How to Take a Walk—in Buffalo, and Beyond (2nd in the Series)

September 21, 2022 Abraham Smith

We continue the series on Walking Buffalo, from the intrepid couple who went for a walk every day – no matter the weather – during the first 30 months of Covid. They believe (without being systematic) that they walked down every street in Buffalo and many in other cities and towns and took about 20,000 photos, some of which are shared in this series. While not itineraries, we hope to encourage others to “walk the path,” to see, observe, and appreciate Buffalo—and beyond. William Graebner and Dianne Bennett are also film critics here for 5 Cent Cine.

Also watch part I of the series.

Today’s photo report: Look up! roofers and roofers

We traveled for months before we got interested in roofs – yes, roofs. We got help from the internet and from a cousin of Dianne, a contractor with experience in the roofing trade.

There are perhaps a dozen roof types, including the standard “gable” roof found everywhere. Two other species are quite common in Buffalo. One is the gambrel roof, which has two slopes descending from the top instead of one: the higher slope has a moderate angle, the lower slope is steeper. The gambrel is sometimes referred to as a “barn roof” due to its common use for barns. You will often see it in rural areas – but also in the city. The urban gambrel suggests nostalgia for a simpler, rural America.

Here are two pitched roof houses on Masten Avenue:

And a huge and unusual peaked dormer somewhere in front of Colvin on the north side.

And this is Dianne, wearing a mask, looking at the non-functional Gambrel motif on the side of a large house on Linview Terrace north of Delaware Park.

So you think you’ve got the Gambrel under control? The problem is that what we call “fake” gambling is more common than actual gambling. The “fake” Gambrel has a traditional gabled roof line fronted by a sliver of a Gambrel – apparently just for looks. The designer simply couldn’t resist an allusion to the barn.

**A “fake” gambrel roof, Far East Side. There are several fake gambrels on Crescent Avenue between Parkside and Colvin.**

Another popular roof style is the clipped gable, also known as jerkinhead. It’s a good bet that most people who live in a house with this roof don’t know they live under a sucker. A good performer in high winds, the Jerkinhead looks like they’ve taken the standard gabled roof and cut off the end, leaving a sloping triangle.

We found an idiot at Raymondo’s Pizzeria, in East Delavan and Ivanhoe.

Off Grider, south of 33, a row of jerkins. They often come in bundles.

Not far from Amherst Quarry – probably on East Amherst St. – is a house with at least (there are sides not visible in the photo) 3 doublet roofs.

The mansard roof dates from the 16th century^th Century, but after a 17th^thCentury French architect surnamed Mansard. Rarely seen on homes, it’s unfortunately fairly common for businesses. Not our favourite. Wandering around Lockport in the snow in February, we came across an extreme attic – the building as an attic, the medium is the message. Thrown in with a few dormers.

Finally, there is a “roof configuration” that deserves a mention. It’s particularly common in the Broadway/Fillmore area, just west of Central Terminal. The ‘Telescope’ house takes its name from serial extensions to the main house – apparently to accommodate a growing family – each smaller than the last, creating a descending roofline from front to back.

A green telescope house, with 3 sections, the central terminal in the background:

**A 3-part “telescope” house, west of the central terminal]**

And a 4-piece telescope in the same neighborhood. There can be a “5” somewhere!

Solar panels are becoming more common, even in neighborhoods like the Fruit Belt where homes are often modest.

Buffalo’s housing stock is old and the city’s rooftops are prone to decay. We’ve found that the first buildings to suffer from neglect are garages. This one, with plants growing out of a big hole, is probably beyond salvage:

**A damaged garage roof seen from the path south of Beverly Road in Hamlin Park**

If you look at rooftops you will see roofers in action. For us, they approach mythical figures struggling at perilous heights, carrying heavy loads of asphalt shingles up two-story ladders (climbable with one hand), and demonstrating courage every day.

Whether you buy this or not, roofers are worth watching.

One day in September 2020, as we were walking down East End Avenue (one side of which is in Buffalo and the other in Cheektowaga), we came across a major roofing job being done on a two-story building (with high floors) at the intersection with Genesee St. Most of the roofers, including a young woman (who told us her name was “Queenie”), paused at street level. When she saw me photographing the building, she ran up the tall ladder in her sneakers, eager to be photographed, and then posed exuberantly for a photo.

**A young woman roofer, poses for a photograph, East End and Genesee**

Then there was the young man carrying a roof over a two-story building on Fillmore, off Smith Street, wearing patriotic shorts and showing a lot of skin while holding on to the roof with his toes.