Cyrus Kinne Porter (August 27, 1828 - January 30, 1910) was a prominent architect in
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...
, during the
Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...
, known for the many churches he designed throughout the city of Buffalo.
Early life
Porter was born in
Cicero, New York
Cicero is a town in northern Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 31,632 at the 2010 census. The name of the town was assigned by a clerk interested in the classics, honoring Cicero, a Roman statesman.
The Town of Cicero ...
, on August 27, 1828, to Welcome Porter (1805–1845) and Rachel Kinne. He was orphaned at age 17 when he learned the trade of a joiner. He studied
architectural drawing, and became an accomplished draftsman.
Porter was a descendant of Robert Porter, who emigrated from England to the American Colonies and became one of the founders of
Farmington, Connecticut
Farmington is a town in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 26,712 at the 2020 census. It sits 10 miles west of Hartford at the hub of major I-84 interchanges, 20 miles ...
, where he settled in 1640. Robert's son, Thomas, was the father of Nathaniel, who was the father of David, who purchased a farm in
Cicero, NY, about 1812 or 1813, and resided there till his death. Cyrus Porter's grandfather, David, who married Esther, the daughter of Gideon and Hannah (née Messenger) Burr, were the parents of Cyrus' father, Welcome Porter.
Career
In 1853, he became employed as a draftsman for the
Chicago Water Works, then from 1855 to 1856 ran an architectural office in
Brantford, Ontario
Brantford ( 2021 population: 104,688) is a city in Ontario, Canada, founded on the Grand River in Southwestern Ontario. It is surrounded by Brant County, but is politically separate with a municipal government of its own that is fully indepen ...
, with partner John Turner (1807–1887). In 1865, Porter moved to Buffalo, entering into partnership with H. M. Wilcox as Wilcox & Porter, and designing buildings including the
Ovid Insane Asylum and Normal schools at Fredonia, Cortland, and Potsdam. He subsequently designed a large number of buildings in Buffalo under various partnerships including Porter and Watkins (1874), Porter and Percival (1880–1883), and Porter and Son (1888–1910).
Prominent works
Some of his best-known works in Buffalo are:
*The American Block
*The Coal and Iron Exchange (before 1883, now demolished)
*The Buffalo Cyclorama Building (1888)
*The Builders' Exchange
*Trinity Church on Delaware Avenue (1886)
*The Church of the Holy Name (1904)
*St. Patrick's Church
*The Disciples of Christ Church
*Richmond Avenue Church of Christ (1886)
*
The William Hengerer Company store (1904 with 2 story addition in 1910)
Personal life
On December 4, 1854, Porter married Edna Marie Smith (d. 1857), the daughter of Stafford and Lucy Smith of
Waterford, Ontario
Waterford is one of the Communities in Norfolk County, Ontario and had a population of 3,132 at the time of the 2016 Census.
Antiques from different historical eras can be purchased from downtown antique stores. Norfolk FS (formerly known as the ...
. Before her early death, they had one child, a son who died in infancy.
Porter married for the second time, to Emeline Rice, the daughter of Jesse and Ellen (née Holmes) Rice of
Townsend, Ontario
Townsend is a planned community in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada, that was founded in 1970 with the expectation it would house the developing industrial region to the south around Nanticoke.
Summary
While there used to be some commercial ...
. Together, they had two sons and three daughters, including:
* Edna M. Porter (1860- )
* Jesse R. Porter (1861-1929)
* Hermione T. Porter
* Minnie K. Porter.
* Cyrus K. Porter Jr. (b. 1873), also an architect who married Belle T. Weekes, daughter of Robert Stratton Weekes, of New York City, in 1904.
Two of his children went on to become architects with his son, Jesse, becoming his partner. Jesse designed the Plymouth Avenue Methodist Church his daughter Edna studied architecture at
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...
, having graduated from Buffalo High School in 1881.
References
External links
Cyrus Kinne Porter in Buffalo, NYby Christopher Brown
Buffalo Cyclorama Building
{{DEFAULTSORT:Porter, Cyrus Kinne
1910 deaths
1828 births
Architects from Buffalo, New York
19th-century American architects