Canalside

Seneca Chief

The Buffalo Maritime Center constructed a traditionally-built, full-sized replica of the Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief that opened the Erie Canal in 1825. From its inception, the Erie Canal Boat Project was intended to engage the community on a variety of levels, from direct hands-on experiences to the research and exploration of history. This was a community boatbuilding project that was made possible with the help of hundreds of volunteers and took place in the Longshed at Canalside.

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The Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief is central to the story of the Erie Canal and the history of our state. Buffalo Maritime Center aims to tell that story in a rich and inclusive way, opening up the conversation about history and community. The Seneca Chief will remain as an educational exhibit that considers the ecological, cultural, and economic impacts that the Erie Canal had on our country.

For more information about the Erie Canal Boat Project, visit https://buffalomaritimecenter.org/erie-canal-boat-seneca-chief/

The "Longshed" at Canalside's Central Wharf Presented by MP Caroll Hardwood is a two-story, gabled-roof wood structure reflecting the Central Wharf site's history by incorporating elements from the Joy and Webster Storehouse located on the site in the early 1800s. The approximately 4,400-square-foot Longshed Presented by MP Caroll Hardwood includes a main floor that stretches the length of the building, a smaller mezzanine level, public bathrooms, roll-up entry doors, and an exterior porch that overlooks the Canalside Great Lawn.

For more information about MP Caroll Hardwood visit: https://www.mpcaroll.com/