Schenck House 1823

The Schenck House - built 1822 - is one of the earliest extant homes currently within the City of Buffalo limits. It was built by early pioneer and farmer Michael Schenck (1772–1844) and his son Samuel Schenck (Nov. 17th 1793 - Dec. 1st 1872) ; out of locally queried limestone, where many fossils can be seen on the eastern side of the facade. The Schenck family dates back to 1709 when they first arrived in America in an effort to escape religious persecution for being Protestant, specifically Mennonite. Just over a hundred years later they would find themselves in two covered wagons, traversing the Allegheny Mountains, and settling at the border between the City of Buffalo and Town of Amherst. Here they practiced the same farming techniques they had in Pennsylvania and earlier in Germany. These techniques by today’s standards could be termed “environmentally friendly", and Polyculture due to their use of crop rotation, production of multiple food products on a family farm, and the use of cow manure. The Schencks like other German settlers practiced the keeping and feeding of multiple types of animals; housing them in a barn through winter. This practice was considered unusual by farmers of British heritage. While the German idea of feeding and housing animals through winter was adopted by non-German farmers in the 19th century, the keeping of a variety of animals was not. Many 19th century farmers began to develop specialized farms, unofficially becoming a "pig farmer" or "cattle rancher". Three generations of Schencks continued practicing polyculture of crops and animals even when monoculture continue to expand and “special” or synthetic fertilizers were being developed and used.

The property was originally part of the Hamlet of Snyder, in the Town of Amherst and continued to be when the family sold it to the The Country Club of Buffalo in 1898. The Country Club kept the original buildings except for a cottage - north west of the main stone house - where Samuel Schenck’s mother Catherine Schenck lived, 1855 Map of Erie County, New York. They added a tennis court, polo field, large club house, garages and a 16 hole golf course. The Golf Course was completed in 1902. The property was rezoned in the 1920s when it was sold to the City of Buffalo. It became a public park and golf course called Grover Cleveland Golf Course. It was transferred again in the 1970s, this time to Erie County, however, the property remained in the city limits. Around 1970, the large barn, and significantly smaller structure were demolished. The Schenck house currently has three of the original six buildings and roughly a 180 acres of the original acres surviving to 2016. The 2003 Master Plan developed by Erie County has stated that it is looking at filing for preservation status. The three remaining buildings, in addition to census, church and other records, show that the architecture, farming techniques and religious preferences of the Schencks were of a distinctly Pennsylvania German-Swiss (also called Pennsylvanian Dutch) heritage and culture. They were part of a wave of immigrants that arrived in the Niagara County (later divided into Niagara & Erie County) during the pre-civil war era. Many of the immigrants from Pennsylvania did not live in isolated communities and instead built homes and lived among people from a variety of places of origin. The Friends of Schenck House work with and support Erie County and the 2003 Master Plan to restore the second oldest building in the City of Buffalo. "Another notable “heritage” aspect of the Grover Cleveland Golf Course is that the site has one of the oldest stone buildings in Erie County on it, possibly dating back as early as the 1810s. This structure is currently used for limited offices and storage for the golf course operations, and is in need of upgrades to preserve its structural and architectural integrity." Eire Country 2003 Master Plan, Section 4 "The old stone house is also one for the history books. Records show that it is one of the oldest structures of its kind in Erie County, possibly dating back as far as the 1810s. This property was originally a large farm / estate, which was acquired by the Country Club of Buffalo who was forced to move from their Nottingham Terrace (North Buffalo) location to make way for the Pan-American Exposition of 1901." Eire Country 2003 Master Plan, Section 4 Actions prescribed by Eire Country 2003 Master Plan, Section 4 "Consider the inclusion of the stone house and outbuildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Consider a public/private partnership in restoring the old stone house structure and associated out-buildings. Potential exists for a heritage-related museum, restaurant, upgraded golf course-related facility, meeting rooms, etc. Maximize the access and visibility to Main Street, the proximity to the University at Buffalo and the close proximity to some of the region’s most prestigious homes as major marketing advantages for future uses at this facility."

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