National Historic Landmark

Main Street Historic District

Geneseo, Livingston County, New York
Listed
July 8, 1977
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
77000948

About this property

The Geneseo Historic District, previously known as the Main Street Historic District, is a historic district encompassing much of the village center of Geneseo, New York. Geneseo has a remarkably well-preserved 19th-century streetscape, with Victorian architecture embodying a picturesque style advocated by architect Andrew Jackson Downing. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977; an enlarged district was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991. Geneseo was founded in 1790 by William and James Wadsworth, whose descendants exerted a significant influence on the development of the community. In addition to their philanthropic and business contributions to the town, the Wadsworths planted many oak trees, with the result that the village now has a large number of mature trees approaching 200 years or more in age. The town served as a market center for the surrounding rural agricultural areas in the first half of the 19th century, and was boosted economically by the establishment of a state normal school (now SUNY Geneseo) on a campus west of the village's commercial district. The downtown suffered a devastating fire in 1864, but was rebuilt. The district includes Geneseo's historic commercial center and its most refined residential neighborhood, plus the 102.8-acre (0.416 km2) estate of the Wadsworth family. That estate, The Homestead (Geneseo) was already separately listed in 1974. The district consists of 312 properties, of which 288 are contributing. The district's buildings are stylistically somewhat diverse, with Italianate and Queen Anne Victorian styles of the second half of the 19th century dominating. Many older homes, originally built in the Federal style, were later renovated into these styles. The Hartford House, c. 1836, another Wadsworth family property. Thirty residences and buildings, from 3 Center Street up to 81 Center Street National Register of Historic Places listings in Livingston County, New York Media related to Geneseo Historic District (Geneseo, New York) at Wikimedia Commons

Location

Geneseo, Livingston County, New York
42.79798, -77.81315

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Main Street Historic District

This page lists Main Street Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Main Street Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Listed
0 mi
Geneseo Historic District
Listed
0 mi
Homestead, The
Industrial
0.6 mi
Sweet Briar
Industrial
1.9 mi
Westerly
Industrial
2.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Main Street Historic District listed on the National Register?

Main Street Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 8, 1977.

What type of historic resource is Main Street Historic District?

Main Street Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Main Street Historic District a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Main Street Historic District has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Main Street Historic District?

The period of significance for Main Street Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Main Street Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Main Street Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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