The original Hedstrom Manor Estate, circa 1903, was reported at one time to encompass 200 acres and reached to Sheridan Drive. The owner of the estate was Arthur E. Hedstrom, a philanthropist and president of Hedstrom-Spaulding Company until his death in 1946. It was one of Buffalo’s largest coal companies and the major distributor of coal for Western New York.
Arthur and his wife Katherine Wilcox was considered pioneer suburban residents when they built their new summer home in Amherst. He built the large stone mansion you see on the property today for his wife and three children. The family lived there until 1949. With the mansion, the estate consisted of a gatehouse, a row of caretaker cottages, a riding stable, and an orchard, pool and pool house.
The original address of the mansion was 4200 Main Street and was accessed by a gatehouse at the front of the property. That gatehouse still stands today. In addition, the rustically attractive and well-built quarry stone wall which extends the entire length of Main Street and Getzville Road property lines has survived over 100 Buffalo winters. It completes and defines the property even though the original acreage is no longer intact.
Arthur Hedstrom died in 1946. He was the co-organizer of the Amherst Community Church, an active leader in Buffalo YMCA, and a life member of the Albright Art Gallery. After his death, his wife sold the remaining acreage to Genrich Builders in 1949. The mansion was converted to apartments and the land to new developments and housing began to surround the property.
Sadly over the years, the estate fell into disrepair. It deteriorated and was in need of an energetic new approach to save it and reposition it for the future. The CRS Companies purchased the Hedstrom Manor and has proudly remodeled the mansion and constructed 11 unique and spacious townhomes on the property. It is an exceptional mix of old and new, impeccably designed to preserve the exquisite architecture of the mansion while surrounding it was lovely new townhomes that will only serve to enhance and beautify this significant piece of Amherst history.
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