The Wurlitzer Building Photo Gallery by jacob kedzierski at pbase.com

The Wurlitzer Building

The Wurlitzer Building originally started as the DeKleist Barrel Organ Works in 1893. Within a few years The Rudolph Wurlitzer moved their band organ manufacturing facilities to the North Tonawanda location. During the 1910's Wurlitzer started building their famous Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organs. Throughout the years the plant manufactured radios, jukeboxes and electronic organs. The plant closed in 1973 and was purchased, in the early 1980's, by a group of investors with the goal of turning the old plant into an industrial park.

wurlitzer building tower	inside tower water tank	beneath water tank	wurlitzer 9
wurlitzer down the road	front wurlitzer wide	side of wurlitzer building	tower through
statue	side	alley vert	alley wurlitzer building wide
the mighty saw teeth of the wurlitzer complex	far back	old power house	power house
power house 3	side view	construction date	tsk
wurlitzer park	middle sawteeth color	walkway roof	roof
mighty saw teeth	tower back wide	front parking lot wide color	back hallway
main room	organ	organpicture	pana tower two.jpg
pana tower.jpg	wurlitzer power tower	pana four.jpg	third floor wide.jpg
IMG_8940.JPG	i cleaned this bathroom in 1993, iron maiden tag still up!	Dan grafitti still up two.... amazing	the frank zappa too!
slop room hasnt changed in 15 years	20060001v	20060003v	20060005v
20060012v	20060020v	20080011v	20080019v
20090022v	IMG_1650vg.jpg	old fr. sams breakroom	box folding station
oven area	elevator door	elevator door	north tonawanda from above
the mighty wurlitzer building	stoned lady	power house is gone	gonna be a parking lot
chop sticks	storage	grass now	power builidng gone

comment |

Tom Christopher		28-Jan-2015 15:22
Grew up in Wurlitzer Park... 1313 Greenbrier Lane.. love the pictures.

Dave Lechner		18-Dec-2013 20:00
It was the Summer of 1962. I worked in the drafting department on the second floor, no air conditioning, you could only open the windows that over looked the factory roof a couple of inches because the soot and roof cinders would collect on your drafting board. One day before noon it was over 90 degrees , the drafting paper would wrinkle from the sweat off of your arms. Chester said if it hits 100 degrees I'm going home. With the heat generated from the large blue print machine that day the temperature reached 103 degrees in the drafting department and no one went home early.

Tom Losito		08-Dec-2012 23:18
I think it was '70 or '71 my friend and I were walking by the Wurlo plant, and everyone was going back inside after lunch. I told him "Look like you know what you're doing, we're going in." And we just walked in with everyone else. The place was booming back then, electric pianos the big thing. We just walked around for a while, when we were spotted by our friend Tony K. "What are you guys doing?" He couldn't believe we were just wandering around in there ! So he took us on a little guided tour. Showed us where the government was doing some kind of secret work, the receiving docks, testing area etc. Well, it was time to go, so we went to the main lobby because we also wanted jobs. We walked up behind the guard, and asked him about employment. We were only 16 and 17 at the time so no jobs, but he was kinda upset about us getting in and sneeking up behind him. He escorted us out !!

jessi		05-Nov-2010 01:17
Not sure how old this page is but I enjoyed your work. I am currently working on my portfolio for Pratt. I have to pick three places in mu surrounding neighborhood that go overlooked and. He wurlitzer building was one of my choices. Hence the reason I Stumbled upon your work. I am interested in how you gained access to all these areas of the complex.? I would appreciate it if you could tell me so I can do some paintings and sketches and whatnot. Thanks again.

Richard Burton		07-Jan-2006 15:24
Thank you for your wonderful photos. I grew up in NT. Our church (Community Christian Church-Ruie Rd.-no longer in existance) held services in the Wurlitzer building (I believe 2nd floor) for several years before the church was built. Thank you for the the great work. Brings back many memories.

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