Our names are Alexander and Brittany Miller and we are the owners of a remarkable property that has been hidden away from the public eye for over 60 years. This property is a two-story home and custom-built art studio that was the estate of the internationally known artist, Charles Ephraim Burchfield (1893-1967). Burchfield was an American painter and visionary artist known for his passionate watercolors of nature scenes and townscapes. In 1936, Life Magazine named him one of America’s 10 greatest painters of all time.
The most remarkable part about this property is that you can physically stand in the exact spots where Burchfield stood to view and paint over 120 of his masterpieces. “I’ve painted almost everything you can see from the studio windows,” Burchfield said in 1953. “One of my ambitions is some day to collect all of the pictures again. Then I would have an exhibit called “From My Backyard.” We think that this may be the most painted home and property of any famous artist in the world!
Sadly, this property was allowed to slip through the cracks of time and overlooked by many as it was privately owned and hidden away since Burchfield lived here. It has not been prioritized for nearly 60 years and unfortunately this is only part of the perfect storm of events that kept this property unknown. Evidence shows that West Seneca was not a chosen foundational pillar for Burchfield’s legacy. For one reason or another, these talking points for decades would hollow out and erode the significance the property had on Burchfield and his art career. It is clear that the Burchfield legacy ball was dropped, effectively detaching this historical legend from the actual property that made him who he was. This was so effective that the majority of locals had no idea that Charles Burchfield ever lived in West Seneca, let alone what home or street he lived on. After one year of ownership, and an adventure of a lifetime, we are ready for the nation to take this journey through history with us, share his sacred space and tell the story that must be told.
The property of The Burchfield Home and Studio is on an unusually narrow residential lot, measured at 33’ X 450’ and is located at 3574 Clinton Street, in a hamlet of West Seneca NY called Gardenville. Burchfield raised his family here from 1925-1967 including artists Martha Burchfield Richter and Catherine Burchfield Parker. The studio itself, located in the backyard, was visited by other artists, famous individuals and reporters from publications including the Smithsonian. A large museum known as the Burchfield Penney Art Center is located 10 miles from the home and it maintains the world’s largest collection of Burchfield’s work.
This wasn’t just any ordinary property to Burchfield, as he was in essence the synergy of every square foot that encompassed his home and studio. His art career was significantly elevated because of this setting and the natural environment that surrounded him. Burchfield acknowledged this X factor through his journals and many paintings of the property. It is estimated that over two thirds of all Burchfield’s art originated from this art studio. He stated in his journal, “Since we have bought this place it makes a difference — I like to think of it as a little community — a narrow strip of land – 33 x 450) in which the lesser creatures & insects belong as much as we do – Besides my wife & I, and our little children there are the hoptoads, and snails and angleworms – and visiting robins, starlings, sparrows, and grackles, and there aren’t so many but that they become familiar, and seem as if they might have names — they attain significance because the earth that supports them is ours” – – Charles E. Burchfield, June 23, 1929
To us, the fabric of American values seems to be at a crossroad and our country needs creative outlets and appreciation of nature now more than ever. A non-political figure like Burchfield who “painted what was at his feet” has earned our personal attention and dedication due to our own love for nature. His images are infused with a life force he senses beneath the surface of things and he found a symbolic vocabulary to translate them into brushstrokes. We are so excited to soon debut our custom-built website, www.33×450.com, which will allow the public to see the inspiration for his art, from his perspective, and bring to the forefront his true legacy.
