About the Birge Mansion
The Mansion was built for George K. Birge who was the founder of
Birge Wallpaper Company. This was a famous wallpaper company. The
Mansion was known back when it was built as the "Circle House"
because of its location on what is now Symphony Circle. The Birge
family has an unusual circular monument at Forest Lawn Cemetery
memorializing this.
As the 19th century drew to a close, the homes built in the neighborhood grew ever larger. The Georgian Revival style mansion was built in 1896-1897 for George K. Birge, owner of the famous Victorian-era wallpaper manufacturing business on Niagara Street. It was designed by the prestigious architectural firm of Little and Browne of Boston, Massachusetts. After passing from the Birge family to become a convent and later an Elks lodge, the Birge mansion was close to demolition until it was declared a local landmark in 1977. The Birge mansion was all but written off to demolition and would be only a memory today if it were not for a few Buffalonians passionate about saving the building. Inspired by a desire to preserve the building for future generations, citizens chased away those who tried to loot the house of its interior architectural treasures. A few individuals negotiated the buy-back of existing mortgages to gain control over the property. The fact that the Birge mansion remains on Symphony Circle is a testament to the grassroots efforts of a few individuals willing to make a difference in the community.
