Our 2022 goal is to submit The Charles Burchfield House and Studio to be nominated to the State and National Registers of Historic Places. Our primary focus for this website was to prove whether it could be eligible under criterion B for its association with a significant person (Charles Burchfield). Burchfield is undoubtedly a significant twentieth-century artist of local and national significance. However, when assessing a property’s significance for association with a significant person, the basic rule is that the person must be able to recognize his or her house if he/she were to see it today.
After 2 years of research, preserving and refurbishing the property we now have an unprecedented amount of extensive documentation of the property through Burchfield’s artwork. The artistic license he may have taken in depicting the materials, layout, and features of the house and studio align with the old photographs and daily journal entries. In fact, this entire property can and should be classified as a real life master piece, for over 37 years shaped, inspired and was the subject matter itself of a legendary artist. Now we can only hope 3574 Clinton Street will finally get the recognition it and Charles E. Burchfield deserves. Take our virtual tour for proof.
Can you spot the similarities? Here is proof that Charles Burchfield’s paintings accurately represent the way his house and studio actually looked. Take note that he painted "Rainy Day" into the painting.
Painting: The Christmas Season, 1946
Pictured, all 5 of Charles Burchfield's children at 3574 Clinton Street in 1938 (Standing, left to right: Mary Alice and Martha; Seated: Catherine, Sally and Charles Arthur). Take note of the painting, Rainy Day, hanging on the wall.
🇺🇸"Artist to America"🇺🇸
President Lyndon B. Johnson eulogized the artist in a letter dated November 14, 1967. President Johnson wrote "He [Burchfield] was artist to America."
President Lyndon B. Johnson said, “In his paintings of the American scene, his brush endowed the ordinary with universal greatness. During a period of urbanization and industrialization, he focused our vision on the eternal greatness of living things.”
A famous American painter, Edward Hopper, was friends with a few other artists but rarely spoke highly of their work. An exception was Charles Burchfield who ironically passed away the same year Hopper did. Hopper wrote, "The work of Charles Burchfield is most decidedly founded, not on art, but on life, and life that he knows and loves best." It is impressive that someone like Hopper, whose work was in some ways so different then Burchfield's, would express such enthusiasm for his friend's watercolors.
Old victorian, solid wood interior door with 5 raised panels. One of a dozen original doors that have been pain stakingly repaired and fixed up in this old house including many of the original brass hinges, door knob plates and other hardware.
We walked into this project knowing it's not a sprint but a marathon and with that understanding in life, exceptional things take time!
Notice the original color of the door. During the Burchfield years, every piece of trim and door was this exact finish and color. You will notice it in Charles paintings of his home. Over the years, much of the original trim and door have been painted over with white paint but the majority of it still remains original.
"There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception.“ -- Aldous Huxley
Charles and Bertha standing in their backyard. The fence behind them is shown in many paintings.
Behind every great man is an even greater woman. Bertha Burchfield was known to wear fur coats and they were stored in this fully preserved cedar walk in closet on the second floor! When the Burchfield family lived in the house, the second floor consisted of one full bathroom and 5 bedrooms with many closets.
Not exactly your average envelope! This Christmas card was sent to Mr. & Mrs. Charles Burchfield and the envelope made its way to the studio where Charles doodled upon anticipation and incorporated into a larger painting.
“Milt put the picture window in place today – It exceeds our fondest expectations – A joy to us.”
- Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, October 20, 1959
Yes! This is the original picture window from 1959, positioned ever so carefully in Burchfield's dining room. This is the first time ever that you can see what Charles Burchfield saw daily, gazing through this exact window for many years. Note the placement of the window, perfectly positioned to capture the exact angle were the Buffalo creek bends. A truly one in a million vantage point/view. What a splendid way to watch the seasons come and go, wouldn't you say?
Charles Burchfield’s favorite spot in front of his large custom made picture window overlooking Buffalo Creek during all the seasons. This is the window shown in the famous painting, "Constant Leaf".
Pictured left circa 1960s vs Alex in 2021.
Burchfield's five children in front of the home, 3574 Clinton Street.
Photo from The Buffalo Times, 1937.
This vintage children's wooden alphabet block was recently discovered by Alex in the attic of the Burchfield home tucked underneath floor boards.. With half of the block heavily weathered and faded, we are sure it was a piece of a set that once was played with by Mr. Burchfield's children. Making this wooden block close to one hundred years old.
Good thing we have an eye for random details in Burchfield's paintings because we have a little evidence to possibly support our theory!?
Painting Rainy Day, 1935. Son Charles Arthur at home at 3574 Clinton Street. He was the only son among Burchfield’s five children. Take a look at the toys on the floor!
One of the only photos we have found with Charles Burchfield in front of 3574 Clinton Street.
Picture proof that the rear building in Burchfield’s backyard was that of J.J. Lankes, famous illustrator known for his woodcut prints. This command outbuilding was also painted in Burchfield’s well known painting, December Storm. It was used by the Lankes family, JJ as a print studio, family as a chicken koop and dairy (Burtold) out building. The former home is at 30 Kron Avenue.
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J.J. Lankes was good friends with Burchfield and had collaborative art pieces together. We highly recommend watching this short biography on J.J. Lankes by @montesbradley. It will amaze you especially if you’re a Robert Frost fan! https://vimeo.com/352209381
Photo of the actual print studio of J.J. Lankes (right) and Burchfield's December Storm (left). Note the building is circled in yellow.
Map of the neighborhood.
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J.J. Lankes was good friends with Burchfield and had collaborative art pieces together. We highly recommend watching this short biography on J.J. Lankes by @montesbradley. It will amaze you especially if you’re a Robert Frost fan! https://vimeo.com/352209381
Charles E. Burchfield letter to J.J. Lankes, April 15, 1926:
“I think I am just waking up after a long sleep this spring. For the last four years I have been living in the past. Hating Buffalo & my present life – longing for Ohio & the great plains & river-country. Such an attitude however is idiotic. I repeatedly told myself so, but still it persisted. But now I’m free. I realize that here & now this place – this moment are the supreme ones[;] the past & the future are alike of no account. If there is any art in me – now is the time to express it. It all must exist in my mind in the first place, & the external place where I happen to be is only the vehicle. This realization has made me see boundless material around Gardenville, Buffalo, Hamburg, the Gowanda Hills & the great Cattauraugus Creek country – material for a life-time. You can have sordid human life if you wish – idyllic farm-life – primitive ideal landscape all in easy reach.