Program

Historic Transportation

Subject

Site, Transportation

Location

46 Prime St, Buffalo, NY 14202, USA

Lat/Long

42.876589, -78.878984

Grant Recipient

City of Buffalo

In October 1825, the 363-mile Erie Canal opened, connecting the Hudson River and Lake Erie and dramatically impacting the transportation of goods and people. Shortly before the opening of the canal, in the spring of 1825, a slip was dug to connect the Buffalo harbor to the Erie Canal. The slip ran parallel to Lloyd and Hanover Streets for two blocks. In addition to providing a connection between the harbor and the canal, it allowed space for docking and unloading shipments in the growing city.

The channel became known as the Prime Slip, likely due to its proximity to Prime Street, which intersected the waterway. Prime Street had obtained its name from an earlier landowner in the area, Nathaniel Prime, a prominent banker from New York City. The area around the Prime Slip became important commercially, with its banks being used for docking and unloading canal boats. In addition, commercial buildings were built along the Prime Slip, such as the Merchant Exchange Building housing the Buffalo Board of Trade. At the harborside entrance to the Prime Slip a busy commercial center known as the Central Wharf developed. Many commission merchants and traders were located along the Central Wharf.

With the advent of railroads, the Prime Slip eventually fell into disuse. By the 1860s, it was declared a public nuisance by the city due to stagnant, dirty water. In 1868, the Prime Slip was filled in.

As of 2025, a grass lawn with walkways on either side outline where the Prime Slip was once located. According to the City of Buffalo Historian, the current layout was designed to reflect the historical significance of the location, with the existing streetscape highlighting the former location of the Prime Slip, a key connection between Buffalo’s historical waterways.