Spaulding-Sidway Boathouse - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

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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Date Logged Log User Rating   03/14/2008 The Blue Quasar wrote comment for it

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