Thendara Historic District
Also known as: Fulton Chain
Why it's listed
Five buildings from the 1890s make up this small district in Thendara, a hamlet near Old Forge in Herkimer County, New York. They cluster around a New York Central railroad passenger station at the head of the Fulton Chain of lakes, the gateway to the interior Adirondacks. The group includes the Moose River House hotel (1896), the Town Hall (about 1896), the Van Auken Tavern (1891), the passenger station (1894) and a freight house (1896). When rail service arrived in the early 1890s, tourism surged, and Thendara drew about 20,000 visitors a year, enough to support three hotels, steamboat service, sawmills, a post office and a town hall. The freight house also shipped timber out and carried supplies in. The Town Hall doubled as a social center for dances, theater and church services. The district is recognized for its architecture and its connection to rail transportation, with a significance period of 1891 to 1940.
Significance in brief: The buildings reflect the growth of Thendara as a gateway to the Fulton Chain of lakes after rail service reached the Adirondacks, when tourist traffic supported hotels, a freight station, and civic facilities. The district is significant for its architecture and its role in transportation. The period of significance runs from the earliest building, the Van Auken Tavern (1891), to the decline of rail service by the 1940s.
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 10000897, listed November 10, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by Birch St and Forge St, Old Forge |
|---|---|
| County | Herkimer County |
| Listed | November 10, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000897 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1891-1940 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival; Late Victorian: Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current functions include rail-related transportation and a vacant listing; the Town Hall has lost its steeple superstructure, and the Van Auken Tavern is clad in aluminum siding. |
| Acreage | 4.3 |
| Within district | New York Central Railroad Adirondack Division Historic District |
| Coordinates | 43.65750, -75.00442 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 10000897.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7781363
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.