The DL&W’s architectural merit.
Part 2: How a landmark becomes a lynchpin.
Before receiving its initial National Register recognition in 2023, the DL&W train shed had already demonstrated its value through its enduring presence. Built in 1917, it features reinforced concrete platforms, a vented roof, and a steel structural system designed to withstand heavy use. Though its second floor remains unused today, the first floor of the train shed has seen daily use as the designated place for maintaining and storing Metro Rail cars since the NFTA tore down the Murchison headhouse to make way for the Main Street light rail program in 1979.
The DL&W is a prime example of reinforced concrete engineering developed by DL&W’s chief engineer, Lincoln Bush. The resulting double-deck configuration allowed express freight trains to pass through at grade, while passenger trains were loaded above on the second floor’s raised concrete platform. A series of vents carried steam and smoke up and out of the shed, improving conditions for passengers and extending the life of the building’s materials. Skylights adjacent to this unique venting system allowed natural light to enter. It was elegant in its logic and modest in its ornament.
Inspirational design images from Eimer's architectural plans for the DL&W’s second floor.
More than a century later, the building’s purpose is more apparent than ever. The structure continues to serve Metro Rail operations while anchoring a future phase of development by Savarino DL&W Development LLC that will bring the second floor back into year-round public use. The vision for continued functionality helped make the case for preservation.
The train shed qualified for National Register designation under Criterion C, which recognizes buildings that embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction. It is a rare surviving example of early twentieth-century Bush-style infrastructure and the only one of its kind in Buffalo. The structure’s concrete decks, steel supports, and arched skylight frames remain intact. Even the original smoke vent locations remain visible on the interior.
KTA Preservation Specialists led the research and documentation process required for the designation, preparing the National Register forms, coordinating with the State Historic Preservation Office, and shepherding Part I and Part II of the federal review process.
“The DL&W Train Shed is a rare surviving example of an early twentieth-century patented Bush-style reinforced concrete train shed,” notes Kerry Traynor of KTA Preservation Specialists. “The building and site play an essential role in the history of railroad transportation in Buffalo, and along the city's waterfront. Listing the DL&W Train Shed on the National Register of Historic Places affirms its significance as a cultural resource. The National Register listing and utilization of historic rehabilitation tax credits adds to the momentum of the redevelopment of this site as a major downtown hub of public transportation and a premier destination for arts, entertainment, and culture.”
In the context of the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program, Part 2 approval refers to the National Park Service’s review and certification of the proposed rehabilitation work to ensure it meets the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.
This means the NPS has closely reviewed and formally approved Savarino DL&W’s proposed rehabilitation of the second floor, finding those uses consistent with the building’s historic character and preservation goals.
Preservation doesn’t always mean creating a hermetic seal around a historic building or other significant built environment. In this case, it is keeping a building in use and serving the public. The DL&W train shed is a civic-scale structure built for movement, light, and change.
Under Savarino DL&W’s watch, that’s still the plan.
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