Original Plan of Humboldt Park (now Martin Luther King, Jr. Park), 1896.
(Annual Report, Buffalo Board of Park Commissioners, 1896.)
The Olmsted firm proposed this plan in 1896 at the request of the Park Commissioners to replace the Parade. The redesign reflected an altered focus for the space from a citywide to a more localized oasis, and recognized that the original concept of a public assembly area and drill ground was not a successful match to city needs. Central to the new plan were new water features, including a huge wading pool, a lily pool and a fountain, all bordered with granite coping, a large picnic area and formal pedestrian walks.
This plan was further revised in 1903 to accommodate the demolition of the deteriorating Parade House and its replacement with a much smaller park shelter building. (The shelter, still standing, featured a distinctive roofline and was designed by Robert Wallace, a notable Buffalo architect.) The 1903 revision proposed a small zoo, adjacent to the picnic grounds. That was never built, as the construction of the zoo at Delaware park eliminated that perceived need.
The 1896 plan, as revised in 1903, is the basis for the grounds which are now Martin Luther King, Jr. Park.
Copyright 1996-20010 Stanton M. Broderick