Echota?

By Will Crois

Special to the Express

What is Echota?

Echota is a historic neighborhood in Niagara Falls NY. With a rich history dating back to the 1890s. Echota was built by the Niagara Falls power company to accommodate its workers.

The company had recently erected the Edward Dean Adams power station and needed a place to house its workers. They hired a world-renowned architect, Stanford White, to design the neighborhood.

The homes were built as singles, duplexes, or Three and four unit houses in Queen Anne and Georgian style. On a side note, White also designed Madison Square Garden, Pennsylvania station, and many other grand buildings in New York.

White was killed on the rooftop of Madison Square Garden in 1906 by Harry Kendall Thaw due to a disagreement over a young woman. The trial was billed as the crime of the century. Thaw was found not guilty by reason of insanity.

I lived in Echota years ago. Even though it's located near Hyde Park Blvd and Buffalo Ave, it had the feeling of living away from the city. The roads are narrow, the ally's are loose stone filled. The backyards are large, and many people build bonfires in the summer months. The streets are lined with beautiful Sycamores trees, which shed their bark every year. The bark paints a beautiful portrait in patchwork on lawns, sidewalks and streets.

Echota has faded in years, but nothing can erase the fond memories I carry from there.

Echota is a much unknown neighborhood in the city and is a testament to the innovation and intense dedication of those who lived there. It played a significant role in the advancement of hydroelectric power.