Martin, B. B., Tobacco Warehouse
Why it's listed
Built about 1875 as a tobacco warehouse in Lancaster, this two-and-one-half story red brick building stands on a stone foundation with a raised basement, five bays by three, and brick pilasters and corbelled cornices with dentils. Its slate side-gabled roof and segmental-arched window openings remain largely original, though a loading dock ramp was added on the east elevation around 1970. The building is significant for its link to the cigar leaf tobacco trade, which was one of Lancaster City's most important industries in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Its processing and storage functions are reflected in its plan and raised basement, where leaf stripping took place around 1901. Early occupants included I. Stirk, John F. Brimmer's Leaf Tobacco Warehouse, and the firm of M. Levy and Sons, which operated it by 1912. By 1947 the building had shifted to storage for auto parts.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is significant under criteria A and C as an integral part of Lancaster City's late nineteenth and early twentieth century cigar leaf tobacco processing and storage industry. It is presented as a very good example of the two-story side-gabled version of its property type and as representative of a large body of industrial buildings of the period. Its very good integrity is cited as supporting this significance.
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 90001394, listed September 21, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 422--428 N. Water St., Lancaster |
|---|---|
| County | Lancaster County |
| Listed | September 21, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001394 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | C. 1875-1912 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | By 1947 used as storage for auto parts; the document states its present use is the same. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Lancaster City Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.04505, -76.31059 (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 90001394.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4833919
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.