BUFFALO, N.Y. — Empire State Development (ESD) announced Friday the start of construction for the Buffalo Niagara Freedom Station Coalition project.
This includes work underway to stabilize the roof and foundation of the Michigan Street Baptist Church in the city's African American Heritage Corridor on Buffalo's East Side.
The Buffalo Niagara Freedom Station Coalition is a non-profit organization that owns the church and is one of the recipients of ESD's $65 million East Side Corridor Economic Development Fund. The ultimate goal is to allow for increased tourism and visitation to the historic corridor.
"The Buffalo Niagara Freedom Station Coalition is extremely grateful for the support of Empire State Development, New York State Parks Recreation & Historic Preservation and the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo," said Lillie Wiley-Upshaw, chair of the Buffalo Niagara Freedom Station Coalition. "Because of the community activism, in particular Bishop Henderson, the BNFSC is on the cusp of saving the church for the next 200 years. I am personally so proud to be a part of the Buffalo community and this important work."
The church, located at 511 Michigan Avenue, was built by African Americans in 1845 and was the last stop on the Underground Railroad for freedom seekers looking to escape to Canada before the Civil War. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
