Lafayette Square (Buffalo, New York)
Public square in Buffalo, New York, USA / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Lafayette Square (formerly Court House Park or Courthouse Square[1]) is a park in the center of downtown Buffalo, Erie County, New York, United States, that hosts a Civil War monument. The block, which was once square, is lined by many of the city's tallest buildings. The square was named for General Lafayette, who visited Buffalo in 1825.[1]
Lafayette Square | |
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Type | Public park/Town Square |
Location | Buffalo, New York |
Coordinates | 42.885702°N 78.873808°W / 42.885702; -78.873808 |
Area | 1 city block |
Created | early 1800s |
Operated by | City of Buffalo |
Status | Open all year |
Public transit access | Lafayette Square (Metro Rail) |
The square was part of the original urban plan for the city as laid out by Joseph Ellicott in 1804.[2] Its eastern edge has long been defined by important civic structures; first, the Erie County Courthouse, followed by the original Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Presidential history was made in Lafayette Square when former United States President Martin Van Buren received the Free Soil Party nomination for the 1848 election.[3] President-elect Abraham Lincoln also spoke at the square.[4]
Today, the square offers a clear view of Buffalo City Hall, an Art Deco building three blocks to the west. A granite Civil War monument, titled Soldiers and Sailors, gives a strong vertical and ceremonial definition to the space. Conceived by Mrs. Horatio Seymour, the monument's dedication ceremony was attended by Grover Cleveland and other prominent figures.[5] Until 2011, Lafayette Square hosted the annual Thursday at the Square summer concert series and is occasionally the site of rallies and demonstrations.[6]