Van Ornam & Murdock Block
Also known as: Lee House Block
Why it's listed
Four attached commercial buildings on South Main Street form the core of Port Henry's business district. Built between 1874 and about 1880 in the Italianate style, they include the three-and-one-half-story brick Van Ornam building, the four-story brick Lee House Hotel, a two-story wood-frame store with a stamped metal facade, and the two-story brick Harlan building. The Van Ornam building has a bracketed wood cornice, round-arched windows and brick belt courses. The Lee House began as John A. Lee's brick house and became a hotel and restaurant that drew summer visitors, political figures and travelers to the Adirondack region. J.E. McNaulty added a fourth story and a south extension in 1911. The block reflects the prosperity that iron mining, sawmills and other industries brought to Port Henry in the late nineteenth century. Fires and alterations have affected nearby commercial buildings, so the surviving block is a rare intact example. The hotel stood vacant at the time of listing after the county seized it in 1981.
Significance in brief: The block is the commercial center of Port Henry and an unusual surviving example of late nineteenth century commercial architecture in the Adirondack-Champlain region. It retains a high degree of architectural integrity and reflects the town's prosperity in the last quarter of the century. The Lee House Hotel was for many years an important local center of entertainment and social activity.
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 82001172, listed November 14, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Main St., Port Henry |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | November 14, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001172 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1874-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The Lee House Hotel was seized by the county in 1981 for nonpayment of taxes and presently stands vacant. The form describes the block as slightly deteriorated with minor storefront alterations. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 44.04841, -73.45947 (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 82001172.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7913572
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.