Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Freight Depot
Why it's listed
Brick walls, arched freight openings and broad bracketed eaves define this freight depot on English Street Extension in Westfield, Chautauqua County. The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad built it in 1904, at the same time as its passenger station about a quarter mile to the southwest. The one-and-one-half-story building sits on 1.4 acres beside the railroad tracks in a sparsely populated industrial area, four blocks northwest of the Main Street commercial district. Stepped corbels, brick pilasters, sandstone lintels and sills, and circular vent holes in the gable ends give the structure its character. The nomination values it as a rare, intact example of a freight depot typical of small rural and suburban communities, and as the only surviving twentieth-century railroad freight depot in Westfield. It also reflects early twentieth-century rural development in western New York and the link to Chautauqua Institution. The building is vacant, and its freight platform is deteriorated.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a rare, intact surviving example of a freight depot typical of small rural and suburban communities. It is associated with the railroad's nearby passenger station and with early twentieth-century rural development in western New York and Chautauqua Institution. It is the only extant twentieth-century railroad freight depot in Westfield.
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 83001651, listed September 26, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | English St., Westfield |
|---|---|
| County | Chautauqua County |
| Listed | September 26, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001651 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; builder Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant and privately owned; the freight platform on the west side is in deteriorated condition. |
| Acreage | 1.4 |
| Coordinates | 42.33119, -79.57605 (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 83001651.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6477726
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.