Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad Station
Why it's listed
Built about 1881-1882 for the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, this small frame depot sits on a two-acre triangular lot in Painted Post, New York, two blocks north of the village business district. It is a one-and-one-half-story building with board and batten siding, a gable roof, broad upswept eaves on large decorative brackets with pendants, finials, and paired round-arched windows in the gables. A projecting bay on the track side let the station master watch trains in both directions. The railroad chartered its Corning to Buffalo line in 1880, and similar stations along it are believed to have been prefabricated and assembled on site. Passenger service ended around 1954, and the building later served as a coal yard office, a youth center and a public works facility. The tracks are gone, replaced by a pedestrian and bicycle parkway. The depot is considered among the best preserved of its type and a reminder of the rail era, noted for architecture and transportation.
Significance in brief: The depot is significant as a substantially intact, representative example of a Southern Tier railroad station, with its station master's bay window, broad sheltering eaves and eclectic Gothic Revival and Italianate detailing. It is also historically significant for its association with late nineteenth century rail transportation in Painted Post. An amendment confirms Criterion A applies under Transportation.
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 91001674, listed November 21, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of Steuben St. and Victory Hwy., Painted Post |
|---|---|
| County | Steuben County |
| Listed | November 21, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91001674 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1881/1882 |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century, Gothic Revival (with Italianate features) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Section 6 lists the current function as vacant/not in use, but the description says the building serves as the Department of Public Works office and storage facility and sits in a public park. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 43.06234, -77.12153 (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 91001674.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5253203
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.