, but the rest of the time are content to have them displayed in air-conditioned comfort. All of the cars are required to be operable and street legal as a historical vehicle.
We were directed to an in-progress presentation about Frank Lloyd Wright's filling station. Mr. Wright designed over 1,000 projects, of which some 500 were built. Quite a number of his designs were commissioned by customers in the Buffalo, New York area, and one of these projects was an automobile fueling station. The design was never built due to high costs, but the original prints were discovered after Mr. Wright's death, and the filling station was accurately reproduced inside the Pierce Museum. The structure had two covered areas for filling the tank, a concept brand new in 1927. The station was to have several mechanical bays in a separate building, so a customer lounge was designed to be in the center of the filling station. This lounge was also a new idea for it's time, as was the wood burning fireplace located in the lounge. The gas was pumped from tanks below ground, and dispensed by an attendant into glass overhead tanks in each bay. The combination of fireplace, glass containers for fuel, and the lack of a nozzle shutoff on the fueling hoses give one pause….and a bit of thanks that the structure was never built!
The entire structure was sheeted in copper, and the glass fuel tanks were banded with copper. The two tall spires (which look remarkably like lightening rods!) were a significant architectural feature.
The design was done in the Prairie School movement, which Mr. Wright believed should harmonize humanity and it's environment. Somewhat ahead of his time!
The museum can accommodate over 3,000 guests for special occasions. They do not host weddings or fundraisers, but corporate functions, reunions, and parties are welcomed. Expansion plans call for a six-fold increase in square footage, which will mean more room for vehicle display!
As a last look at the fanciest filling station in the world, check out the glass gas tanks with hoses attached!
The remainder of the museum contains a huge variety of vehicles, including this Pierce tow truck!
Here's a 1903 Thomas Flyer similar to the one that participated in the New York to Paris race in 1908. Next to it is a Pierce motorcycle, the first vehicle produced by the Pierce company before they moved into automobile production. Incidently, the Thomas company was also a Buffalo company. The Thomas Flyer that arrived on the outskirts of Paris was initially not allowed into the city due to a broken headlight. A nearby bicyclist offered the light from his bicycle, but the crew was unable to remove it from the bike, so they simply strapped the entire bicycle to the car, turned on the light, and proceeded to win the race!
A nice little rumble-seat beauty!
A Pierce fire truck awaits its final paint job for complete restoration.
In 1903, Pierce manufactured this "Motorette". Basically a carriage with an engine, it was considered to be the most reliable machine of its day. Note the Tiller steering and the forward seat for the ladies!.
We've found a couple of more things to see in Buffalo before we leave the area, so stay tuned for tomorrow's NBCWF!
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