Gothic Revival gargoyles and a 244-foot tower mark the Old Post Office at 121 Ellicott Street, the landmark you face inside the Joseph Ellicott Historic District in Buffalo. Designed by the Office of the Supervising Architect of the old U.S. Post Office Department during Jeremiah O'Rourke’s tenure, construction began in 1897 on a $1.5 million, highly ornamented Gothic Revival building. It opened in 1901 during the tenure of James Knox Taylor and then operated as Buffalo’s central post office until 1963.
Four stories rise from the street, dominated by a 244-foot (74 m) tower above the central entrance. As you study the façade, take in the recessed arches, the projecting gargoyles and the green Ludowici tile roof that give this building its particular character. Inside, the main feature is a roofed courtyard; afterward the structure housed various federal offices.
In 1972 the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as “U.S. Post Office,” and since 1981 it has been home to the City Campus of SUNY Erie. Picture the recessed arches, projecting gargoyles and green Ludowici tile roof beneath the 244-foot tower over the entrance.