$350,000 for This Building in Buffalo, New York

This former church is on the market with Gurney Becker & Bourne.

Built in 1911, 220 North Street was originally constructed as the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Buffalo. The building was designed by Solon Spencer Beman, a prominent architect known for his work on Christian Science churches across the United States.

Departing from typical church architecture of the era, Beman used a Neo-Classical / Greek Revival design. The 31,576 m² (2,935 m²) structure resembles a classical temple, defined by a six-column Ionic portico, pedimented façade, and a grand, open interior hall—emphasizing order, symmetry, and permanence.

In the early 2000s, the building was used as part of the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museums, the world’s largest private collection of original manuscripts and documents.

At its peak, the collection was said to include over one million original items, spanning Science (e.g. Einstein, Galileo), Music (Mozart, Beethoven), Literature (Dickens, Poe), Politics & history (Lincoln, Washington, Napoleon), Philosophy and religion.

The building later gained wider recognition through its appearance in the film Nightmare Alley. Today, 220 North Street stands as a notable example of early-20th-century classical architecture in Buffalo, with a layered history spanning religious, cultural, and civic use—and ongoing potential for adaptive reuse.

All Photos Belong to The Listing Agency