Near Westside Historic District
Why it's listed
Near Westside Historic District covers about 77 acres and some 480 principal buildings close to downtown Elmira, between the Chemung River and Second Street. Its streets follow a regular grid, with tree-lined blocks, deep lots and, in many places, original slate sidewalks. Water Street, which overlooks the river, holds the oldest houses and was part of the town of Wisnerberg, platted in 1795. As Elmira grew through canals, railroads, mills and Civil War contracts, merchants and industrialists built large houses on the broad avenues, while middle-class families built smaller homes on side streets. The result is a mix of Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, Gothic Revival, Second Empire, Queen Anne and Colonial Revival buildings, along with a cemetery, churches, and a few commercial blocks. Four houses on Gray Street were built from dismantled prison camp officer barracks. Over eighty percent of the buildings predate 1914, and little has changed since the 1920s, though many houses have been subdivided.
Significance in brief: The district is significant as a concentration of fine 19th and early 20th century architecture and for its link to Elmira's growth as a commercial and manufacturing center. Many styles are mixed on each street, from Federal and Greek Revival to Queen Anne and Colonial Revival. It was the city's largest and most prestigious residential area, home to merchants and industrialists as well as middle-class residents.
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 83003906, listed December 22, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Chemung River, College Ave., 2nd and Hoffman Sts., Elmira |
|---|---|
| County | Chemung County |
| Listed | December 22, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83003906 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 and 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Various |
| Architectural style | Various 19th and 20th century styles including Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, Gothic Revival, Second Empire, Queen Anne, Neo-Tudor and Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Marked occupied and mostly in good condition; many large houses have been subdivided for multiple occupancy, and some have lost details or been altered. Fewer than 5% of structures are non-contributing or post-1920. |
| Acreage | 77 |
| Coordinates | 42.10381, -76.81382 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 83003906.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14707053
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.