Memorial Plaque (2)

This elegant bronze plaque is affixed to the wall in the narthex (entrance hall) of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo, New York. Edward Austin Kent, along with his brother William Winthrop Kent, were the architects of this church. The Kent family arrived in Buffalo at the end of the Civil War. The parents of Edward and William were longtime members of the church and owned a very well-known, respected department store on Main Street, Flint & Kent. In fact, their father was on the building committee of an earlier Unitarian church building at another location. The parcel on which the current church was built is located at what once was (and still is) one of the most sought after street corners in the city. The land was generously sold to the church at a bargain price by a neighbor -- one of the city's most prominent industrialists, John J. Albright. When it came time to hire the architect, the firm of Edward Austin Kent, Architect, was selected. The church designed by the two brothers is a Local Landmark in Buffalo, New York and its sanctuary remains unchanged from when it was completed in September, 1906.