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The Brisbane Building - a Father & Son Masterpiece

Originally published: 7/4/2008 by Buffalo Place.

The Brisbane Building debuted in 1895, as the premier work of a father and son firm of local architects, Milton E. Beebe and Son. During that period in Buffalo history, the Beebes found themselves in great demand to design churches, residential and commercial buildings. Milton E. Beebe was the grandson of one of Buffalo 's first settlers and he worked as a carpenter before moving into the field of architectural design. During the late 1880's Milton 's son Henry joined him at the firm.

Their masterpiece, Brisbane Building, is an imposing structure featuring large pilasters breaking the front expanse and terra cotta capitals of ornate design, culminating in a rich Corinthian cornice. Approximately 3 million bricks and 2,000 tons of iron and steel were used to construct this seven-story mixed-use building, which opened in 1895 and incorporated both retail and office space. The building is best known to longtime Downtown devotees, as the former home of the Kleinhans Co., a men's specialty clothing store, which was a Buffalo institution for 97 years. The Brisbane Building sits at the corner of Main and Clinton Street and opens to Lafayette Square on the north side of the building. It serves as majestic background to many Downtown special events and public gatherings.