Kleinhans Community Association

KCA Target Area Collaboration

31 Plymouth Avenue - Found a New Owner-Occupant!

Our project aims to transform homes like this
into owner-occupied dwellings.

Victorian-era single-family home built in 1872:

Lot size: 25 X 127
Copper plumbing
Roof installed in 1999 with dimensional shingles
Clapboard siding
Partial basement
Forced air heat
New hot water tank
Nice sized back yard
Large open parlor/dining room combination (30' x 12')
Large eat-in kitchen (14' x 11')
5 Bedrooms
2 Bathrooms
2,000 Square feet
Front porch
Decorative fireplace mantle
Original staircase with 1870s style octagonal newel post
Hardwood floors in bedrooms, front parlor and dining room
Adjacent to Allentown and all conveniences
Assessed valuation: $32,600
Off-street parking available

House History

31 Plymouth Avenue was built in 1872 by John Cook, Jr., a real estate developer who built several homes on the street. Cook built good-sized, yet manageable homes that would have attracted families to the quiet "suburban" Allentown-area neighborhood on Plymouth Avenue, at the time known as 12th Street. 31 Plymouth Avenue had as its neighbors the Sidway family who lived in a large mansion on the opposite side of the street. In the spring of 1873, Luther G. Fish and his wife Elizabeth purchased 31 Plymouth for $2,700 (a sizeable amount in that era) and moved to their new home from their former "downtown" house on North Division Street. Fish was a member of an old Buffalo family and he had several professions including being a clerk and timekeeper. The Fish family lived in this home almost 30 years until they sold their house to John and Catherine Flannigan in 1899. Flannigan worked for the Buffalo Police department at Police Headquaters and lived at 31 Plymouth for 26 years.

The overall goals of the Plymouth Valiant! Block Reclamation Project are:

Identification of the KCA target area of Plymouth Ave. between Hudson and Penn. Sts.
Increasing safety and security for residents of the street.
Increasing beautification initiatives including gardening efforts and litter clean-up.
Improving public infrastructure such as sidewalks and trees.
Encouraging property owners to maintain their properties.
Transforming vacant and non-owner occupied structures into owner-occupied homes.

Chris Brown, President of KCA

Kleinhans Community Association
c/o 34 Orton Place
Buffalo, NY 14201
(716) 884-1914

Major public art work/bus shelter was constructed
on the target area block in 2002 by the
Plymouth/Pennsylvania Revitalization Project
headed by Ann Angelo.
Photo credit: David F. Granville

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If you have any questions or comments about this page, please contact Chris Brown.
Last updated: 3/2004