Darwin D. Martin and Frank Lloyd Wright: Timeline and Photos
A guide to collections and other materials held by the UB University Archives
Last Updated: Dec 9, 2024 2:32 PM
- 1865 Darwin D. Martin is born in Madison County, New York.
- 1867 Frank Lloyd Wright is born in Richland Center, Wisconsin.
- 1869 Isabelle Reidpath, the future wife of Darwin D. Martin is born in Buffalo, New York.
- 1878 (September 2) Darwin D. Martin begins working under his brother Louis Frank Martin for the Larkin Company in New York City.
- 1879 Darwin D. Martin, aged thirteen, begins working at the Larkin Company in Buffalo, New York.
- 1885 Darwin D. Martin invents the cardex organizing system.
- 1887 Frank Lloyd Wright begins studying at the University of Wisconsin.
- 1888 Construction begins on Darwin D. Martin's first house on Summit Avenue in Buffalo, New York.
- 1889 Darwin D. Martin marries Isabelle Reidpath. Frank Lloyd Wright's Home and Studio in Oak Park, Illinois is built.
- 1890 Frank Lloyd Wright joins architectural firm Adler and Sullivan.
- 1893
- (January 3) Darwin D. Martin becomes the Secretary of the Larkin Soap Company, replacing Elbert Hubbard.
- Frank Lloyd Wright establishes his own practice.
- 1896 (June 27) Dorothy Martin, daughter of Darwin and Isabelle, is born.
- 1900 (October 3) Darwin R. Martin, son of Darwin and Isabelle, is born.
- 1902
- (October 29) Darwin D. Martin meets Frank Lloyd Wright. They would form a life-long friendship and would correspond until Martin's death.
- (November 18) Frank Lloyd Wright is the guest of the Martins in Buffalo. The next day, Martin and Wright visit Niagara Falls.
- (December 11) Darwin D. Martin purchases the site of the Martin House Complex on the corner of Summit Avenue and Jewett Parkway.
- 1903
- (February) Darwin D. Martin begins planning for a Frank Lloyd Wright designed office building for the Larkin Company while discouraging the alternative plans from Larkin Company President John Larkin. He later writes Larkin and makes his argument in favor of Wright on March 20, 1903.
- (October 11) Construction begins on the Barton House portion of the Darwin D. Martin House Complex. Oscar S. Lang is selected as the contractor.
- 1904
- (May 16) Construction of the stable begins.
- (July 20) Construction of the main house of the Darwin D. Martin House Complex begins.
- (October) Barton House is occupied.
Martin House complex foundation under construction, July 31, 1904
Image Identifier MS_22.5_313.1
Martin House, pergola and conservatory under construction with the Barton House in the background, August 26, 1904
Image Identifier MS_22.5_313.9
Martin House complex under construction, August 26, 1904
Image Identifier MS_22.5_313.11
The pergola and conservatory under construction with the Barton House in the background, August 26, 1904
Image Identifier MS_22.5_313.13
Martin House under construction, September 1904
Image Identifier MS_22.5_313.16
Construction crew posed on the Martin House, October 1904
Image Identifier MS_22.5_332
Martin House under construction, October 9, 1904
Image Identifier MS_22.5_313.28
Pergola and conservatory under construction, October 16, 1904
Image Identifier MS_22.5_313.31
The Martin House and pergola under construction, December 11, 1904
Image Identifier MS_22.5_313.64
Martin House under construction, December 11, 1904
Image Identifier MS_22.5_313.65
Construction crew in the conservatory, circa 1904
Image Identifier MS_22.5_5.9
More images can be found below. The entire Darwin D. Martin Photograph Collection can be found here.
- 1905 (November 21) The Martin family begins moving into the house and spends their first night there.
- 1907 (April 20) The last workman, a carpenter who had been working on the house since the beginning, finishes and construction on the Martin House is considered complete.
- 1909 (February 23) Darwin D. Martin contracts with Oscar S. Lang for the construction of cottages for Reuben Palder (the Martin's houseman) and Thomas Skinner (the gardener).
