Shay's Warehouse and Stable
Why it's listed
Built about 1865 for rag dealer William Shay, this L-shaped complex of connected stone and brick sections sits on a hillside near the Hudson River in New Hamburg. One section is a squarish two-story warehouse and the other a stable. Both have low hipped metal roofs, and the warehouse carries a louvered ventilator with a weathervane. Its most notable feature is a corbelled brick cornice that imitates brackets and moldings, interrupted by arched wall dormers. The warehouse keeps its original six-over-six windows, wagon doors and open interior floors, while the stable has lost its stalls and gained an overhead door. Shay collected cotton waste from mills in Poughkeepsie and Wappingers Falls and shipped it on, and the stable and wagon house served the handoff between water and land transport. Locally called the Rag Factory, it is the only intact waterfront building recalling New Hamburg's role as a river port, and it is unusually ornate for a commercial structure.
Significance in brief: The building is argued to be a distinctive example of commercial architecture in New Hamburg, with an unusually elaborate corbelled brick cornice reflecting Italianate and Picturesque taste. It is also the only intact waterfront building left from New Hamburg's days as a river port, tied to the transshipment of cotton waste from nearby mills.
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 87000123, listed February 27, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Rear of 32 Point St., New Hamburg |
|---|---|
| County | Dutchess County |
| Listed | February 27, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87000123 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect and builder unknown; built for rag dealer William Shay |
| Architectural style | Italianate (Picturesque/Romantic revival influence) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Originally a rag business and stables; present use given as storage, with condition rated fair and no threats known. The stable interior was altered for commercial reuse. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.58734, -73.94912 (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 87000123.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7491615
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.