It wasn’t long after settling into her new Parkside home when Rebecca Morris-Chatta arrived at the Martin House and raised her hand to volunteer. She started as a Chaperone but soon trained to be a Docent, eventually landing in the role of Education Docent – a perfect fit for the retired lawyer and law professor.
Rebecca specialized in public health law, developing the first public health law course for students at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. She and her husband moved to Buffalo in 2014, and she chose the Parkside neighborhood to be close to the Martin House and Delaware Park. She is the mother of three daughters and the grandmother of “one beautiful boy.”
Inspired by Wright’s design of the Martin family estate, Rebecca loves watching students discover the complexities of the house. “Whether a teenager grasps the physics of the pier and steel I-beam structural system and its many design benefits, or preschoolers find geometric shapes they’ve studied in the art glass, young people identify with the architecture authentically and enthusiastically,” said Rebecca.
What is so unique about the school programs offered by the Martin House? “The programs offer an opportunity to discuss Buffalo and American history, which can help students connect with the significance of the site. If we inspire one child to explore the idea of becoming an architect, designer, or historian, we’ve succeeded in something life-altering.”
Thank you to Rebecca Morris-Chatta for sharing your enthusiasm for the Martin House with so many young people in our community over these past six years.
Interested in hearing about volunteer opportunities at the Martin House?
