Chemung Canal Bank Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1833 on East Water Street in downtown Elmira, this brick building was designed as a banking house for the newly chartered Chemung Canal Bank, with offices on the first floor and the cashier's residence above. It is believed to be the oldest surviving commercial structure in the city. Originally two stories, it gained a rear addition in the mid-nineteenth century, a third floor with arched windows and a brick cornice in 1868, an east wing with vault in the 1880s, and a projecting Ionic entrance in 1903. Inside, terrazzo floors, pressed-tin ceilings, marble baseboards, skylights, mahogany woodwork and three vaults remain. The bank occupied the building for eighty-six years, and tenants included John Arnot Sr., John Arnot Jr., Governor David Hill and trial lawyer John Stanchfield. The Arnots used it as an upstate Democratic Party headquarters before the Civil War. Its listing rests on both its associations and its balanced classical and Italianate design.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the oldest existing commercial structure in Elmira, built for the Chemung Canal Bank after the canal opened in 1832. It was associated with prominent citizens such as John Arnot Sr. and Jr., Governor David Hill and lawyer John Stanchfield. Its design blends classical and Italianate details, with additions carefully integrated into a coherent whole.
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 78001844, listed June 23, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 415 E. Water St., Elmira |
|---|---|
| County | Chemung County |
| Listed | June 23, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78001844 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Blend of classical and Italianate details |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as unoccupied and unused at nomination; the Chemung County Historical Society planned to rehabilitate it for collections, offices and exhibits. Rear additions and the gas building were somewhat deteriorated. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.08842, -76.80002 (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 78001844.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5090675
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.