Martin House History

Martin House regularly acquires new works of art that enhance our collection. Our most recent addition is a Side Chair made by Gustave Stickley at The Craftsman Workshops, Eastwood, New York, ca. 1905. The armless oak chair was featured in the furniture company’s catalogue from 1909 listed as item No.382.…

Objects play a prominent role in the interpretation of historic sites. This holds true at the Martin House, where furniture, art glass, and other works of art designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for the Martins—as well as the family’s own personal belongings—help tell the story of this very special place.…

Objects play a prominent role in the interpretation of historic sites. This holds true at the Martin House, where furniture, art glass, and other works of art designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for the Martins—as well as the family’s own personal belongings—help tell the story of this very special place.…

Frank Lloyd Wright felt the hearth was the heart of the home. Not surprisingly, the Martin House features four fireplaces. Each tells a story, such as the pair of beautiful sunburst-patterned fireplaces. The first is an inviting golden-mortared hearth that dominates the north wall of the first-floor reception room; while…

The chrysanthemum holds a special place among flowers. Beloved for its beauty and resilience, it is commonly associated with autumn and even more precisely the month of November. Perhaps, then, it should come as no surprise that the Martins grew mums on their residential estate. Today, as back then, they…

The Martin House served as a beautiful backdrop for a video production of What Light Through Yonder Window Breaks from Romeo & Juliet. The video was part of the "Shakespeare's Greatest Hits" series, produced through a collaboration between WNED PBS and Shakespeare in Delaware Park – Buffalo's free, high-quality public…

With back-to-school season in full swing, this article from our curator provides an historical glimpse at the educational formation of Dorothy R. Martin (1896-1980). Dorothy R. Martin was the eldest child of Darwin D. and Isabelle Martin. Raised in the Martin House during her formative years, Dorothy had the privilege…

The Heintz Art Metal Shop of Buffalo, New York, flourished during the early years of the twentieth century, producing some of the finest decorative metal wares of the American Arts & Crafts movement. The enterprise made a wide variety of objects of “things not found elsewhere,” including vases, bowls, desk…

The Martin Family employed a number of people on staff at their home on Jewett Parkway. We know many lived on the property, including in the Gardener’s Cottage and in the carriage house. The lives of the staff are more of a mystery than those of the Martin Family. Working…

“The striving for entity, oneness in diversity, depth in design, repose in the final expression of the whole—all these are there in common pattern between architect and musician” ¹ – Frank Lloyd Wright Music is a persistent theme in the life and work of Frank Lloyd Wright. In his Autobiography,…

As the season begins to turn, friends and families will be gathering soon to celebrate the holidays—whether in person or virtually. With this in mind, we hope many of you might draw inspiration from the lives of the Martins by adapting a few of their traditions for a new generation.…

Women of the Martin House | Louise Mueller’s Photographs of Isabelle and Dorothy Martin Louise F. Mueller—also known as Louise F. Müller—was a local photographer who took images of notable residents of the city of Buffalo, including members of the Martin family. But what more is known of this largely…