Frontier House (Lewiston, New York) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Frontier House
|
|
The Frontier House facing the Niagara River
|
|
 Location in New York
|
|
| Location | 460 Center Street, Lewiston, New York |
|---|---|
| Built | 1824 |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001278 |
| Added to NRHP | July 8, 1974 |
The Frontier House is a very old and important building in Lewiston, a town in Niagara County. Many people think it's the most special historic building in the area. Back in the early 1800s, it was known as one of the best hotels in America, especially for anyone traveling west of Albany.
Over the years, the Frontier House has been many things. It started as a fancy hotel, then became a private home, a nice restaurant, and even a museum. For a while, it was even a McDonald's fast food place! It's located in Western New York, not far from Niagara Falls. Since 1974, it has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Niagara County, New York, which means it's officially recognized as an important historical site.
Contents
Building History: A Look Back
The Frontier House was built in 1824 at 460 Center Street in Lewiston. It was designed to be the best hotel west of Albany. Three important businessmen from Lewiston, Benjamin Barton, Samuel Barton, and Joshua Fairbanks, led the project to build this grand tavern.
The building was made from strong stone brought all the way from the Bay of Quinte, which is at the end of Lake Ontario. It took 18 men about 18 months to build the thick stone walls, which were 30 inches wide! Inside, there were fifteen fireplaces to keep everyone warm. People in town could easily see the smoke rising from the chimneys on both sides of the building.
When it was finished, the Frontier House was four stories tall. It had a rectangular shape, two chimneys, oval windows, and a wide front porch. This style is called Federal style architecture. Benjamin Barton had his office on the first floor. The second floor had a large ballroom for parties and events. On the third floor, there were fourteen bedrooms, each with its own fireplace. The fourth floor was used for meetings, including those for Freemasons.
The Frontier House was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 8, 1974.
Famous Visitors: Who Stayed Here?
Many important and famous people have stayed at the Frontier House over the years. Imagine how many stories these walls could tell!
Some of the well-known guests included:
- DeWitt Clinton: A governor of New York.
- President William McKinley: A former President of the United States.
- Mark Twain: A very famous American author, whose real name was Samuel Clemens.
- Charles Dickens: A famous English writer.
- Henry Clay: An important American statesman.
- Daniel Webster: Another well-known American statesman.
- John L. Sullivan: A famous boxer.
- Jenny Lind: A world-famous opera singer from Sweden, known as the "Swedish Nightingale."
In the 1800s, ten coach trains arrived and left the Frontier House every day. These coaches carried these famous people and many other influential visitors.
-
Mark Twain, a famous author
-
Henry Clay, an important statesman
-
Opera star Jenny Lind, known as the "Swedish Nightingale"
Changes Over Time: Who Owned It?
After being a hotel for many years, the Frontier House was passed down through families. Eventually, it became a private home. Later, a man named George Rector bought the building and opened the Frontier House Restaurant. His daughters inherited the hotel in the 1930s.
In the 1960s, many new people moved to the Niagara Falls area because of new factories. The Frontier House helped by renting out its rooms to workers. Sometimes, three people would share a room for each eight-hour work shift because there was such a high demand for places to live!
In 1964, Mr. and Mrs. James Russell from Buffalo bought the hotel. They turned it into a museum and a restaurant. They named the second-floor dining room the Lafayette Ballroom. On the third floor, they showed off rooms decorated in Victorian and Early American styles. The fourth floor was used as private living quarters.
In 1973, there was a fire at the Frontier House. One dining room was destroyed, and there was a lot of water damage. Two years later, in 1975, William McDonald became the main owner. He fixed up the inside and then leased it to the McDonald's fast food chain. The McDonald's restaurant stayed open until 2004. After that, the building was empty for a long time. In 2013, the village of Lewiston bought the building.
Here's a quick look at some key ownership changes:
- 1819: Robert Troup owned the land where the Frontier House stands.
- 1824: Benjamin Barton, Samuel Barton, and Joshua Fairbanks started building the Frontier House.
- 1825: The Frontier House opened.
- 1828: Benjamin Barton became the owner.
- 1843: Amos Tryon became the owner.
- 1844 to 1963: The Raymond family owned and ran the Frontier House for many generations.
- 1963: James Russell Smith bought and renovated the Frontier House.
- 1969: William McDonald became the main owner.
- 1977: McDonald's Corp. leased the property to open a fast food restaurant.
- 2004: McDonald's closed, and Richard Hastings bought the property.
- 2018: The Village of Lewiston agreed to buy the Frontier House.
- 2019: A group of private buyers, including Jeff and Jerry Williams and William Paladino, bought the building.
Ghost Stories: Is It Haunted?
Many people believe the Frontier House in Lewiston is haunted! The stories often involve a bricklayer named William Morgan. He was kidnapped and supposedly held behind the house before he disappeared.
People who have worked at the hotel or during its renovations have reported strange things:
- Doors opening and closing by themselves.
- Tools and equipment disappearing right before their eyes.
- Contractors hearing strange sounds and windows opening on their own.
- Some have claimed to see the ghost of an elderly man in the pantry.
- One employee even said they saw the shape of a woman while showering in the residence part of the building.
There's also a legend that during the building's construction, a worker fell from the third floor into the basement and died. The story says that two other workers hid his body in a stone wall in the basement to cover up what happened. These spooky tales add to the mystery of the historic Frontier House!
Images for kids
-
A federal fan-style window at the entrance of Frontier House.
-
The double chimneys of the Federal-style hotel.
-
The official title of the house located between two windows on the front of the structure.
-
A view of the side of building, showing one of the double chimneys.
