Dolge, Alfred, Hose Co. No. 1 Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1890 as a store by Henry Faville, this two-story frame building on South Main Street in Dolgeville was converted to a firehouse in 1901. It has a gabled standing-seam metal roof, clapboard siding, a cut stone basement, an open belfry and a rear hose-drying tower, and a simple molded cornice and second-story porch with turned balustrade. The fire company rented the quarters until 1914, when the village bought the property. Apparatus, from hand-drawn to motorized, was kept here until the department moved to a new building in 1991. The firehouse is tied to Alfred Dolge, the piano and felt manufacturer for whom the village was renamed, who led the founding of local fire companies and paid for their equipment. Alterations to the first floor were reversed in 1993 using historic photographs, and the front second-floor room keeps its pressed metal ceiling and Lincrusta wainscoting. A local historical society now operates it as a museum.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a substantially intact example of a regional vernacular civic building tied to early twentieth-century fire protection in Dolgeville. It is also associated with industrialist Alfred Dolge, the village's namesake and chief benefactor, who underwrote the fire company's equipment and building. It remains a prominent civic landmark.
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 94001003, listed August 19, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of S. Main and Slawson Sts., SW corner, Dolgeville |
|---|---|
| County | Herkimer County |
| Listed | August 19, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94001003 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1901 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Fire department vacated in 1991; acquired by a local historical society in 1992 and renovated as a museum of local history. The 1993 work restored the historic door configuration. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 43.09999, -74.77410 (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 94001003.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4722553
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.