Union Station
Why it's listed
Union Station is a brick railroad depot at 95 Union Avenue in Lockport, on the south side of the New York Central tracks about a block from the Erie Canal. The New York Central Railroad built it in 1889 to handle growing passenger and commercial traffic. Local builder W.E. Houston constructed it, and the firm of Bendinger and Young did the stonework. The one-and-a-half story building rests on a coursed rock-faced stone foundation and features polygonal corner turrets, round Romanesque arches over the loading bays, stone-mullioned windows and parapet gables. The railroad deactivated the station in the 1940s, and it sat unused until 1967, when it was converted into a restaurant that opened in 1971. A fire in December 1974 gutted the interior but left the walls standing. State reviewers judged the exterior intact enough to justify recognition of the building as a Romanesque Revival landmark tied to Lockport's transportation history.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the station as a good example of late nineteenth century Romanesque Revival depot architecture. Its substantial size reflects Lockport's commercial importance and the role of railroads in the city's growth. After a 1974 fire gutted the interior, listing was justified on the strength of its exterior integrity and its role as a visual and historic landmark.
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 77000966, listed December 2, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 95 Union Ave., Lockport |
|---|---|
| County | Niagara County |
| Listed | December 2, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77000966 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 (specific date 1889) |
| Architect / builder | W.E. Houston (builder); stonework by Bendinger and Young |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Gutted by fire in December 1974; exterior walls remain intact and plans were underway to reconstruct the interior and reestablish a restaurant. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Lowertown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 43.17385, -78.68534 (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 77000966.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7886072
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.