{"nrhp_refnum":"98000552","name":"Spaulding-Sidway Boathouse","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"2296 W. Oakfield Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Grand Island","county":"Erie County","state":"NY","lat":42.97119623700007,"lon":-78.97707732699996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1998-05-20","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Entertainment/Recreation"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story Stick style frame boathouse built ca. 1870 in the west branch of the Niagara River off the southwest shore of Grand Island, Erie County, New York, next to Beaver Island State Park. It was built as part of the Spaulding estate called River Lawn.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is a rare and outstanding surviving example of a late nineteenth century private family estate boathouse, retaining a high level of integrity. It reflects Grand Island's growth as a seasonal recreation area and the early sport of canoeing and small boat sailing. It is also associated with Elbridge Gerry Spaulding, called the \"Father of the Greenback.\"","narrative":"Built around 1870, this two-story Stick style boathouse sits on piers in the west branch of the Niagara River off Grand Island, New York. It began as part of River Lawn, the estate of Buffalo banker and congressman Elbridge Gerry Spaulding, who was known as the \"Father of the Greenback.\" When the state bought the estate lands for Beaver Island State Park, Spaulding's grandson floated the building upriver to spare it from demolition. The clapboard frame structure has trussed gable balconies, vertical and diagonal stickwork, sawtooth shingles, Eastlake details and the date 1870. Boat bays face the river, while the upper floor holds a recreation room opening onto four balconies. Steel framing added around 1990 helps it withstand currents and ice. The boathouse is considered a rare survivor of a building type that once lined Grand Island's shore, and it is still used for boat storage and social gatherings.","period_of_significance":"ca. 1870","architect_builder":"unknown","architectural_style":"Stick style","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Still used for its original purpose of light boat storage and social activities; moved from its original site between 1935 and 1940, with steel reinforcement added ca. 1990.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:50.721792-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/98000552.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/98000552/681978fc02-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/98000552/681978fc02-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Unknown authorUnknown author","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elbridge_G._Spaulding_%22River_Lawn%22_-_Grand_Island.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Unknown authorUnknown author</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elbridge_G._Spaulding_%22River_Lawn%22_-_Grand_Island.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75317705","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaulding-Sidway_Boathouse","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14875430"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/erie-county/spaulding-sidway-boathouse-98000552/"}