Schenck House (Buffalo)

The property was originally part of the Hamlet of Snyder, in the Town of Amherst and continued to be when the family sold it to the Country Club of Buffalo[1] in 1898.

[2][3][4] They added a tennis court, polo field, large club house, garages and a 16-hole golf course.

The three remaining buildings, in addition to census, church and other records, show that the architecture, farming techniques and religious preferences of the Schencks were of a distinctly Pennsylvania German-Swiss (also called Pennsylvanian Dutch) heritage and culture.

[5] The Friends of Schenck House work with and support Erie County and the 2003 Master Plan to restore the second oldest building in the City of Buffalo.

The Continental Pennsylvania German House plan was brought over to America with immigrants in the 17th and 18th century and dates to the Middle Ages in Central Europe.

The exterior of the Schenck house is in the “Pennsylvania German Traditional” (PGT) style pre-1830s due to the asymmetry of the front door.

Items found in Michael Schenck's 1844 inventory that relate to food preparation included the following: One ten plate stove & Pipe, 1 kitchen cupboard & crockery, 1 table, settee (possibly Pennsylvanian German style), elbow chair, Ironware and hooks.

Despite many changes in technology in the 19th century, the presence of "a lot of chains" in the kitchen may relate to her either still using the fireplace for some cooking, or were for seasonal use when apple butter making in heavy kettles.

The surviving outbuildings include a red brick, two room building with a loft used either as a SpringHouse or summer kitchen.