Sister Mary Sacred Heart is cutting a celebratory cake for some of Mercy Hospital’s youngest patients in this photo from October 1954.
The Sisters of Mercy were among Buffalo’s earliest Catholic teachers, and from their convent on Fulton Street near St. Brigid’s church and school, Sister Martha began dispensing her “famous black salve.”
That’s credited as the start of the sisters’ medical ministry, which grew to include a hospital inside a former home on Tifft Street near Holy Family church and school, and then later the current Mercy Hospital on Abbott Road in South Buffalo.
In 1954, when this photo was taken, Mercy Hospital was described as a “modern, fully-equipped, six story brick structure.” During the first 50 years of the hospital’s existence, Msgr. Francis Growney estimated that the hospital had cared for 148,000 patients.
Known History
In 1858 Bishop Timon reached out to the Sisters of Mercy for assistance in ministering to the 10,000 Irish immigrants who had arrived in South Buffalo in the past two decades.
The Sisters of Mercy were founded in Ireland in 1831 by Catherine McAuley, a beautiful heiress who gave herself to the church and the care of the poor at the age of 52. Her selfless spirit of comfort infused the young order.
Bishop Timon brought the first four Sisters of Mercy from nearby Rochester to assist with schooling and support at the new St. Brigid’s parish, but they soon saw a clear need for a hospital in the burgeoning community. They opened a 30-bed hospital in a home on Tifft Street in 1904, launching Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, a South Buffalo commitment to community and care now more than a century in the making.
The beginnings of suburbia in Western New York brought the vision and commitment of the Sisters of Mercy to the northtowns with the founding of Kenmore Mercy Hospital in 1951.
34 beds
The hospital on Tifft Street in Buffalo was the original location of Mercy Hospital of Buffalo. It opened as a 30-bed facility in a home near this site in 1904 before relocating to Abbott Road. By 1950, Mercy Hospital was fully established at its current location, and 935 Tifft Street remained a private residence.
History of Mercy Hospital and Tifft Street
- The Origin: In 1904, the Sisters of Mercy opened a small, 30-bed hospital in a house on Tifft Street.
- The Relocation: The hospital outgrew its original neighborhood and moved to its current, much larger campus on Abbott Road (just a few minutes away) in 1928, growing significantly over the decades.
- 1950s Era: By 1950, Mercy Hospital of Buffalo was a well-established regional medical center. Meanwhile, 935 Tifft Street was listed as a single-family residence, built in 1893, owned by local merchant The Relocation: The hospital outgrew its original neighborhood and moved to its current, much larger campus on Abbott Road (just a few minutes away) in 1928, growing significantly over the decades.
- 1950s Era: By 1950, Mercy Hospital of Buffalo was a well-established regional medical center. Meanwhile, 935 Tifft Street was listed as a single-family residence, built in 1893, owned by local merchant John E. Schintzius.
Related Resources & Modern Facilities
If you are looking for historical records or modern medical care in the South Buffalo area, you can refer to the following resources:
- Hospital History: Check out the full historical timeline provided by the Catholic Health System Our History page.
- Modern Facilities: For modern care or records associated with this location, visit Mercy Hospital of Buffalo.
- City Archives: For historical property records from 1950 and earlier, you can search public records via the City of Buffalo Open Data portal.
Related Resources & Modern Facilities
If you are looking for historical records or modern medical care in the South Buffalo area, you can refer to the following resources:
- Hospital History: Check out the full historical timeline provided by the Catholic Health System Our History page.
- Modern Facilities: For modern care or records associated with this location, visit Mercy Hospital of Buffalo.
- City Archives: For historical property records from 1950 and earlier, you can search public records via the City of Buffalo Open Data portal.
Date: 1893
Original Use: Single-family
Current Use: Single-family
Built as a single-family house for
John E. Schintzius, a local
merchant who made significant
donations to Holy Family Church
and Mercy Hospital, which
originally stood just west of his
home at 907 Tifft St.
NR Criterion: C
935 Tifft Street in Buffalo, NY, was built in 1893. It was originally constructed as a single-family home for John E. Schintzius, a local merchant. [1]
The single-family residence is historically notable in the South Buffalo area: [1]
- Original Owner: John E. Schintzius, a prominent local merchant who made significant donations to the Holy Family Church and Mercy Hospital.
Today, the 2,400+ square foot residential property functions as a multi-family or single-family home, according to Realtor.com and Compass listings.