Holley-Rankine House
Also known as: Lovelace House
Why it's listed
Overlooking the Niagara River near Goat Island, this two and one-half story stone cottage at 525 Riverside Drive in Niagara Falls was built in the late 1850s-1860s in the Gothic Revival style. Its walls are local gray stone, with wide eaves, bracketed gables, spire finials and pointed-arch entrance porch. A smaller north wing may be an earlier late Federal house, possibly from the 1830s or 1840s. Inside, the ground floor keeps hand-rubbed oak woodwork, Gothic fireplaces and a Tudor-style plaster ceiling in the dining room. The house was built by George Washington Holley, an industrialist, state assemblyman and author of a book on Niagara. After 1902 it belonged to William B. Rankine, a lawyer who helped establish the Niagara Falls Power Company, and later to Frederick Laurens Lovelace, a business and banking figure. It is considered the best preserved Gothic Revival cottage in the city, shaped by the writings of Andrew Jackson Downing.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the best preserved Gothic Revival cottage in Niagara Falls, reflecting the ideas of Andrew Jackson Downing in its design, local stone and picturesque setting. It was also the home of men prominent in the city's economic, political and social life, including Holley and hydroelectric promoter William B. Rankine.
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 79003793, listed October 4, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 525 Riverside Dr., Niagara Falls |
|---|---|
| County | Niagara County |
| Listed | October 4, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003793 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1855-1879 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition, unaltered, on its original site, occupied and used as a private residence. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 43.08151, -79.05527 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 79003793.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14875188
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.