O & W Railroad Station at Port Ben
Why it's listed
Port Ben's former Ontario & Western Railroad passenger station sits on Tow Path Road in Wawarsing, Ulster County. The O&W built it in 1912, and it served the hamlet as the center of local commerce and transportation. The one-story wood-frame building has a slate-shingled gabled roof, stucco over metal lath divided by half-timbering, and a low brick knee wall. Inside are a waiting room, ticket office and a raised freight area. Original plaster, varnished wainscoting, multi-light sash, waiting benches, knob-and-tube wiring and a coal bin with coal still survive. The design follows a standard plan for rural and resort stations, with a Tudor Revival character given by half-timbering, decorative rafter ends and a timber-braced waiting shed. Passenger service ended in 1953, the line was abandoned, and the tracks were removed in the late 1950s. The listing recognizes the station as an intact example of its type, together with about a mile of surviving right-of-way that shows the line's path through the hamlet.
Significance in brief: The station is argued to be architecturally significant as a well-preserved early twentieth century passenger station with a Tudor Revival character and largely intact original interior and exterior fabric. It also has significance in transportation history, as the focal point of Port Ben's commerce and travel. The surviving right-of-way, still under the same ownership, adds to its significance.
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 01001448, listed January 11, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Tow Path Rd., Wawarsing |
|---|---|
| County | Ulster County |
| Listed | January 11, 2002 |
| Reference number | 01001448 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1912-ca.1958 |
| Architect / builder | Built by the O&W (Ontario & Western Railroad) in 1912 |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century Revivals/Tudor Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is listed as vacant; the tracks were removed in the late 1950s, and the station retains its original fabric and integrity. |
| Acreage | 13.5 |
| Coordinates | 41.75067, -74.34579 (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 01001448.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7073195
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.