Main Street Historic Distrct

Addison's Main Street runs south from the Canisteo River through the village's historic commercial center, and the district covers the continuous rows of storefront buildings on both sides. Thirty contributing buildings and outbuildings date from about 1840 to 1934. Most are two- to three-story brick blocks built in the 1870s and 1880s, many with Italianate details such as arched windows, bracketed cornices and decorative brickwork. A row of seven buildings on the west side went up in 1880 after a fire destroyed much of that side of the street, and four were designed by Elmira architect Eugene Gregory. Cast iron storefront pilasters and pressed metal cornices, made by firms in Elmira and Horseheads, survive on several buildings. The Stevens Block of 1883 is the district's only High Victorian Gothic example, with multicolored masonry. Although some storefronts have been modernized, the upper floors and the consistent scale and setbacks keep the street's historic commercial character.