Spotlight Tour: Cornell Mansion

Join us for a special tour of the Cornell Mansion, on Thursday, November 5th at 5:30pm. The mansion was built in 1894 for S. Douglas Cornell, an eighth-generation descendant of the Cornell family. A member of the Buffalo Amateurs, Cornell created a theater on the mansion’s top floor, where his granddaughter Katharine Cornell developed her love of the stage. She would go on to become one of America’s most celebrated actresses, known as the “First Lady of the Theatre.”

The tour will include the mansion’s third-floor theater space, which may have been where Katharine watched and practiced performances as a young girl. Anthony Chase, longtime Buffalo theater critic, historian, and host of Theater Talk, will give a special presentation about Katharine Cornell and Buffalo’s theatrical history in this historic space. Chase was inducted into the Buffalo Theatre District’s Plaza of Stars in 2024.

The mansion was purchased in 1993 and has been lovingly restored and maintained by attorney Thomas Eoannou. It is also home to the law firm Eoannou, Lana & D’Amico.

The Cornell Mansion is located at 484 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo NY 14202, between Virginia and Allen Streets. There is street parking available on Delaware Ave and it is free after 5pm.

Tour Details: 

• Space on this tour is limited, and reservations are required.
• Approximately 90 minutes. 
• This historic home is not fully accessible. The tour includes multiple flights of stairs and there is no elevator. Guests must be able to climb stairs to participate in the full tour. 
• Interior photography is allowed.