Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad Station
Why it's listed
Built in 1904 by the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad, this railroad station on English Street in Westfield is a one-and-one-half-story building of brick, terra cotta and sandstone. A hipped slate roof with broad, bracketed eaves shelters all four sides, and dormers face northwest and southeast. The walls rest on a raised stone foundation, and smooth sandstone outlines the corners, windows and doors. Inside, an Italian mosaic floor and Norway pine wainscoting survive among the notable features. Stylistically, the station reflects the Romanesque suburban stations H.H. Richardson designed in the 1880s, seen in its horizontal emphasis, deep eaves and textured, earth-toned masonry. It also mattered to travel in the region: Westfield was the main transfer point for passengers heading to the Chautauqua Institution, connecting the east-west main line with the Jamestown, Chautauqua and Lake Erie Railroad. The railroad itself formed in 1869 through consolidation of four companies and later became part of Conrail.
Significance in brief: The station is a distinctive example of a passenger station influenced by H.H. Richardson's Romanesque suburban stations of the 1880s, with a strong horizontal emphasis, broad bracketed eaves and varied rusticated masonry textures. It was also the principal transfer point for rail passengers bound for the Chautauqua Institution, linking the main east-west line with the Jamestown, Chautauqua and Lake Erie Railroad.
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 83003897, listed December 16, 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 | December 16, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83003897 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; builder Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad |
| Architectural style | Richardsonian Romanesque influence (Romanesque Revival) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as deteriorated; the inventory form lists present use as Conrail storage. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.32820, -79.58195 (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.
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 83003897.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14706758
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.