StoneHouse
Built in 1888 in the Colonial Revival style, the 4,702 square foot mansion sits on 0.11 acres on Elmwood Avenue between Summer and Bryant streets in Buffalo, New York, directly across from the Buffalo Tennis and Squash Club. The exterior of the house was built with Onondaga limestone. Beautiful natural woodwork and hardwood floors are the main features of the interior warmed with six working fireplaces. Grand entrance, tall ceilings, butler’s pantry and an interesting service stairway still exude the feeling of the comfortable luxury of the Buffalo city’s success at the turn of the century.
It was built for Mr. and Mrs. William C Warren who lived at the stone house in the 1890s. Mr. Williams was with James P Warren’s Sons. He was a publisher and proprietor of the Buffalo Commercial Newspaper with offices located on Washington and North Division. The Buffalo Commercial was published from 1843 until 1951. Historical record shows that Judge Charles B. Wheeler and his family took residence of the house in the early 1900s, where he lived the rest of his life. Judge Wheeler came from an influential family in Auburn, NY, graduated from Williams College in 1873, and then moved to Buffalo to study law at Sprague & Gorham Law Firm. As an attorney, Wheeler was very respected and influential in the Republican party. He served for a long time as a chairman of the Civil Service Commission, and was endorsed by Republicans, Democrats and the Independent League for his nomination to the Supreme Court in 1907. He served a full term of fourteen years as the justice of the Supreme Court. The Judge was married to Frances Munro Rochester in 1883 and they had two children. The mansion at 305 Elmwood is still called Justice Wheeler’s house in historical documents.
The main features of the house did not change even with the conversion from a residential to a commercial building. Some architectural features have historical significance and have survived the years with little damage.
Culov Wealth Management moved into the house in May 2018 and immediately started renovations of the interior. Our vision is to revive the historic architectural grandeur of the building, restore and preserve all the important features while modernizing its amenities, making it a comfortable place for our clients and colleagues to enjoy visiting. The Stonehouse at 305 continues as one of the landmarks of the diverse and vibrant community of Elmwood Village.
