Dr. Daniel Reiff

Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus The Archives and Special Col-lections of the Daniel A. Reed Library at the State University of New York at Fredonia recently received a generous donation of re-search materials from SUNY Distinguished Ser-vice Professor Emeritus Daniel D. Reiff. An art historian, Dr. Reiff taught in the Department of Art at Fredonia for many years.

The collection of materials, both created and amassed by Dr. Reiff, documents the career of the important regional architect Enoch A. Curtis (1831-1907) and includes articles, book chapters, documents, photographs, and 500 color slides, recently digitized, of Curtis-designed buildings and architecture.

Curtis, whose career and work has long been studied by Dr. Reiff, is known for many major Fredonia buildings, including the Fredonia Village Hall and Opera House, Odd Fellows Block, old Fredonia Masonic Lodge, Forest Hill Cemetery Gate Lodges, and a great many local houses (such as St. Joseph’s Church rectory, and the original WCA Home). However, examples of his architecture can be found throughout the region in Dunkirk, Laona, Brocton, Westfield, and Belmont, as well as Oil City and Titusville, Pa. The slides document all of these buildings and homes, including structures no longer standing, such as the former Fredonia Masonic Lodge and the gymnasium Curtis added to the original Fredonia Normal School’s “Old Main” building (the predecessor to the modern Fredonia campus on Central Avenue) on Temple Street in the village.

Individuals wishing to consult the materials may contact the Archives and Special Collections office at Reed Library at 673-3183 to schedule an appointment.