The Martin and Reidpath families, circa 1907
Image Identifier MS_22.5_11.9
Darwin D. Martin House viewed from Jewett Parkway
Image Identifier MS_22.5_447
Martin House and pergola viewed from Summit Avenue, 1908
Image Identifier MS_22.5_F38
Floricycle garden and Martin House veranda
Image Identifier MS_22.5_458
Pergola and conservatory
Image Identifier MS_22.5_441E
Pergola and conservatory, 1908
Image Identifier MS_22.5_F18
Floricycle garden with the conservatory and Barton House
Image Identifier MS_22.5_459
Conservatory and Barton House, September 1, 1905
Image Identifier MS_22.5_457
Conservatory and Barton House, September 1905
Image Identifier MS_22.5_4.2
Front view of the George Barton House, 1981
Image Identifier MS_22.5_1110
Carriage house and garden, September 1, 1906
Image Identifier MS_22.5_1151
Sculpture by Richard W. Bock in the Martin House garden
Image Identifier MS 22.5_464
View of the Martin House garden toward the conservatory, showing the garden wall and Bock sculpture
Image Identifier MS_22.5_465
Dorothy Martin Foster in the Martin House garden under the Richard W. Bock sculpture.
Image Identifier MS_22.5_11.10
Isabelle R. Martin and Cora Herrick in the Martin House garden near the greenhouse
Image Identifier MS_22.5_442A
Gardener's cottage, Martin House Complex, 1981
Image Identifier MS_22.5_1120
Martin House reception room with sunburst fireplace, 1907
Image Identifier MS_22.5_1130
Dorothy Martin reading to Darwin R. Martin in the reception room, circa 1912
Image Identifier MS_22.5_11.2
Martin House dining room, 1907
Image Identifier MS_22.5_1129
Martin House living room, circa 1969
Image Identifier MS_22.5_1205
Martin House living room with wisteria fireplace, 1908
Image Identifier MS_22.5_F59
Bookcase in the Matrin House living room pier cluster, 1908
Image Identifier MS_22.5_F24
Darwin D. and Darwin R. Martin seated in a barrel chair in the Martin House library, 1912
Image Identifier MS_22.5_11.3
Pergola interior as seen from the Martin House, 1908
Image Identifier MS_22.5_F15
Pergola interior view looking toward the conservatory with Winged Victory statue, 1908
Image Identifier MS_22.5_F44
Interior of the conservatory with Winged Victory statue, 1908
Image Identifier MS_22.5_F60
Isabelle R. Martin in the conservatory near Winged Victory statue
Image Identifier MS_22.5_1294
More images can be found below. The entire Darwin D. Martin Photograph Collection can be found here.
- 1923
- (June 14) Dorothy Martin, daughter of Darwin and Isabelle, marries James Foster on the grounds of the Martin House Complex.
- Darwin D. Martin commissions Frank Lloyd Wright to design a home for James and Dorothy Foster. The plans were unexecuted.
- 1925 (September 1) Having finished his 47th year with the Larkin Company, Darwin D. Martin retires.
- 1926
- (April 19) Darwin D. Martin purchases a property on the shore of Lake Erie in the town of Derby, New York. The 250-foot front property includes a 60-foot cliff.
- (April 21) Darwin D. Martin informs Frank Lloyd Wright that he is interested in having a two-story stone house built on the Derby property.
- (May 3) Frank Lloyd Wright sends Martin preliminary drawings for the building.
- (May 3) Darwin R. Martin, son of Darwin and Isabelle, marries Dorothy Wende.
- (May 5) Darwin D. Martin informs Frank Lloyd Wright that his wife, Isabelle R. Martin would be Wright's client.
- (August 19-20) Frank Lloyd Wright visits Buffalo to see the site.
- (August 22) Isabelle R. Martin visits the site for the first time.
- (September) Construction begins on the garage. Due to marital problems, Frank Lloyd Wright asks his son John Lloyd Wright to take over the project. The Martins do not approve the change.
- (November) Frank Lloyd Wright resumes his service to the Martins.
- 1927
- (April 5-6) Frank Lloyd Wright visits the construction site.
- (June 4) Darwin D. Martin writes to Frank Lloyd Wright regarding the completion of the foundation of the main house.
- (June 15-16) Frank Lloyd Wright visits the site.
- (August 31-September 2) The chimney and masonry of main house is completed..
- 1928
- (March 10, 12) Furniture is bought for main house.
- (July 21-23) George, Delta and Laura Barton are the Martins first guests at Graycliff.
- (September 20) Paul A. Harsh, a house guest at Graycliff, suggests the name "Graycliff."
