Whitney Mansion
Why it's listed
Built of Medina limestone on a bluff above the Niagara Rapids, this mansion at 335 Buffalo Avenue in Niagara Falls is a Greek Revival house in a city that mostly grew up later in the nineteenth century. Solon Whitney, son of hotel owner General Parkhurst Whitney, bought the land in 1837, but the Patriot's War and the financial depression delayed construction until 1849, and the family moved in around 1851. The original section has a two-story pedimented porch with four Ionic columns and a gable roof with a dentilled cornice. Additions of the 1860s more than doubled the house, adding Victorian bay windows and dormers. The house stayed in the Whitney family until the 1930s, and later served the Carborundum Company as a guest house and residence for its president. Since 1962 it has housed young executives as a club residence. It is recognized as a rare local example of Greek Revival design and a link to the city's tourism and industrial history.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an important and locally almost unique example of Greek Revival residential architecture, finished in 1851 as planned in the 1830s, in a city that grew late in the nineteenth century. It is tied to two major themes of local history: the early tourist industry that produced the Whitney family's wealth, and later the Carborundum 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 74001283, listed January 17, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 335 Buffalo Ave., Niagara Falls |
|---|---|
| County | Niagara County |
| Listed | January 17, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74001283 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (1849, added 1866) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is marked good and altered, on its original site. It is used as a bachelor's residence for a private club. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 43.08183, -79.05845 (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 74001283.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14875480
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.