Erie Railroad Station
Also known as: Erie--Lackawanna Railroad Station
Why it's listed
Built in 1931-1932 on West Second Street in downtown Jamestown, this railroad station served the Erie Railroad as the city's last and grandest passenger depot. It is roughly triangular in plan, with a limestone central pavilion flanked by tan brick wings once used for express and parcel post business. Inside, the waiting room has imitation travertine walls, dark green marble trim, a vaulted plaster ceiling about 32 feet high and an original Art Deco chandelier. The design is credited to Erie architect Graham King, with Winston Brothers as builders. The station is significant for its link to rail transportation, which spurred Jamestown's growth in tourism, furniture making and other industry, and for its Art Deco styling, which echoes larger Buffalo landmarks on a smaller scale. It replaced earlier stations of 1865 and 1897. Passenger service to Jamestown ended in 1970, and the building is now vacant.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues local significance under Criteria A and C. The station reflects the importance of rail transportation to Jamestown's growth and is a fine local example of Art Deco design with streamlined classical ornament. It was the last and grandest of the city's stations and served trains such as the Erie Limited.
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 03000045, listed May 2, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 211-217 W. Second St., Jamestown |
|---|---|
| County | Chautauqua County |
| Listed | May 2, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000045 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1931-1953 |
| Architect / builder | Graham King; Winston Brothers Co., Inc. Builders |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement/Art Deco |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function listed as vacant/not in use; the covered bridge and stairs to the tracks no longer exist, and only a single rail line passes the station. |
| Acreage | 1.4 |
| Coordinates | 42.09451, -79.24460 (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 03000045.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6146174
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.