Court Exchange Building-National Casket Company
Why it's listed
Rising six stories beside the Genesee River at 142 Exchange Street in Rochester, this brick building was designed in 1881 by architect Harvey Ellis for Samuel Stein, a local casket manufacturer. Load-bearing brick walls, cast-iron columns and a heavy timber frame support the structure. Its Richardsonian Romanesque facade features a blind arcade at the parapet, tall arches over the upper floors, tripartite windows and embossed cast-iron piers at street level. Ellis is best known for the Old Federal Building, and this is one of his earliest surviving Rochester works and one of only a few of his commercial buildings still standing. Stein's firm pioneered the cabinet-style casket, exhibited at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition, and supplied President Grant's casket in 1885. It became part of the National Casket Company in 1890. The building served casket production until 1984, when renovation added an atrium wing and converted it to offices. It is valued as an isolated survivor of Rochester's 1880s industrial architecture.
Significance in brief: It is a rare surviving commercial work by Harvey Ellis, a prominent late nineteenth century Rochester architect, within the Inner Loop area. Its Richardsonian Romanesque design resembles the emerging Chicago School, and it is an isolated survivor of a once common building type. It is also tied to Samuel Stein's casket business, which became part of the National Casket Company.
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 85002850, listed October 4, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 142 Exchange St., Rochester |
|---|---|
| County | Monroe County |
| Listed | October 4, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002850 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect: Harvey Ellis; builder unknown |
| Architectural style | Richardsonian Romanesque |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used continuously until 1984 to manufacture, display and warehouse caskets; now offices, in excellent condition after a 1984 renovation and atrium addition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 43.15252, -77.61070 (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 85002850.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5178802
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.