Canandaigua Veterans Hospital Historic District
Also known as: Canandaigua Veterans Affairs Medical Center; 06941.000549
Why it's listed
Set on a landscaped campus about a mile northeast of downtown Canandaigua, this veterans hospital district opened in 1933 as a neuropsychiatric facility and still provides health care to veterans. Its twelve original buildings, designed by the Veterans Bureau Construction Division and dated 1931, include a four-story main building, a kitchen and dining hall, recreation building, and utility structures. H-shaped patient ward buildings are arranged around two courtyards linked by brick corridors; the first group served World War I veterans and a second group from the 1940s served World War II veterans. The brick buildings use Tudor Revival and Jacobethan Revival ornamentation, with the most detail on public-facing buildings, echoing the neighboring Sonnenberg Estate, whose few surviving structures are also included. Mature trees, open lawns and the straight entry drive to the main building remain intact. The district was recognized as a well-preserved example of a Second Generation Veterans Hospital, with a period of significance of 1931 to 1950.
Significance in brief: The district is a well-preserved example of a Second Generation Veterans Hospital, a neuropsychiatric sub-type built on a large tract with a dominant main building and H-shaped ward buildings around courtyards. It was built in 1931-1932 by the Veterans Bureau Construction Division in Tudor Revival/Jacobethan Revival style, chosen to fit the adjoining Sonnenberg Estate. It later expanded during the 1940s to serve World War II veterans.
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 12000161, listed March 27, 2012. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 400 Fort Hill Ave., Canandaigua |
|---|---|
| County | Ontario County |
| Listed | March 27, 2012 |
| Reference number | 12000161 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1931-1950 |
| Architect / builder | Construction Division of the Veterans Bureau |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals / Tudor Revival / Jacobethan Revival |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Health/Medicine, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still operating as the Canandaigua Veterans Affairs Medical Center; some former residential quarters have been repurposed, and a farmhouse is now a school. |
| Acreage | 123 |
| Coordinates | 42.90379, -77.26674 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 12000161.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5031117
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.