Hawkins Hall
Why it's listed
Hawkins Hall is a two-story stone building on Beekman Street in Plattsburgh, completed in 1932 for the Normal School, now part of the State University campus. Architect William E. Haugaard of Albany designed it, and Thomas C. Brown of Schenectady built it. It replaced an earlier school building destroyed by fire in 1929. Dr. George Hawkins served as principal of the Normal School from 1898 until 1932, and the hall took his name in 1955. The building trained teachers until the school joined the State University in 1948, and it still holds classrooms and offices. Its design reflects the collegiate Gothic style popular in the early twentieth century, with massive stone walls, castellated towers of five and two stories, castellated end bays, 12/12 windows with stone lintels, sills and labels, and wooden paneled doors beneath semicircular transoms. It is the only building of its type in Plattsburgh and remains an integral part of the campus.
Significance in brief: It is the original Normal School building, replacing an earlier structure destroyed by fire in 1929, and served as a teacher training center until the school joined the State University in 1948. It is also a typical example of the eclectic collegiate Gothic style of the early 20th century and the only building of its type in Plattsburgh.
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 82001106, listed November 12, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Beekman St., Plattsburgh |
|---|---|
| County | Clinton County |
| Listed | November 12, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001106 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect: William E. Haugaard, Albany, N.Y.; Builder: Thomas C. Brown, Schenectady, N.Y. |
| Architectural style | Eclectic collegiate Gothic |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in good condition, in use for classrooms and offices, on its original site; no threats known. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 44.69734, -73.46724 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 82001106.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5685149
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.