Eagle Hotel
Also known as: Stone House; Stone Hotel; Thomas King's Stone Hotel
Why it's listed
Built in 1826 by Thomas King, the Eagle Hotel is a two and one-half story hotel of cut grey fieldstone in Waterford, laid in approximate courses with white decorative stone accents, flat arches with keystones, and stone quoins. Its L-shaped plan includes a central hall, a parlor, a library, and a tap room, with a rear wing containing a pantry and kitchen. A date stone on the right corbelled end records the year of construction. The building is regarded as a large public house that exceeds the typical hotel of its region in elegance, with its decorative stone, corbel ends, and fancy entrance. It was built to serve travelers during a period of rapid growth in northwestern Pennsylvania, when plank roads, turnpikes, canals, and railroads were developing near Waterford. The hotel also served as a meeting place for local residents. Its significance also rests on reported associations with the Marquis de Lafayette and with the underground railway. Much of its exterior is regarded as relatively unchanged.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the hotel is a good example of a large public house serving expanding western Pennsylvania and Waterford, with architectural character exceeding typical hotels of the area. It also states the building is significant in commerce, linked to the region's developing transportation system and the salt industry terminal at Waterford. The form notes it is reputed to have been visited by LaFayette and to have served as a station on the underground railway.
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 77001167, listed October 28, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 32 High St., Waterford |
|---|---|
| County | Erie County |
| Listed | October 28, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77001167 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Thomas King (builder) |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The form states the hotel is being offered for sale and may be in danger of destruction if a suitable buyer is not found. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Within district | Waterford Bourough Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.94023, -79.98322 (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 77001167.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5325122
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.