Larkinville, Buffalo — Area Guide & Where to Stay

What are the main landmarks in Larkinville?

Larkinville keeps its landmarks in one run of Larkin Company brick along Seneca Street. The ten-floor Larkin Terminal Warehouse holds the south end at 726 Exchange Street, on the corner of Van Rensselaer Street. Larkin Square, the public gathering ground that opened in 2012, sits east along Seneca Street from the Larkin Center of Commerce at 701 Seneca Street.

The Larkin Administration Building stood at 680 Seneca Street until 1950. One brick pier survives. The nearest waterfront attractions, the USS Croaker among them, are moored at Canalside about a mile and a half west, outside the district.

What is the history of Larkinville?

Larkinville began as the Hydraulics, named for the canal the Buffalo Hydraulic Association cut in 1827 to give the city its first industrial power. John D. Larkin bought land on Seneca Street in 1877 and built his first soap factory there. By 1901, 87 retail businesses traded on Seneca Street between Larkin Street and Smith Street.

The Larkin Powerhouse chimney rose 250 feet. Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Larkin Administration Building at 680 Seneca Street, his first commercial commission, finished in 1906 and demolished in 1950.

Where is Larkinville?

Larkinville lies southeast of downtown Buffalo, between Swan Street on the north and the I-190 Niagara Thruway on the south, with Seneca Street running its length.