Duane Lyman (1886–1966) was an architect based 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 ...

, known for his prolific career which included 100 school buildings, many churches, and numerous large homes both in the city and suburban communities. At the time of his death, Lyman was referred to as the "dean of Western New York Architecture."

Early life

Lyman was born in

Lockport, New York Lockport is both a city and the town that surrounds it in Niagara County, New York. The city is the Niagara county seat, with a population of 21,165 according to 2010 census figures, and an estimated population of 20,305 as of 2019. Its name d ...

, the son of Richard B. and Molly Hayes Lyman. He attended Lafayette High School in Buffalo and in 1908, graduated from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

Sheffield Scientific School Sheffield Scientific School was founded in 1847 as a school of Yale College in New Haven, Connecticut, for instruction in science and engineering. Originally named the Yale Scientific School, it was renamed in 1861 in honor of Joseph E. Sheffiel ...

, where he studied

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

and

mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, an ...

Career

After graduating in 1908, he traveled abroad to Europe, staying until 1913 and the eve of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He returned to the United States, settling in Buffalo and started an architecture practice. He was chief in three firms: Lansing Bley & Lyman (1912–1919), Bley & Lyman (1919–ca. 1939), and Lyman & Associates (ca. 1939–1966). Lyman volunteered for military service during

, serving in the nation's capital, and left with the rank of major. Some of Lyman's papers survive in the collection of the

Buffalo History Museum The Buffalo History Museum (founded as the Buffalo Historical Society, and later named the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society) is located at 1 Museum Court (formerly 25 Nottingham Court) in Buffalo, New York, just east of Elmwood Avenue and ...

Selected works

* Vars Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Cemetery * 1915: Bert Lee Jones Residence, Derby NY, 6980 Lakeshore Rd. * 1922: Saturn Club, 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 ...

in 2005. * 1924: American Radiator Company Factory Complex, additions to the Institute of Thermal Research, Buffalo, New York ''Note:'' This includes an
''Accompanying photographs''
/ref> * 1927:

Country Club of Buffalo A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while th ...

clubhouse, Buffalo, New York * 1929: Annie Lang Miller House (Nottingham), Buffalo, New York * 1934: Edwin M. and Emily S. Johnston House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. * 1936: Federal Courthouse at

Niagara Square Niagara Square is a public square located at the intersections of Delaware Avenue, Court Street, Genesee Street, and Niagara Street in Buffalo, New York. It is the central hub of Joseph Ellicott's original radial street pattern that he designed ...

, Buffalo, New York * 1937: Old Trees (remodeling), Cazenovia, New York, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. * 1950: Christ the King Chapel, Canisius College * 1950: Williamsville Junior and Senior High School (now

Williamsville South High School Williamsville South High School is a high school located in Williamsville, New York, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. South is one of three high schools in the Williamsville Central School District, along with Williamsville North High School and ...

Amherst, New York Amherst () is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. Amherst is an inner ring suburb of Buffalo. As of 2020, the town had a total population of 129,595. This represents an increase from 122,366 as reported in the 2010 census. The second ...

, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. * 1957:

House at 8 Berkley Drive 8 Berkley Drive is a historic house located at the address of the same name in Lockport, Niagara County, New York Niagara County is in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 212,666. The county seat is Lock ...

, Lockport, New York, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. * 1961: Liberty Building (addition) * 1963: Diefendorf Hall,

University at Buffalo, The State University of New York The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 1846 ...

* 1966: M&T Bank Center, Buffalo

Personal life

In 1911, he married Elizabeth Stimson, with whom he had three daughters. Lyman hunted and fished on his near 100 acre farm near South Wales, in

Western New York Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all sources agree WNY i ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, fished in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

and

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

, Canada, and at his hunting and fishing lodge near Bic in

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

(since 1955), where he was a member of the Anglo-American Fish & Game Club of Bic. He was also a member of the Saturn Club in Buffalo and a life member and director of the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy. Lyman died on April 30, 1966 at his home on 78 Oakland Place in Buffalo, which he designed and built in 1948. He was interred at

Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo Forest Lawn Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in Buffalo, New York, founded in 1849 by Charles E. Clarke. It covers over and over 152,000 are buried there, including U.S. President Millard Fillmore, First Lady Abigail Fillmore, singer Rick J ...

References

External links

Canisius College - Christ the King Chapel

Duane Lyman and Associates, Architects, Records 1923-1975, 1952-1963
An inventory at EmpireADC.org, courtesy of the

.
Michael J. Dillon U.S. Courthouse, Buffalo, NYUB Buildings: Diefendorf Hall
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lyman, Duane 1886 births 1966 deaths 20th-century American architects Architects from Buffalo, New York Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science alumni People from Lockport, New York Lafayette High School (Buffalo, New York) alumni