Buffalo East Side Churches (Genealogy)

Buffalo East Side Neighborhood

Buffalo East Side Churches

This page seeks to document what we know about the old churches of Buffalo's East Side Neighborhood. If you can add information (or photographs), please contact me.

Last Updated: 27 August 2006

NOTE: Email addresses have been modified to reduce spam.

Protestant
St. Peter's German Evangelical Church 1835-1935
1848-1854 Records have been transcribed.

Later called St. Peters Evangelical and Reform Church. Founded in 1835 when a German Congregation was formed within the Presbytery under the name German Evangelical Church. Up until 1848 this church was a mission of the First Presbyterian Church. Church was also known as St. Peter's Evangelical Reformed and St. Peter's United Church of Christ. Acquired the original building of St. Paul's Episcopal in 1849 and moved it to the Genesee Street location (at Hickory). Notes from Jack Smith (deceased) indicate that the (wooden?) church was torn down in 1876 and rebuilt in 1877. St. Peter's merged with Lloyd's Memorial, both became New Covenant United Church of Christ on Clinton Street in Buffalo. All St. Peters records were relinquished as follows: The original registers for this church are now located in the Buffalo & Erie Co. Historical Society. The Buffalo & Erie. Co. Public Library may also be in possession of some records (possibly Bibles) in the rare book room. St. Peters records (1848 -1968) are on FHL#1381672. St. Peters was one of three churches that used Concordia Cemetery on Walden Avenue in Buffalo. Some Concordia Cemetery records are on film # 0897407. Years 1879-1920 (approx) are online.

[Reverend Edward Jung of St. Peter's German Evangelical Church, Buffalo, NY]
Reverend Edward Jung; pastor there 1876-1894; photo courtesy of Darcy McCabe; Photographer: F. Ruppel, 182 Maple St. Buffalo, NY

[St. Peter's German Evangelical Church 1835-1935 (Interior)]
Interior shot of St. Peter's (Photo courtesy of Karen Kolb)
  • St. Paul / St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran
    In the beginning of the year 1843 about 30 families separated themselves from the St. John's Evang. Lutheran Church on Hickory Street and resolved to found a new German Evangelical church. The first pastor was Jan van Linge, who had been chosen in the first year of its existence 1843. But at the end of 1844, before the completion of the building, he resigned his position and the congregation called Rev. Frederick Soldan of Rochester, NY. Eight years he served the congregation faithfully, but nevertheless, he was not able to prevent a division which resulted in the seceding of many members from the church. These seceders at once united themselves to organize a new evangelical congregation--the present St. Stephen's church--with Rev. Soldan as their pastor. This was a sad experience for the congregation [of St. Paul's], the result of which was felt more seriously as the congregation was not able to recover from this effect under the successors to Rev. Soldau, the pastors Kalthaeuser and Wm. Schmidt." [Source: "Geschichte der Deutschen in Buffalo und Erie County, N.Y." (History of The Germans in Buffalo and Erie County, N.Y.), Verlag und Druck von Reinecke & Zesch., Buffalo, NY, 1898, p. 295.]
  • St. Stephen's United Evangelical (German)
    Adams at the corner of Peckham
    1) Rev. Charles F. Soldan (1803-1875)
    2) Rev. F. Schelle
    Organized in 1853 by several members who split off from St. Paul's German United Evangelical, under the initial pastor Charles Frederick Soldan (1803-1875). Early services being held in the French Protestant church at Ellicott & Tupper. In 1854, Soldan resigned and Rev. G. Schelle became pastor and served for 45 years. In 1858 the congregation built its own church at Peckham & Adams Streets. In 1874 the church was enlarged and dedicated with a seating capacity of 1600. The Evangelical Church home (for the aged) was built in 1874, a school house built in 1885 and a parsonage in 1900. The church was still on the same site in the 1920's. St. Stephen's was one of three churches that used Concordia Cemetery on Walden Avenue in Buffalo. Concordia Cemetery records are on film # 0897407. Some scattered burial records are still held by Concordia Cemetery but not in any order. As of 1997, this congregation is now known as St. Stephen's Bethlehem United Church of Christ. Relocated in 1957 to 750 Wehrle Drive, Amherst New York. The baptismal font in this church was dedicated in the original church on 22 May 1864. They are in possession of the original registers (in the old German script) for the following years: 1853-1879 all records, 1880-1901 deaths, 1880-1903 births, 1880-1898 marriages, 1880-1901 confirmations, and additional recent registers. These records are not available on LDS microfilm, but were filmed by the WNYGS in summer 2004 and are available through them at the Erie/Buffalo public library.

  • United Evangelical St. Marcus
    393-397 Oak Street
    Rev. Otto Bueren (anyone know from when to when?)

Catholic
  • Fourteen Holy Helpers Parish
    Located in what is now Gardenville, West Seneca, Erie County. Initially built by the "Community of True Inspiration" (a Lutheran splinter group), the Catholics purchased this property after the former emigrated further west (see section above), forming this church in October 1864.
  • St. Adalbert Basilica
    Color photo of interior
    212 Stanislaus St, Buffalo NY 14212
    ph: 716-895-8091
    "This parish was formed in 1886, amidst strong tensions between the pastor of St. Stanislaus the Rev. Jon Pitass, Bishop Ryan and members of the Polish community. It makes for a fascinating history as relayed in the church histories found in the links below. But none of this should take away from the beauty of this church that was proclaimed the United States' first Basilica by the Vatican in 1907."

  • St. Ann's Catholic Church
    Interior Photo
    bfn.org/preservationworks/bam/ch/stann/ext/stannext.html
    from Buffalo Preservation Works.

  • St. Joseph's Church
    According to "Former St. Joseph's Cemetery, University Heights, Buffalo", by Glenn R.P. Atwell, Western New York Genealogy Genealogical Journal, Vol. XXIX, No. 1 (June 2002, pg. 14), this cemetery was closed about 1924, by which time many of the remains were moved to the German & French Cemetery at Pine Ridge in Cheektowaga. Any remaining bodies were place in a common grave. [Where?] The burial register between November 1857 and December 1894 have disappeared. A search of the parish offices in the 1970s failed to located the records. The article lists removals from St. Joseph's Cemetery recorded at the United and French R. C. Cemetery, Pine Hill, 1884-1926.

  • [St. Louis Church, Buffalo, NY] St. Louis Church
    Main & Edwards Streets,
    Buffalo, NY

    According to Rick Fraas, this is the oldest Catholic church in Buffalo. It still stands at the corner of Main & Edward street. Many of the families who lived in the fruit belt (Grape, Maple , Mulberry, Peach streets, etc.) attended here. The church records have been microfilmed and are at the downtown library, in the Canisius College archives and several other places in city.

    Photo courtesy of Kate Johnson

    NEW! Karl R. Josker has taken a wonderful interior photo of St. Louis.


  • St. Mary of Sorrows / Church of the Seven Dolors
    Location: 938 Genesee at Rich St; corner-stone laid 19 Jun 1887. See also:

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