United Office Building
Why it's listed
Rising twenty stories above Rainbow Boulevard in Niagara Falls, this office tower was built in 1928-1929 and remains the tallest historic commercial skyscraper in the city. Esenwein & Johnson of Buffalo designed it, with James A. Johnson handling the ornament, and the Amsterdam Building Company of New York City served as general contractor. A steel frame is clad in brick that lightens from dark brown at the base to buff at the top, above a band of polished marble and a two-story terra cotta base with Mayan-style relief. Setbacks at the upper floors follow the New York City zoning model and carry polychrome terra cotta friezes. Inside, the lobby has terrazzo floors, marble wainscot, coffered plaster ceilings and a gold-leaf staircase. The building housed attorneys, brokers and insurers, and was headquarters of the United Hotels Company of America. It has been vacant since the 1980s, but the exterior and lobby keep a high level of architectural integrity.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is one of the most outstanding early twentieth century skyscrapers and Art Deco commercial buildings in Western New York, and the only early skyscraper in Niagara County. It reflects the setback form shaped by New York City zoning rules and has a Mayan-themed terra cotta design. It also served as headquarters of the United Hotels Company of America, the earliest U.S. hotel chain.
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 05001537, listed January 18, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 220 Rainbow Blvd., Niagara Falls |
|---|---|
| County | Niagara County |
| Listed | January 18, 2006 |
| Reference number | 05001537 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1929-1955 |
| Architect / builder | James A. Johnson of Esenwein & Johnson of Buffalo, N.Y.; Amsterdam Building Company of New York City |
| Architectural style | MODERN MOVEMENT/Art Deco skyscraper |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed current function is vacant; the building was vacated in the 1980s, a 1990s apartment conversion failed, and window replacement plans were approved. Exterior and lobby retain a high level of integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 43.08721, -79.06221 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 05001537.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7889005
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.