Graycliff lower level under construction
Image Identifier MS_22.3_1.3
Graycliff frame and chimney under construction
Image Identifier MS_22.3_5.4
Graycliff construction from the northwest
Image Identifier MS_22.3_1.4
Graycliff mid-section under construction
Image Identifier MS_22.3_1.6
Graycliff north side under construction
Image Identifier MS_22.3_1.13
Graycliff construction from the southeast
Image Identifier MS_22.3_2.3
Graycliff construction showing the entire south side
Image Identifier MS_22.3_2.10
Graycliff constrcution showing porte-cochre and stone basin
Image Identifier MS_22.3_2.13
Graycliff construction, southwest view
Image Identifier MS_22.3_4.7
Graycliff interior under construction
Image Identifier MS_22.3_5.3
Graycliff construction showing the south entrance
Image Identifier MS_22.3_7.1
The south side of Graycliff
Image Identifier MS_22.3_7.14
Graycliff garage
Image Identifier MS_22.3_7.4
The north side of Grayciff
Image Identifier MS_22.5_479
Darwin D. Martin's extended family posed for a photo on the steps of Graycliff
Image Identifier MS_22.5_511
Darwin D. and Isabelle R. Martin outside Grayclif with grandchildren Margaret and Darwin M. Foster
Image Identifier MS_22.5_496
James and Dorothy Foster with children Margaret and Darwin M. sitting on the esplande stone bench
Image Identifier MS_22.5_773
Graycliff tower staircase to the beach
Image Identifier MS_22.5_481
Graycliff living room with fieldstone fireplace
Image Identifier MS_22.5_483
The entire Darwin D. Martin Photograph Collection can be found here.
- 1929
- (April 16) Isabelle R. Martin asks Frank Lloyd Wright to design wandering paths throughout the property and a walk across the esplanade to the tower stairway for servants.
- (June 15) Frank Lloyd Wright visits site.
- (July) The Martins ask Frank Lloyd Wright to design a "concrete tent house" for the Foster family (unexecuted).
- (July 20) Darwin D. Martin receives the plans for the Blue Sky Mausoleum from Frank Lloyd Wright. Intended for the Martins' plot in Forest Lawn Cemetery, the plans were unexecuted in Martin and Wright's lifetimes. Isabelle R. Martin also receives plans from Wright for a stone bench at Graycliff.
- (July 29) Construction on evergreen garden, stone seat begins.
- (August 16) The Martins ask Frank Lloyd Wright to design a third floor to the main house (unexecuted).
- (September) Frank Lloyd Wright finalizes the design for the landscape, tennis court, circle and guest house. The guest house was not executed.
- 1935 (December 17) Darwin D. Martin passes away. Isabelle R. Martin continues to spend summers at Graycliff.
- 1937 Isabelle R. Martin abandons the Martin House.
- 1938 (November) Engineering report on the Graycliff site is compiled by G.E. Seitzmiller for insurance purposes.
- 1941 Isabelle R. Martin continues to summer at Graycliff, but moves into the garage apartment.
- 1943 Isabelle R. Martin spends her last summer at Graycliff. She moves permanently to Buffalo to live with the Foster family.
- 1945 (February 22) Isabelle R. Martin passes away. Stewardship of Graycliff falls to a holding company belonging to the Martin's son, Darwin R. Martin.
- 1951 (June 6) Piarist Fathers, a Hungarian order, purchases Graycliff from Darwin R. Martin's Buffalo-Phoenix Corporation.
- Circa 1955 The chapel addition over south terrace of main house, the garage addition, the school/dormitory and a storage building are constructed.
- 1958 (August) Frank Lloyd Wright visits Graycliff.
- 1959 (April 9) Frank Lloyd Wright dies.
- 1967 The State University of New York at Buffalo purchases the Martin House Complex's main house as the residence for its president Martin Meyerson. It would later serve as the home of the University Archives.
- Circa 1970 A group of Frank Lloyd Wright enthusiasts from the local community begin efforts to restore the Darwin D. Martin House. These efforts include giving tours, obtaining art and furniture original to the house and getting the house recognized as a local and national landmark.
- 1993 (March 26) The University at Buffalo, the Martin House Restoration Corporation and the New York State Office of Park, Recreation and Historic Preservation enter into the Joint Cooperation Agreement to restore the Darwin D. Martin House.
- 1996 Piarist Father's put the Graycliff property up for sale. Graycliff Conservancy is formed to acquire and restore the site.
- 1997 (October) Graycliff Conservancy signs a contract to purchase the Graycliff site.
- 2000 (March 27) The Amended and Restated Joint Cooperation Agreement is entered into by the University at Buffalo, the Martin House Restoration Corporation and the New York State Office of Park, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
For more information about the history of the Darwin D. Martin House Complex from 1946-present, including its restoration, please see
- Martin House Timeline
- DVD NA737.W7 B844 2006 Frank Lloyd Wright's Buffalo