Oswego Yacht Club
Also known as: New York State Naval Militia Building; McCrobie Civic Center
Why it's listed
Overlooking Lake Ontario at 41 Lake Street in Oswego, this shingled clubhouse began as the home of the Oswego Yacht Club, which was organized in 1881 and chartered in 1883. The center section was started in 1914 and opened in 1919, with a ballroom, fireplace and sunroom. Rochester architect Claude Bragdon, who spent his teenage years in Oswego, prepared the preliminary plans, and local contractor Peter Raby built the foundation. Declining membership during the Depression led the club to sell the property to New York State in 1935 for use as a Naval Militia armory. In 1949-50 two matching two-story wings were added with U.S. Navy funding, and the building was dedicated as an armory and Naval Reserve Training Center in 1950. The naval units left in 1976, and the city bought it in 1978 for municipal and recreational use. It is valued both for yachting history and as a rare naval training building.
Significance in brief: It is significant under Criterion A for its link to organized yachting on Lake Ontario and for its 20th-century use as a Naval Militia armory and U.S. Naval Reserve training center. Under Criterion C, the original section is associated with Rochester architect Claude Bragdon and is an Arts and Crafts building with Colonial Revival features. The added wings complement it and make a rare mid-century naval building.
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 10000105, listed March 23, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 41 Lake St., Oswego |
|---|---|
| County | Oswego County |
| Listed | March 23, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000105 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1914-1958 |
| Architect / builder | Claude Bragdon, Peter Raby, architects |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Colonial Revival (Arts and Crafts center section with Colonial Revival features) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History, Military |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now used as the McCrobie Civic Center, a municipal and recreational facility owned by the city of Oswego since 1978. |
| Acreage | 2.7 |
| Coordinates | 43.46429, -76.52103 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 10000105.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7108245
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.