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Welcome to the Buffalo Presidential Center!
Besides Washington, D.C., Buffalo is the city with the most connections to the 45 men who have served as president.
Millard Fillmore (1850-53) and Grover Cleveland (1885-89 and 1893-97) each made their reputations in Buffalo before being elected president. There were two processions to honor Abraham Lincoln after his assassination, and Lincoln's funeral train stopped in Buffalo on April 27, 1865. William McKinley was assassinated at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo in 1901, and eight days later, his Vice-President, Theodore Roosevelt, took the oath of office at the Wilcox Mansion on Delaware Avenue.
With visits from nearly every president for the past 140 years, Western New York is rich in presidential history. The Buffalo Presidential Center commemorates and celebrates these connections, with an eye toward history.
We are an all-volunteer, non-profit organization chartered by New York State to explore and share stories about Western New York’s historic and contemporary contributions to the Presidency and national affairs.
The Buffalo Presidential Center operates a museum on the second floor of the Central Library free of charge. We also travel throughout Western New York, presenting public programs and exhibits. If you’re interested in learning more about our topics, or hosting a speaker for your group, please visit the Speaker's Bureau tab.
Buffalo Presidential Center
2nd floor of the Buffalo and Erie County Library
1 Lafayette Square
Buffalo, N.Y. 14203
Hours of operation:
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. every Saturday
© photo by Steven D. Desmond
Upcoming Events:
Uncle Sam: Symbol of Patriotism
Saturday, July 11, 11:30 a.m. at the Buffalo Presidential Center
Uncle Sam says "I want you!" in a variety of posters and promotions. Around Independence Day, the image takes many forms and inspires national pride.
But where and when did Uncle Sam originate? Was he the first symbol of patriotism for America?
Continue to celebrate America 250 with trustee Bren Price, who reveals several surprising historical facts and legends.
Visit the Buffalo Presidential Center before the Taste of Buffalo!
Tim Garfield
Death by Lightning
a presentation by Tim Garfield
Wednesday, August 5, 7 p.m. at the Buffalo Presidential Center
Join Tim Garfield, the great-great grandson of President James Garfield and director of the Garfield Trail in Ohio, as he explores facts, myths, and insights about the President's life. He will also discuss the popular Netflix docudrama Death by Lightning, which premiered last fall and was named one of the best television shows of the year by the American Film Institute.
Death by Lightning, based on Candice Millard’s 2011 book Destiny of the Republic, focuses on the election of James Garfield in 1880, and his brief presidency. Garfield served only 200 days before being assassinated in Washington D.C.
Current exhibit: Uncle Sam, Symbol of Patriotism
Uncle Sam’s origins are disputed, but the name is associated with Sam Wilson, a businessman who supplied the army during the War of 1812. His barrels were stamped "U.S." for the government, leading him to be nicknamed "Uncle Sam."
Cartoonist and illustrator Thomas Nast popularized Uncle Sam as thin, tall, with an angular face, tousled long hair, goatee, high hat, striped pantaloons, swallow-tailed coat and gaudy vest, his friendly figure almost always emanating a proper dignity and morality.
Then artist James Montgomery Flagg picked up the mantle. The image of a relatively nice guy was followed by angry, graphic illustrations during the World Wars I and II.
Visit the Buffalo Presidential Center to learn more about the history of Uncle Sam.
"Buffalo is full of inspiration! Next to Washington, the richest presidential history of any city."
— Brady Carlson, NPR host and author of Dead Presidents: An American Adventure into the Strange Deaths and Surprising Afterlives of our Nation's Leaders
© photo by Steven D. Desmond