Distinguished Women

Carol Bronnenkant

In her book, Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy, Sarah Ban Breathnach relates a story of the Scottish Himalayan Expedition team that scaled Mount Everest in 1951. Team leader, William Hutchinson Murray, is quoted as saying, "Concerning all acts of initiative ( and creation ), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans; that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too... A whole stream of events issue from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no ( one ) could have dreamed would come (their) way." That, in a nutshell, is the remarkable story of the Graycliff Conservancy.

The Isabelle R. Martin House ( Graycliff ) was designed in 1926-27 by Frank Lloyd Wright, America's premier architect of the twentieth century, as a summer residence for the Martin family in Derby, New York. Specifically, Mr. Martin was the client and the house was built for her enjoyment and comfort. This historic property was sold to a religious order in 1950. The priests' decision in 1996 to sell the Graycliff Estate caused grave concerns among area preservationists that the Graycliff would be demolished.

My family and I visited Graycliff in January 1997, with the short-lived belief that we could purchase this home and restore it ourselves. The size of the estate and the amount of work seemed overwhelming. Still, the opportunity to reclaim this unique Wright design prompted me to somehow save this incredible house. In March 1997 a "call to action" meeting alerted the public to Graycliff's threatened future. Over 120 people attended and a core group of individuals "signed on" to save Graycliff. I agreed to serve as board president and continue to do so.

From these unlikely beginnings, the Graycliff Conservancy has flourished. There are now more than 300 members and 160 volunteers who manage all aspects of the site's operation. With a mortgage guarantee from The Baird Foundation, the Conservancy reached it's primary goal of acquiring Graycliff in April 1999. We have also been awarded a variety of government funding, which has allowed restoration to begin.

I graduated from college with a degree in English literature. At the time I saw Graycliff, I had been a stay-at-home mom for eleven years and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Still, since one of Western New York's greatest assets is its spectacular architecture, the thought of saving Graycliff made sense to me. It also made sense to the group of people who became our first board of directors. I believe it was destiny that brought these individuals together, with the right mix of talents to preserve this remarkable house. I am the facilitator for this project, but our success is absolutely the result of teamwork.

Historically, Buffalo's location on the Great Lakes and as the western terminus of the Erie Canal made the city the gateway for westward migration and a bustling center of commerce. Women made a significant contribution to the industriousness and innovation that were the hallmark of Buffalo at the turn of the century. The preservation of Graycliff provides one of the few remaining opportunities to focus attention on women's issues - past and present.

Despite our acccomplishments, Graycliff's restoration is far from over. The Conservancy invites you to participate in Graycliff's success by becoming members and volunteers. For more information, log on to http://graycliff.bfn.org.

Return to the page I was just on.