Sweet, Samuel, Canal Store
Why it's listed
Built between 1847 and 1852 at 65 Bridge Street in Amsterdam, New York, this rectangular canal store once faced the Erie Canal and a boat basin in the village of Port Jackson. Its walls are rough-cut pale grey limestone with dressed quoins, sills and lintels, and the east upper stories are red brick. Inside, pegged heavy timber framing and unfinished stone walls remain. The land was bought by Waterman Sweet in 1847 and passed to his son Samuel two years later. The building served canal trade as storage and as a local shop, and later housed a lumberyard and other businesses. Alterations include a raised ground level after the canal was filled, display windows added in 1930, and a tin roof from about 1974. It is described as one of the few remaining buildings in Amsterdam directly tied to Erie Canal commerce, and as a fine example of local limestone construction.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a representative example of a distinctive building type, the canal store, and is tied to the Erie Canal and Port Jackson's prosperity as a canal port. It is also presented as an excellent example of the local limestone building tradition and one of the few surviving canal-era utilitarian buildings in the Amsterdam area.
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 89001389, listed September 19, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 65 Bridge St., Amsterdam |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | September 19, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001389 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | circa 1847 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant/not in use as its current function; the text also says it is presently used as a storehouse and the third floor is not in use. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.93441, -74.19784 (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 89001389.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7412725
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.