The Orin Foster House, located at 891 Delaware Avenue, has been given a new lease of life thanks to Dr. Leonard Kaplan, DO, and his wife Beth Sheena Kaplan, who own and operate OWM Integrative Wellness. The last time I wrote about his OWM was when the open house was held in June 2023. At that time, we were given a glimpse of the restored and upgraded interior of the vast building, which essentially he subdivided into two fairly distinct entities.
Entering the building through an entrance at the rear of the building where there is ample parking, OWM customers will find themselves stepping into what was once the mansion’s servants’ quarters. The servants’ quarters are a practical facility, with many of the small rooms converted into studios that provide the following services and health support:
Advanced anti-aging therapies, regenerative solutions for spine and joint pain, mind-body healing and rejuvenation, comprehensive integrated cancer support therapy, intravenous infusion therapy, medical aesthetics, hyperhidrosis treatment, nano-fractional therapy, thermomagnetic rejuvenation , infrared saunas, laser hair removal, PRP therapy for sports injuries and arthritis, pulsed electromagnetic fields and radiofrequency energy, injectable laser therapy, microneedling therapy, and even women’s health and breast cancer prevention strategies.
Upon entering the back of the building, the first thing guests will encounter is the reception area and waiting room. Niagara Street has a quiet, relaxing atmosphere with mid-century modern furniture and plenty of CooCoo U pieces. The sounds you hear are those of fantastic chamber music. Aromatherapy fills the air.
While I was waiting for Beth to show me around, I overheard the receptionist talking to a customer from out of town. A client had booked a service at OWM, and the receptionist helped the client stay in Buffalo. I soon learned that one of the next steps for the OWM operation was to build on-site temporary housing for people who wanted to stay at OWM while undergoing various treatments. I did. The residence will be located within the home’s magnificent main residence and, if all goes to plan, an expansive carriage house. One of OWM’s goals, you might say, is to be a full-service retreat, the type of retreat you only find in California, with a Buffalo twist.
The Kaplans have done everything they can to restore and preserve the historic architectural elements of the Orrin Foster House. Of course, there are some areas, such as the waiting room (on the former servant side of the building), where the wood has been painted and was difficult to remove. In such cases, they chose to repaint using a color scheme appropriate for peace and tranquility.
Where there used to be wall-to-wall carpeting and wallpaper, it’s being torn and torn to see what’s underneath. Once again, as much as possible was restored, but there were a number of areas that required careful updating. Hex tiles were replaced, lighting was fixed, and damaged windows were repaired. Incredibly, despite being vacant for 10 years, the mansion was thankfully not in as bad a condition as one might have imagined. The main residence appears to have remained as it was in its heyday.
When discussing Dr. Leonard Kaplan’s role in getting OWM up and running in 2014, Beth credited him as someone who never wanted to walk in the same path as others. At the time, he had military experience as a general medical officer. From there, he embarked on a training course to explore pain and rehabilitation medicine. Dr. Kaplan is double board certified in pain management. He has long questioned insurance-based health care that does not take into account alternative forms of health therapy, both old and new, that have been successful in other countries. He is constantly traveling, lecturing, learning, and working with people who understand that healing techniques cannot be prescribed, bottled, or sold. Each person is unique. Everyone’s body is different and you should read it like a book before you begin your journey to healing. This is what sets Dr. Kaplan apart from other companies, and it’s why his OWM has grown steadily over the past decade.
If you think you understand something about OWM, let me tell you that everything I’ve explained is just the tip of the iceberg. The basement of the building contains a cold room and a hyperbaric oxygen room. The attic will one day be used for wall yoga with a sauna and shower. Everything is designed to rejuvenate the body, whether you are sick or want to stay as healthy as possible. It is preventive medicine that increases immunity. From medical spa drips (with facials) to ketamine programs for those suffering from PTSD… As we said, there’s more to OWM than meets the eye.
Now that the first phase of OWM is up and running and open to the public, Beth said the mansion’s main residence is being considered for phase two. At this stage, we plan to focus on cooking programs that teach people how to make healthier food. You begin to rebalance your body. Programming such as lectures is also held here. And as I mentioned, this is also where people can stay in his wonderful circa 1904 rooms.
“This all turned into something much bigger than us,” Beth told me. “This is a new adventure for both the client and the client, whether they’re interested in gut health, hormonal health or anti-aging. This is a recovery space, a place to rest and heal; It’s a place to learn about the body and how everything works. We’re connected. I’m so excited to see where this takes us in the next few years. We’ve already come this far…and we’re excited about our next journey. I’m ready.”
OWM Integrative Wellness | 891 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14209 | (716) 626-6301
