The Junior League of Buffalo and The Buffalo News are pleased to announce that the St. Patrick’s Friary House has been selected as the location of the 2023 Decorators’ Show House.  The Friary is located in the historic Hydraulic District at 102 Seymour Street, Buffalo NY.  Architect Cyrus Kinne Porter built the 20,070 square foot Gothic Revival style friar in 1891.

The Hydraulics District is Buffalo’s oldest industrial district. The Hydraulics’ boasted several churches that served the area residents’ spiritual needs. The Friary was once part of a larger complex of buildings that sat adjacent to St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church (now demolished), a parish largely made up of Irish immigrants. The Friary stands tall in the neighborhood with 3 ½ stories built of Medina sandstone. Original stained-glass windows and architectural details remain throughout the building.

“We are thrilled to breathe new life into this historic piece of property located in Buffalo’s Hydraulic district,” said Cindi McEachon, Show House Chair. “Our many talented local decorators and artists are sure to give visitors a Show House they will not soon forget.”

St. Patrick’s Friary House will be open for public viewing from June 3 – 24, 2023.  A “sneak peek” of the undecorated home will occur on March 4 – 5 and March 11 – 12, 2023. More information on the 2023 Decorators’ Show House will be available on the Junior League of Buffalo’s website at buffalo.jl.org.

Area decorators will be invited to a “bidding day” at the Show House on Friday, November 4, 2022, to start the process of submitting design proposals for rooms and spaces.  Decorators interested in participating may contact Kelsey Habermehl at Kelcd21@gmail.com or Eileen Hall at Eileenbhall@gmail.com.

The St. Patrick’s Friary House will be the 22^nd Decorators’ Show House sponsored by the Junior League of Buffalo and The Buffalo News. To date, the Decorators’ Show Houses have yielded proceeds totaling over $4 million, allowing 23 cultural and human service organizations to receive significant funding for high-impact programs benefiting Buffalo and Erie County.  Applications for the grant proceeds of the 22^nd Decorators’ Show House will be available in 2024.

The Chestnut Ridge Conservancy was chosen as the recipient of the 2019 Show House proceeds totaling $215,000.  The proceeds helped to build a Playground for All, located at the top of the famous sledding hill and next to the casino at Chestnut Ridge Park in Orchard Park, NY.  The 2021 Decorators’ Show House raised $315,000, which will be awarded to a community organization later this year.

The Junior League of Buffalo is an organization of women committed to voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.  Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.