Union Street Historic District
Why it's listed
Union Street Historic District covers both sides of lower Union Street in northeast Schenectady, climbing Union Street Hill from Broadway east toward University Place. About ninety structures line the street, nearly all dating from the 1850s to the early 1900s, with only four modern intrusions. Most buildings are detached, and those on the north side stand back at least twenty feet from the street. The area is mainly residential, with a small commercial center at the western end, and Union College forms the northern edge for a quarter mile. The buildings show a wide range of styles, including Greek Revival houses, an Italianate brick residence, a Second Empire mansion with a mansard roof, Queen Anne and Stick Style houses, a Chateauesque men's club, and Dutch Revival commercial blocks. Institutions include St. John's Roman Catholic Church, with a central tower 230 feet high, a former German Methodist church, a former police station and a boys' club. Together they preserve a cohesive streetscape of Schenectady's growth.
Significance in brief: The surviving text does not include the Statement of Significance, so the formal argument for significance is not stated. The description shows a largely intact streetscape of residential, commercial and institutional buildings from the 1850s to the early 1900s, with only four modern intrusions. It includes varied styles such as Greek Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne, Stick Style, Dutch Revival and Chateauesque.
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 82001268, listed November 17, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Union St. from Hudson River to Phoenix Ave., Schenectady |
|---|---|
| County | Schenectady County |
| Listed | November 17, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001268 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Andrew Kinum (builder of 402 Union Street, 1893) |
| Architectural style | Mixed 19th- and early 20th-century styles including Greek Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne, Stick Style, Gothic Revival, Romanesque Revival, Dutch Revival, Colonial Revival and Chateauesque |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Classified as occupied, in good condition and altered. Most buildings are in use as residences, offices, shops or institutions, though a few, such as 414, 417, 525-527 and 605, are noted as vacant. |
| Acreage | 65 |
| Coordinates | 42.81158, -73.92331 (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 82001268.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7886140
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.