Three Squares Historic District
Why it's listed
Three Squares Historic District covers 23 acres at the commercial heart of Glens Falls, New York, on a plateau above the Hudson River. It is organized around Glen Street and South Street and takes its name from three focal points: Fountain Square, Union Square and Monument Square. City Park, a landscaped one-block open space, lies near the center. The district holds 93 commercial and civic structures, 77 of which contribute to its character. Most are brick buildings of two to five stories, built mainly between 1902 and 1930 after devastating fires in 1864 and 1902 destroyed much of the earlier business district. Styles of the American Renaissance dominate, including Italianate, Romanesque, Queen Anne, Beaux-Arts, Neoclassical and Colonial Revival. Notable buildings include the Cowles block of 1865, the Rogers Building of 1926-27, the Beaux-Arts Saunders Building of 1907, the Empire Theatre of 1899 and City Hall of 1900. Urban renewal clearance in the 1960s removed part of the business district, but the remaining area keeps strong integrity of design and materials.
Significance in brief: The district is both the historic and present commercial center of Glens Falls. Fires in 1864 and 1902 destroyed much of the earlier business district, so most surviving buildings date from the rebuilding after 1902. It contains notable examples of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century "American Renaissance" styles and retains considerable integrity of design and materials.
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 84003420, listed September 29, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly South, Glen, Maple, and Ridge Sts., Glens Falls |
|---|---|
| County | Warren County |
| Listed | September 29, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84003420 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Various, including Ephraim B. Potter, Marcus D. Reynolds, Fuller and Pitcher, J.B. McElphattrick, S. Gifford Slocum, Mobray and Offinger, and Charles Platt |
| Architectural style | American Renaissance styles: Italianate, Romanesque, Queen Anne, Beaux-Arts, Neoclassical and Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Of 93 structures, 77 contribute and 16 to 17 are non-contributing because they are less than fifty years old or have been heavily altered. Urban renewal demolition in the 1960s cleared land near Glen and Warren Streets, which is excluded from the district. |
| Acreage | 23 |
| Coordinates | 43.30938, -73.63346 (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 84003420.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7797836
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.