Black River Canal Warehouse
Why it's listed
Built in 1850 on Water Street in Boonville, this small wood-frame warehouse is a rare survivor of the canal era. It measures 28 by 40 feet, rises one and a half stories and has gable ends with loading doors and second-story hoisting bays. The structure uses sawed and hewn timbers joined with mortise-and-tenon joints, much like barn framing, and the interior remains plain, with exposed framing, plank floors, an open stair to the loft and the remains of a wood hoisting winch. Exterior sheathing is a mix of board-and-batten and metal siding. The warehouse was built when the Black River Canal reached Boonville, which became a shipping hub for lumber, bulk goods and manufactured products. After the canal was abandoned in 1924, most of the village's warehouses were lost, demolished, burned or moved. This one remains as a representative example of its type. The village owns it and intends to restore it as an interpretive center within a canal trail park.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the warehouse is a substantially intact, representative example of vernacular canal-related architecture, significant under Criteria A and C. It is described as one of the last surviving canal warehouses in Boonville and reflects the village's economic importance during the canal era (1850-1924).
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 03000093, listed March 7, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 502 Water St., Boonville |
|---|---|
| County | Oneida County |
| Listed | March 7, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000093 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1850-1924 |
| Architectural style | NO STYLE |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant/not in use; owned by the village of Boonville, which plans to restore it and convert it to an interpretive center in a canal trail park. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 43.48107, -75.32733 (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 03000093.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4921643
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.