Caledonia House Hotel
Also known as: Masonic Temple
Why it's listed
Built between 1831 and 1833 from locally quarried cut stone, this Federal-style hotel sits at a bend in the old Genesee Road in the center of Caledonia, New York. James Shaw built it on land near his farm, and carpenter John Butterick completed the woodwork, including a third-floor ballroom with a celebrated spring floor. The five-bay facade features two Palladian windows and an elegant center entrance with fluted pilasters and a fan window. A bracketed gable roof replaced the original stepped gables in the late nineteenth century. The hotel served stagecoach traffic between Albany and Buffalo and passed through many proprietors before closing in 1903. Eunice Lodge of Masons bought it in 1908 and dedicated the temple in 1909. Shops and the post office occupied the ground floor. It was listed as a rare, intact Federal-style hotel and a village landmark, with much original staircase, trim and mantel detail surviving inside.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an outstanding, intact example of early 19th-century Federal-style design in western New York and a rare surviving hotel from the Great Genesee Road migration era. It is the largest of several Federal-period cut-stone buildings nearby. Its center entrance, Palladian facade windows and decorative woodwork are singled out, and it remains a prominent landmark in the village's commercial district.
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 01000997, listed September 13, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3141 State St., Caledonia |
|---|---|
| County | Livingston County |
| Listed | September 13, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000997 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1831-1950 |
| Architect / builder | John Butterick (carpenter); built by James Shaw |
| Architectural style | Early Republic/Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still standing and in use as a Masonic meeting hall (Eunice Lodge) with commercial spaces on the first floor. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.97314, -77.85275 (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 01000997.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5019385
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.