Hotchkiss, H. G., Essential Oil Company Plant
Why it's listed
At 93-95 Water Street in Lyons, a two-story frame building beside the canal served for generations as the plant of the H. G. Hotchkiss Essential Oil Company. It was rebuilt about 1885 after an 1884 fire, reusing the foundation and framing of a mid-nineteenth-century tavern and brewery building on the site. The five-bay front has a double storefront, a decorative cornice and a painted wood parapet lettered with the company name. Inside, the office, bottle-washing room, case-packing room, filtering room and a concrete storage vault remain, along with an 1873 safe and original brass stencils. Hiram G. Hotchkiss began shipping peppermint oil from Wayne County in 1839 and moved to Lyons about 1841 for its canal access and mucky soils suited to mint. His oils won seventeen first prize medals at world exhibitions. The plant is listed for its role in the county's economy and for its link to Hotchkiss, and it is one of few canalside industrial buildings left in Lyons.
Significance in brief: The plant is tied to Hiram G. Hotchkiss, a Lyons entrepreneur who pioneered the essential oils industry in the United States. It was built beside the Erie Canal to store, bottle and ship peppermint, spearmint and other oils, recalling Wayne County's role as the nation's leading producer and shipper of essential oils. It is also one of the few historic canalside industrial resources left in Lyons.
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 87001897, listed November 2, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 93--95 Water St., Lyons |
|---|---|
| County | Wayne County |
| Listed | November 2, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87001897 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Late 19th century frame commercial building with a double storefront, decorative cornice and wood cresting |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The plant continues to serve in its original capacity; the form describes the building as occupied and in good condition, with a 1972 cement block loading dock addition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Broad Street-Water Street Historic District |
| Coordinates | 43.06279, -76.99628 (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 87001897.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5628242
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.