U.S. Customshouse
Also known as: Parish Store
Why it's listed
Built in 1809-1810 on the Ogdensburg waterfront, this three-story limestone building began as a store and warehouse for David Parish, a Philadelphia financier who wanted a commercial shipping base where the Oswegatchie meets the St. Lawrence. Its walls are about two feet thick and made of quarry-faced ashlar, and much of the original masonry survives. Parish also had a wharf and two schooners built, and the trade he fostered led to the creation of the Customs District of Oswegatchie in 1811. From about 1830 to 1870 the customs house operated in the building. British forces captured Ogdensburg in 1813, and fighting around the store damaged it. A shipping company used it for nearly fifty years before the federal government bought it in 1936 and remodeled it in 1937-1938 as a Customs House, adding dormers, a portico, and steel framing. It remains a rare surviving example of the region's early stone commercial buildings.
Significance in brief: The building was central to the early 19th century shipping trade at Ogdensburg, reaching from the St. Lawrence River into the Great Lakes system, and it helped lead to the 1811 creation of the Customs District of Oswegatchie. It is also an excellent surviving example of the utilitarian stone buildings once common along the St. Lawrence. Fighting in the War of 1812 took place around it and damaged it.
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 74002205, listed October 9, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 127 N. Water St., Ogdensburg |
|---|---|
| County | St. Lawrence County |
| Listed | October 9, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74002205 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1809-1810 (remodeled 1937-1938) |
| Architect / builder | Master carpenter Daniel W. Church directed construction of the original Parish Store (1809-1810); remodeled 1937-1938 (designer not named in the text). |
| Architectural style | Utilitarian, gable-roofed, stone bearing wall structure |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Military, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in excellent condition, altered, on its original site; in use as a U.S. Customs House by the federal government. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 44.69728, -75.49745 (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 74002205.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7342632
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.