Exchange Street Historic District
Why it's listed
Exchange Street in Attica, New York, runs south from Main Street toward the railroad tracks, and a two-block stretch of it forms a compact commercial and service district of about 3.92 acres. Fourteen buildings line the street, twelve of them contributing, with construction dates ranging from 1833 to 1910. They are two- to four-story brick and wood-frame buildings with stone lintels, keystones, corbelled brickwork and parapets. Uses have included hotels, saloons, stores, boarding houses and the Williams Opera House, built in 1879. The district reflects how the railroad shaped Attica after it arrived in the 1840s, bringing passengers who needed lodging, food and entertainment. Ten of the buildings went up after a fire in 1877 destroyed much of the central commercial area. Two buildings are noncontributing because of heavy alterations that reduced their historic integrity. Today the buildings house residences, shops, offices, a restaurant and the Erie depot.
Significance in brief: The district is described as a compact service and commercial core tied to the history of rail transportation in Attica. Its hotels, saloons, shops and opera house provided amenities to railroad passengers and social events for residents. Most buildings were rebuilt after the devastating Exchange Street fire of 1877.
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 12000962, listed November 21, 2012. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 15-48 Exchange St. & Erie RR Depot, Attica |
|---|---|
| County | Wyoming County |
| Listed | November 21, 2012 |
| Reference number | 12000962 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Andrew J. Warner (possibly, unverified); William Wilder (builder of 22-24 Exchange) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current uses include residences, businesses, offices, stores, a restaurant and the train depot; two buildings are noncontributing due to alterations. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 42.86493, -78.27994 (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 12000962.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14706264
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.