Clark, A. J., Store
Why it's listed
Built around 1875 by Archer Clark, this two-story brick store sits at 286 Main Street in the center of Cornwall's business district. It has a flat roof with a low parapet, a widely projecting bracketed cornice with carved wood scroll brackets, and a two-story porch on the north side. The ground floor has a recessed entrance flanked by display windows, with living space above. An earlier building on the site burned in 1870, and several prominent local merchants had kept stores there before Clark. The Clark family has owned the building continuously, running a butcher shop for over a century before a descendant opened a sandwich shop. Inside, a pressed metal ceiling, hardwood floors, an original display case and a period staircase survive. The building was recognized for its architecture. It is a well-preserved example of the brick, Italianate-detailed commercial buildings that replaced earlier wood-frame stores during Cornwall's years as a summer resort.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is an intact example of a late-nineteenth-century brick commercial building with Italianate detailing. It keeps its original form, windows, doors, decorative trim and interior features, and it shows how small-town stores were built in the period. It is also a distinctive resource within Cornwall's multiple property group.
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 96001432, listed December 6, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 286 Main St., Cornwall |
|---|---|
| County | Orange County |
| Listed | December 6, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96001432 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca.1875 |
| Architect / builder | Archer Clark (constructed the building ca. 1875) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a butcher shop for over a hundred years and later converted by a Clark descendant into a sandwich shop; still in commercial use at the time of nomination. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.43559, -74.03396 (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 96001432.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4647904
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.