Concrete-Central Elevator is a historic

grain elevator A grain elevator is a facility designed to stockpile or store grain. In the grain trade, the term "grain elevator" also describes a tower containing a bucket elevator or a pneumatic conveyor, which scoops up grain from a lower level and deposits ...

located on the Buffalo River at 175 Buffalo River (750 Ohio St.) Buffalo in

Erie County, New York Erie County is a county along the shore of Lake Erie in western New York State. As of the 2020 census, the population was 954,236. The county seat is Buffalo, which makes up about 28% of the county's population. Both the county and Lake Erie w ...

History

Concrete Central was built between 1915 and 1917 at the height of World War I. Due to its being the largest grain elevator in the world and concerns about German sabotage, Concrete Central's method of construction was top secret. The facility was utilized for grain storage until 1966. Concrete Central stretches along the Buffalo River for almost a quarter of a mile and was the largest transfer elevator in the world at the time of its completion in 1917. It is also the largest elevator ever built in the Buffalo area. When in operation, it had the capacity to handle a total of of grain. The elevator allowed crews to load and unload 20 railroad cars an hour, and three marine legs along the Buffalo River side could load and unload three massive

lake freighter Lake freighters, or lakers, are bulk carrier vessels that operate on the Great Lakes of North America. These vessels are traditionally called boats, although classified as ships. Since the late 19th century, lakers have carried bulk cargoes of m ...

s at one time.

In the news

In 1976, a young boy was killed in a fall after climbing to the roof of the building. The City of Buffalo removed nearly all stairs from the multiple staircases in the structure to secure the building from a similar tragedy. On May 28, 2013, at roughly 1630 hrs the Buffalo Fire Department received multiple reports of smoke showing from the roof of the Concrete Central main elevator. Due to the location of the grain elevator and no accessible roads to the complex, the Buffalo Fire Department requested Engine 20, the Edward M. Cotter (fireboat) to respond and extinguish the flames only. It took several hours but the fire was contained to small area of the roof and put out. Buffalo Fire

Arson Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...

Investigators were investigating possible arson at the complex. No damage estimate was listed, and no injuries were reported.

Location

The complex sits on a remote parcel, with the only land access attainable via multiple railroad bridges from the northside of the complex and one railroad service road. The complex is easily viewable from the Red Jacket Park located at the foot of Smith Street or for kayakers in the Buffalo River. This area, riddled with mostly inactive but a few operational elevators, is known as Silo City.

Present day

Following 1966, Concrete Central changed ownership multiple times but sat idle. ''Note:'' This includes an
''Accompanying four photographs''
/ref> In 1975 Concrete Central was abandoned as a derelict property. Machinery, furniture and metal as well as other items have been looted from the building leaving it an unsecured empty shell to this day. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2003.

Gallery

File:ConcreteCentralWorkhouse Oct 2012.jpg, Workhouse File:Concrete-Central Basement.JPG, Basement

References

External links

Concrete--Central Elevator - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com
* * ttp://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=81256 Skyscraperpage building pagebr>Emporis building page
{{National Register of Historic Places in New York Historic American Engineering Record in New York (state) Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) Infrastructure completed in 1915 Grain elevators in New York (state) Buildings and structures in Buffalo, New York National Register of Historic Places in Buffalo, New York