National Hotel
Also known as: National Exchange
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built in 1841 beside the Big Tree Road and the newly opened Genesee Valley Canal, this two-story frame building in Cuylerville began as the National Exchange, a tavern and inn. Its transitional Federal and Greek Revival design includes clapboard siding, a broad cornice with gable returns, a curved interior staircase and a second-floor ballroom. The canal and a holding basin lay less than fifty yards away, and the inn served both highway and canal travelers. After the canal closed, the hamlet declined, but the building adapted. It became a gathering place and boarding house for Italian immigrant salt mine workers after 1906, and the Italian-American Citizen Political Awakening Association formed there in 1916. Local tradition holds it operated as a speakeasy during Prohibition. It housed engineers working on the Mount Morris dam from 1948 to 1951, then reopened in the early 1950s as a restaurant for tourists. It is the only surviving canal-era commercial building in Cuylerville and a rare example of a large 1840s hostelry.
Significance in brief: It is a rare, largely intact example of a large highway and canal-related hostelry of the 1840s. It is also the only surviving canal-era commercial building from Cuylerville's boom as a port on the Genesee Valley Canal. It was the site of several later local events, including the 1916 founding of an Italian-American political association.
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 04001344, listed December 6, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2927 Main St., Cuylerville |
|---|---|
| County | Livingston County |
| Listed | December 6, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04001344 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1841-1954 |
| Architect / builder | Charles Phinney (builder) |
| Architectural style | Federal; Greek Revival (transitional Federal/Greek Revival) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in operation as a restaurant; the form notes the hotel continues in operation today, with some interior alterations. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.77781, -77.87126 (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 04001344.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6973413
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.