Yorktown Heights Railroad Station
Why it's listed
Yorktown Heights Railroad Station is a small one-story depot on Commerce Street in northern Westchester County, New York. It was standing by 1886 and may have been built as early as 1877 on the line that became the New York Central's Putnam Division. Board-and-batten and clapboard sheathing, a shingled hipped roof, bracketed canopies and half-timber effects give it a vernacular, picturesque character. It is one of only three surviving Putnam Division stations in the county. The railroad drew stores, hotels and a rail yard to the surrounding area, and the station became the center of the community's commercial growth. Passenger service ended in 1958 and freight in 1962. After a period of private use and vacancy, the town bought the building in 1966. A 1976 restoration returned it to near-original appearance, including oak panelling and hardwood floors, and it now serves as a museum and Chamber of Commerce office.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the station is an important architectural and historical resource of Yorktown, representing the picturesque rural architecture of the Putnam Division. It became the nucleus of the area's turn-of-the-century commercial development. It retains much of its original character and fabric after a 1976 restoration.
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 81000419, listed March 19, 1981. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Commerce St., Yorktown Heights |
|---|---|
| County | Westchester County |
| Listed | March 19, 1981 |
| Reference number | 81000419 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1877-1886 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular (picturesque rural railroad station architecture) |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the Town of Yorktown, restored in 1976 and used as a museum and Chamber of Commerce office; condition listed as good. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.27122, -73.77989 (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 81000419.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8055801
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.