Terra Cotta Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1892 by the Celadon Terra Cotta Company, this small one-story building in Alfred, New York, served as the firm's office and a display case for its products. About 16 by 25 feet, it is made almost entirely of the company's own bricks, tiles and ornamental tiles, with a Spanish-type tile roof and a decorative tile frieze that differs on each side. The company formed in 1889 after local clay proved suitable for quality terra cotta, and its greenish glaze inspired the name Celadon. The building advertised the wares so well that a replica was shown at the 1892 Chicago World's Fair. After a fire destroyed the plant in 1909, the office survived and became known locally as the Terra Cotta. It was slated for demolition near the Alfred University athletic field, then bought by the Alfred Historical Society and moved to a temporary site, with plans for use as a ceramics museum. It is valued as a reminder of Alfred's ceramic industry and of Victorian thought.
Significance in brief: The building is tied to the ceramic industry that once thrived in Alfred and served as an advertisement for the Celadon company's products. It was so effective that a replica was shown at the 1892 Chicago World's Fair. It also reflects Victorian taste and is described as a unique artifact of a past era.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 72000820, listed March 16, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Main St., Alfred |
|---|---|
| County | Allegany County |
| Listed | March 16, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000820 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Architect / builder | Celadon Terra Cotta Company, Limited |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Art, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Not in use at present; moved to a temporary site on Main Street, with plans to relocate it to a courtyard at the State College of Ceramics as a museum. Condition listed as good, altered and moved. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Alfred Village Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.25758, -77.78823 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 72000820.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7703073
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.