Spaulding-Sidway Boathouse
Posted by: Rayman
N 42° 58.271 W 078° 58.359
17T E 665325 N 4759608
This historic boathouse dating back to the late 1800s is located on the Niagara River on Grand Island, NY.
Waymark Code: WM1E2K
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 04/16/2007
Views: 40
The Spaulding-Sidway Boathouse is architecturally and historically significant as an example of a late 19th century recreational boathouse located on the west branch of the Niagara River off the southwest shore of Grand Island, NY. Built circa 1870, this building type is a rare surviving example of a small boathouse used primarily for storage and social activities. The boathouse is reflective of the island's importance as a seasonal recreational area after 1860.
Locally, the boathouse represents a building type that once dominated the shoreline of summer houses on Grand Island. It is associated with Buffalo lawyer, banker, and political leader Elbridge Gerry Spaulding, nationally known as the "Father of the Greenbeck." The boathouse was part of Spaulding's 350 acre estate known as "River Lawn." By 1930, New York State purchased the estate lands to create Beaver Island State Park and demolished most of the buildings on the property. To save the boathouse from demolition, neighboring property owner Frank St. John Sidway, grandson of Spaulding, floated it about 270 feet northwest to his land.
The Spaulding-Sidway Boathouse has been continuously used for light boat storage and social activities since it was built, and although many boathouses on Grand Island have fallen victim to weather, it stands today virually as built. The boathouse is now a part of a private residence.
Street address: 2296 W Oakfield Rd Grand Island, NY United States 14072
County / Borough / Parish: Erie
Year listed: 1998
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event
Periods of significance: 1850-1874
Historic function: Recreation And Culture, Transportation: Outdoor Recreation, Water-Related
Current function: Recreation And Culture, Transportation: Outdoor Recreation, Water-Related
Privately owned?: yes
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Hours of operation: Not listed
Secondary Website 1: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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