This small historic district is centered on the three blocks of Amherst Street between Niagara and Tonawanda Streets, represents what was originally the village center of Lower Black Rock, the wide grassy esplanade flanking each side of Amherst Street’s westernmost block, now filled with historic monuments and interpretive panels, was once the site of a large public market gifted to the village by its founder, Peter Porter. In contrast to what was once called Upper Black Rock, which became heavily industrialized after annexation and grew into an integral part of the city, Lower Black Rock retained its independent spirit and, even in the present day, still has the look and feel of a small village. The architecture of the buildings here A which include some of the oldest extant houses in Buffalo comprises fine examples of such styles as the Italianate, Queen Anne, Greek Revival, and Federal. The red-brick Gothic ”’St. John’s United Evangelical Church”’ (81 Amherst St., 1890), the Federal-style ”’Jacob Schmidt House and Tavern”’ and ”’Stephen W. Howell House and Store”’ (71 Amherst St. and 189 Dearborn St. respectively, both c. 1830), and the gargantuan ”’St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church”’ (161 East St., 1912) are some of the historic sites to be found in the Market Square Historic District.