Moriah Town Office Building
Also known as: Witherbee,Sherman & Company Office Building
Why it's listed
Overlooking Lake Champlain in Port Henry, this three-story brick building was constructed in 1875 for Witherbee, Sherman and Company at a cost of $20,000. It has a concave mansard roof of hexagonal slate, wrought iron cresting, a wooden cupola, dormers, molded cornices with brackets and hooded windows. Inside, mahogany doors, trim and paneling, pressed-tin ceilings and an oval staircase survive. The company chose the site to oversee ore shipments from its wharves and railroad lines. Ore from the Mineville mines arrived by rail and was loaded onto barges bound for markets across the country. Republic Steel later used the building as its local office, and the Town of Moriah bought it in 1959 for one dollar. A brick carriage house, a frame building now used as a court house and an open public park complete the property. Because it has long been used as an office, it retains a high degree of integrity and reflects the iron mining economy of the town.
Significance in brief: The building is cited as a highly intact, distinctive example of Second Empire architecture. It is also significant for its link to Witherbee, Sherman and Company and the central role of iron mining in Moriah's development. The surrounding park and ancillary buildings add to that history.
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 95000594, listed May 18, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Cedar St., Town of Moriah, Port Henry |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | May 18, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000594 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1875 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Second Empire |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as the Moriah town office; the carriage house is described as vacant and undergoing interior renovation for a visitor center, and the western frame building is used as a court house. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 44.04901, -73.46176 (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 95000594.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6912144
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.