Main Street Historic District (New Hamburg, New York) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Main Street Historic District
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Houses at 13 and 15 Main Street, 2008
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Main St. roughly bounded by Stone and Bridge Sts., New Hamburg, NY |
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| Nearest city | Poughkeepsie |
| Area | 1 acre (4,000 m²) |
| Built | c. 1845-1876 |
| MPS | New Hamburg MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 87000122 |
| Added to NRHP | February 27, 1987 |
The Main Street Historic District is a special area in New Hamburg, New York, United States. It's located on Main Street, close to the train station. This district has six old buildings on just one acre of land. These buildings show what the small town, or "hamlet," looked like in the mid-1800s. They were built before the Hudson River Railroad came through and divided the town.
The buildings in the district are important because they are good examples of old building styles. They are made of brick and show common designs from the Greek Revival and Gothic Revival periods. These styles were very popular back then. In 1987, this neighborhood was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a protected historic area. It's actually the smallest historic district on Main Street in the entire country!
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Historic Buildings on Main Street
The Main Street Historic District includes all the properties on the north side of Main Street between Railroad and Bridge streets. On the south side, most buildings are part of the district. One old church building at 12 Main Street was changed into apartments, so it's not included.
Here are some of the important buildings:
Homes and Shops from the Past
- 9A Main Street: This is a two-story house with five sections. It was built around 1845 by John Lawson. The house has a brick and stone base. Later, a porch with round columns and a decorative railing was added.
- 10 Main Street: This two-story building was built around 1876. It has wooden siding and was used for both shops and homes.
- 11 Main Street: This house is one-and-a-half stories tall and has three sections. It was built around 1850 on a raised brick base. It has a low, sloped roof, which is typical of a "saltbox" style house. Small, round "eyebrow" windows are near the roofline.
- 12 Main Street: This brick house is one-and-a-half stories tall with five sections. It was built in 1875 and used to be the New Hamburg post office. The roof sticks out a bit and has decorative supports and spiky ornaments at the corners.
- 13 Main Street: This brick house is also one-and-a-half stories tall with five sections. It was built around 1855 by Conklin Bishop in two parts. It has "eyebrow" windows on the front under the roof's edge. A fancy porch was added later. A newer garage here is the only building not considered historic in the district.
- 15 Main Street: This was built around 1855 as the Central House Hotel. It's the biggest and most detailed building in the district. It's a two-and-a-half-story brick building with a metal roof and two chimneys. The front has a large, two-level porch. It has decorative posts and fancy cut-out designs on the railings. The first floor was a tavern, and guests stayed upstairs.
History of New Hamburg's Main Street
New Hamburg started as a busy port town on the river. Ships would load and unload goods along Point Street. These goods were then taken by road to nearby towns like Poughkeepsie and Wappingers Falls. By the 1840s, most of the land on Point Street was taken. So, new residents started building on Main Street, which was a few blocks away from the river. The house at 9A Main Street, built by John Lawson, is the oldest known building in the district. His family were some of the first European settlers in the area.
The Railroad's Impact
In 1848, work began on the Hudson River Railroad. Workers built a long tunnel, about 800 feet, through a hill north of town. This construction work helped Main Street grow into a busy area for businesses. Even after the tunnel was finished, Main Street kept growing. A train station and places to move goods between trains and ships were built. Maps from 1858 show that four of the six historic houses were already built. By 1876, all of them were complete.
However, the railroad that helped Main Street grow also caused its decline. In 1928, the railroad line was expanded from one track to two. Because of this, the old train crossing on Main Street was removed. A new overpass, called Bridge Street, was built one block north. Traffic that used to go to Main Street now went straight to the riverfront using the new Bridge Street. Main Street became a short side street. It remained important mainly because the town's general store was there.
After World War II, the railroad itself started to decline. This also caused businesses on Main Street and in New Hamburg to slow down. The train station eventually closed. But it later reopened as a commuter rail station for Metro-North Railroad. Most of the buildings on Main Street were then changed into homes.
Building Styles and Design
The houses built in the mid-1800s show the influence of the Greek Revival style. This style was very popular at the time. The buildings have straight, boxy shapes. Inside, they often have a central hallway. The "eyebrow" windows are another common feature of these buildings.
Later buildings show the rise of the Gothic Revival style. The Central House Hotel (15 Main Street) is a great example. Its steeply sloped front roof shows a fancy and artistic design. This style might have influenced later additions to other buildings, like the Lawson House (9A Main Street).
