White Plains Armory
Why it's listed
Built in 1909 at 35 South Broadway, the White Plains Armory is a castellated brick building designed by New York State Architect Franklin B. Ware for local National Guard units. A two-story front section with a four-story crenellated tower and octagonal turrets faces the street, while a 100-by-150-foot drill hall extends behind. Red sandstone trim and foundations give it a warmer look than most military buildings. Ware followed published guidelines for armory design, calling for towers, narrow windows and a fortress-like character. The site is historically important too: the county's first courthouse stood here, and the Declaration of Independence was read from its steps in 1776. A granite monument beside the building commemorates that event. Company L trained here before World War I service, and the building later served civil defense and Air National Guard needs until 1976. It remains largely as designed and is one of three armories in Westchester County.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an outstanding example of the castellated style and one of only three armories in Westchester County. Ware closely followed contemporary armory design guidelines, and the building is one of only four downtown White Plains structures predating the city's 1916 incorporation. The site also held the county's first courthouse, where the Declaration of Independence was first read in New York State, and the armory became a center of community and wartime activity.
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 80002796, listed April 16, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 35 S. Broadway, White Plains |
|---|---|
| County | Westchester County |
| Listed | April 16, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80002796 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1909 |
| Architect / builder | Franklin B. Ware |
| Architectural style | Castellated style |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in public ownership; largely intact apart from interior partitioning, altered mechanical systems and some bricked-up basement windows. Air National Guard use ended in 1976. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 41.03143, -73.76256 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 80002796.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7995218
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.