Association For A Buffalo Presidential Center

The Buffalo Presidential Center is an all-volunteer 501c3 non-profit organization chartered by the State of New York to explore and share stories about Buffalo and Western New York’s historic and contemporary contributions to the U.S. Presidency and national affairs. For over a decade the BPC has presented more than 12 public programs a year including speakers’ series, panel discussions, historical reenactments and exhibitions to audiences throughout Western New York.  

In his 2016 travelogue Dead Presidents: An American Adventure into the Strange Deaths and Surprising Afterlives of Our Nation’s Leaders, author Brady Carlson says that no city except Washington, D.C., has more connections to the office of the President of the United States than Buffalo, New York!

Our reason for existing is to tell the stories about this rich, mostly unknown local and regional history. By spotlighting Western New York's rich and unique connections to the U.S. Presidency (including Grover Cleveland, Millard Fillmore, Frances Folsom Cleveland, Shirley Chisholm, and others), the Buffalo Presidential Center promotes interest in contemporary issues related to the presidency and national issues. 

In 2020, the Buffalo Presidential Center announced the creation of Buffalo and WNY’s newest history-based cultural space. With the support of Erie County and the Buffalo & Erie County Library, the construction of a 1,700 square foot public exhibition space, storage for our sizable collection of political artifacts, and a meeting/research area was completed inside the Central library branch in downtown Buffalo. Permanent and rotating exhibits highlight the presidents, presidential candidates, first ladies, and other exceptional personalities who have called Western New York home.

The mission of The Buffalo Presidential Center is to encourage the study, exploration, interpretation and public awareness of Buffalo and Western New York's contribution to the Presidency and national affairs. Our main focus is on Buffalo's two presidents, Millard Fillmore and Grover Cleveland, but our interest includes other Western New Yorkers who have shaped our nation as leading participants in national government, the judiciary, policymaking, and public affairs. Through spotlighting this historical legacy, we hope to promote interest in contemporary issues related to the Presidency and national affairs.