Tanner Block
Why it's listed
Tanner Block is a four-story brick commercial building at 175-177 West First Street in downtown Oswego. It was rebuilt after an 1890 fire destroyed the earlier hardware store on the site, using the old basement and subbasement. Local architect John H. Seeber designed it in the Renaissance Revival style, with a symmetrical pressed brick and terra cotta facade, a different treatment on each story, and an elaborate arcaded fourth floor under a bracketed cornice. Charles A. Tanner, a prominent hardware merchant and civic leader, built it, and hardware businesses occupied it until 1926. Furniture stores then used the building for decades, and the storefront was updated in 1926 and the 1960s. The upper stories keep their original detailing. The nomination calls it the most significant example of Renaissance Revival commercial architecture downtown, in an area that lost many historic buildings. It is also likely Seeber's first commercial block. Its listing recognizes both its commercial history and its design.
Significance in brief: The building is argued to be the most significant example of Renaissance Revival commercial architecture in downtown Oswego and reflects the city's late nineteenth-century prosperity. It was built for hardware merchant and civic leader Charles A. Tanner and is possibly Seeber's earliest commercial block. It also retains a high level of architectural integrity.
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 09001269, listed January 25, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 175-177 W. First St., Oswego |
|---|---|
| County | Oswego County |
| Listed | January 25, 2010 |
| Reference number | 09001269 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1890-1926 |
| Architect / builder | John H. Seeber |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Renaissance (Renaissance Revival) |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function listed as a vacant furniture store; the last furniture store occupant left shortly after 2003. Upper-story windows are covered with shutters, and the storefront was modernized in the 1960s. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 43.45696, -76.51128 (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 09001269.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7683637
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.