George Urban Estate – 280 Pine Ridge Road, Cheektowaga
CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) — Growing up in Western New York, I heard about George Urban Boulevard hundreds of times. A real person named George Urban existed decades ago, and his home is now for sale. The first real estate open house is Sunday, June 30.
Local history oozes from wood-paneled corridors, custom alcoves and elaborate chandeliers.
This sprawling estate on Pine Ridge Road in Cheektowaga is just steps from Villa Maria College. The current owners have put the property on the market for $899,900, but price won’t be the only factor that will determine the property’s next owner.
Do you have the desire, drive and funds to preserve local history?
George Urban Jr. was a merchant, financier and businessman with a keen interest in electricity and a friend of Thomas Edison. His family owned Buffalo’s first roller flour mill and he was the first person in Buffalo to electrify a flour mill.
Urban’s company is known for establishing Buffalo’s first municipal electric lighting plant and installing nine street lamps. He has many other accomplishments, including connections to Mark Twain and Grover Cleveland. Cleveland’s presidential bid is believed to have been announced during a rally at Urban’s mansion.
The current owners, Olivia and Derrick Warburton, have lived in the home for nearly 20 years, and on Saturday they gave Explore Buffalo a tour of the home, which was once owned by one of Western New York’s most influential citizens.
Olivia said she hopes it goes to someone who will love it as much as she does.
She and Derrick are parents to three children, grandparents to four grandchildren and foster parents to perhaps 40 children, but they acknowledge that as they approach retirement, the burden of climbing stairs and maintaining a home is beginning to become too much for them.
Olivia has been instrumental in preserving the home’s rich history and traditions – she always found the house charming, having lived behind the property for 16 years before she and Derrick purchased it in 2004.
She said when she first walked into the house, something spoke to her and she was immediately moved to tears.
Olivia has seen Urban Mansion host cultural events, travel groups, weddings, baby showers and lots of children’s activities over the past 20 years, and she said she will miss spending Christmas most at Urban Mansion with its Christmas lights and colorful decorations.
Above all, she made it clear that living in this home was a dream come true for her and her family.
“It was a blessing for me,” she said.
Jackie Walker is an award-winning anchor and reporter who has been part of the News 4 team since 1983. Learn more about her work here.
