Our History

1886

The King Urban Life Center building began as St. Mary of Sorrows Roman Catholic Church (Matri Dolorosae). Construction began in 1886 which completed in 1891. It served as a spiritual haven to the community for over 100 years. It would be shuttered in 1985 and set for demolition.

1947

A three-alarm fire was started by a workman’s blowtorch, which spread through the roofing timbers. The walls and windows escaped major damage but the interior was severely damaged. In 1948 a $500,000 restoration was completed (today $7.25Million) with a new polychrome slate roof and wind vane of the Angel Gabriella

1986

  • A group of community leaders and neighbors recognized that the demolition of the church would be the final blow to an already neglected neighborhood and sought out the Buffalo Landmark and Preservation Board to intervene.

  • The Preservation Board designated St. Mary of Sorrows as a Buffalo landmark, preventing the demolition.

  • The Preservation Board appointed an eight-member "blue-ribbon" committee, consisting of elected officials, attorneys, businessmen, a developer and an architect, to study the building, restore it, and to develop new uses for the structure that would best serve the neighborhood.

  • Small roof work on the bell towers and a cleaning of the facade began in 1988 to prepare the building.

1994

The King Urban Life Center funded a pilot project for intervention in four classrooms at Buffalo Public School (BPS) 90 to see what it would take to provide holistic care for the students and what the educational impact of that holistic care would be on the students and their families. This was a collaboration between Houghton, Buffalo State, and University at Buffalo.

1998

  • With the aid of private, Federal, State, and City dollars, the King Urban Life Center completed the reconstruction and reuse of the church building as a school. The King Urban Life Center leased the space to the BPS system as an annex to BPS 90 and the pilot program came to the King Urban Life Center.

  • In December, Charter School legislation was passed in New York State. The King Urban Life Center felt a charter school would allow it to better serve the educational and holistic needs of its children.

2000

  • The King Center Charter School opened as the first charter school in Western New York.

  • The King Urban Life Center provides state-of-the-art facilities in collaboration with community partners to support educational, social, and cultural programs for an underserved population.

  • The King Urban Life Center is committed to its role as custodian of this historic building and its continued preservation, renovation, restoration, and sharing with the local, national, and international communities

Today

  • Today, the King Urban Life Center has grown into a community center with local and nationally recognized educational programs. It serves over 250 children and families each year in an award-winning building that is a model of reuse and revitalization.

  • It is recognized as a Buffalo historic landmark.