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Dedication of the Don Owens Center building at 100 Lee Street on the Heritage DiscoveRY Center site took place on November 10, 2011, just four months after the Western New York Railway Historical Society took possession of the building. In addition to Society officers, trustees and members,, present at the dedication were Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, DEC Regional Director Abby Snyder, Steel Plant Museum President Jim Carey and a number of other local officials and guests. |
| The Don Owens Center was opened to the public on November 12th, 2011 and again for the Society’s Train and Toy Show in Hamburg on November 19th and 20th. Currently, the building serves as the site for WNYRHS Trustee and General Membership meetings. The Center is now open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, as well as one evening during the week. The Steel Plant Museum, relocated from Lackawanna Public Library, also opened its displays on November 12th. The DiscoveRY Center also welcomed the Buffalo Lighthouse Association and their artifacts of WNY Maritime history. |
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Under the guidance of Ed Patton, Director for Museum Development for the Western New York Railway Historical Society, more than 30 Society members helped prepare the site for the dedication, and they and others served as tour guides and parking assistants during the dedication ceremony. | ) |
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The purchase of the building was made possible through the very generous support of Don Owens, a principal in Earth Dimensions of East Aurora. “We are extremely grateful to South Buffalo Development, the New York State DEC and Honeywell for working together to remediate this site which will help us to preserve and display important works of Buffalo’s industrial heritage and architecture” said Joe Kocsis, President of the WNYRHS at the dedication ceremony. | ) |
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“We are confident that the Heritage DiscoveRY Center will become a cultural attraction that will make our region proud of its industrial heritage and the significant impact it has had on our community.” At one time, the railroads were the largest private employer in the Buffalo region. |
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These are just a few of the display cases that cover the 25,000 sqft of the Exhibit Hall with more to come. The Center is open from 10am - 5pm every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. | ) |
| There is a great deal of work left to do though, and we are appealing to all of our members and friends to help out, either though volunteering your time or making a donation to the museum funds. First and foremost, the $50,000 Challenge Grant is still available for the taking. We are still short of the goal and remember every donation will be matched dollar for dollar.If you can make a donation, make your check or money order payable to: WNYRHS, Inc. 407 Rowley Road Depew, NY 14043 You can use the form below to make your donation by mail or use the PayPal option at the bottom of this page. We are setting up regular work parties at the building every Tuesday & Thursday evenings beginning at 6:30, and on Saturdays beginning at 9:30. There are occasional weekday sessions as well, just drop me an email at Heritage_Ltd@msn.com. |
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Contact Us: Orchard Park - 716-662-7002 Williamsville - 716-633-7002
WNYRHS Inc., PO Box 416, Buffalo, New York 14231-0416
All Donations to the Heritage Discovery Center are Tax-Deductable!
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The WNYHDC, Inc. P.O. Box 416, Buffalo, NY. 14231-0416 is an independent organization and has no affiliation with any other local or national group. The Society is a fully qualified organization under 501 (C) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code and all donations to the Society are tax deductible. ©Copyright 2010 - 2012 WNYRHS Inc. all rights reserved
