Wellman Building, The
Also known as: The Wellman Bros. Building, The Wellman Block
Why it's listed
Two linked commercial buildings occupy the corner of West 3rd and Cherry Streets in the heart of Jamestown's business district. The older part, built in 1897 for the Wellman Brothers, is a five-story buff brick block with Ohio sandstone string courses, a pressed tin cornice and a pediment bearing the family name. Shops filled the ground floor, and upper floors held 48 offices that housed doctors, lawyers, accountants and businesses. In 1910 a steel-and-concrete addition was built to the south. It keeps a classical look, adds Prairie-style window details, and is joined to the earlier block by a narrow transition bay. Both were designed by Aaron Hall and Son, whose work drew on popular styles of the day. The building matters as an example of that eclectic practice, of the move from bearing-wall to steel-frame construction, and of Jamestown's commercial growth. The storefronts are now vacant, and many interior partitions have been removed or altered.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the Wellman Building as a well-preserved downtown commercial block that shows the work of local architect-builder Aaron Hall in two eclectic styles, Renaissance Revival and Prairie-influenced classical. It also records a shift in construction from load-bearing masonry in 1897 to steel and concrete framing in 1910. The building is tied to Jamestown's growth as an industrial and commercial city. The listing is recommended at the local level.
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 09000629, listed August 21, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 101-103 W. 3rd St. & 215-217 Cherry St., Jamestown |
|---|---|
| County | Chautauqua County |
| Listed | August 21, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000629 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Aaron Hall and Son (local architect Aaron Hall), for the Wellman Brothers |
| Architectural style | Late 19th & Early 20th Century Revivals: Italian Renaissance (Renaissance Revival, with Prairie Style-influenced detailing on the 1910 addition) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The ground-floor storefronts are currently vacant; the form lists the current function as vacant/not in use. Interiors have been altered over time. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.09776, -79.24258 (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 09000629.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7774225
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.