West Main Street-West James Street Historic District

Richfield Springs grew into a resort community in the nineteenth century, and this 24-acre district preserves its commercial, institutional and residential center along West Main Street and West James Street. Four large brick commercial blocks in Italianate and Queen Anne styles line the south side of Main Street, alongside earlier frame buildings in Greek Revival and Italianate styles. Other landmarks include the 1880 Gothic Revival St. John's Church by Henry Dudley, the 1910 public library by F. H. Gouge, and the 1938-1939 Colonial Revival Central School by Myron Jordan. West James Street offers a cross-section of village houses, from a circa 1830 plank-wall cottage to Stick and Shingle style residences of the 1870s and 1880s. Of 73 features, 61 contribute to the district's character. It was recognized for its role in the village's social and economic development and for its architecture, which reflects the turnpike and spa period, the resort and railroad era, and the early twentieth century, ca. 1830 to 1940.