Holley-Rankine House - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

Constructed during the late 1850s-1860s, the Holley-Rankine House is significant architecturally and historically. It is the best preserved Gothic Revival cottage in Niagara Falls and epitomizes the style of rural domestic architecture of the mid-19th century.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Holley-Rankine House served as the residence of men prominent in the economical, political, and social life of Niagara Falls.

Holley purchased from Peter Porter, his business partner and distant relative, this wooded piece of land overlooking the Niagara River just above the Falls. He built a substantial house and created elaborately landscaped grounds which included carriage drives and an artificial pond. The majority of the land has since been taken up by the Robert Moses Parkway to the south. While living in this house, Holley surveyed the Falls and the surrounding area.

After Holley's death in 1897, the house remained vacant until 1902 when it was purchased by William B. Rankine. Rankine was trained as a lawyer, but his dream was to harness power from the Falls. In 1890 he gave up his law firm and drew upon his connections in New York City to become responsible for the Niagara Falls Power Company and built the Adams Power Plant Complex. The Adams Plant was the first hydro-electric plant to transmit power over long distances. Rankine died in 1905.

The house went through several different owners after Rankine's death. In the 1920s-40s, the house was owned by Frederick Laurens Lovelace, director of the Niagara Falls Power Company and prominent local businessman.

Street address: 525 Riverside Dr Niagara Falls, NY United States 14303 County / Borough / Parish: Person, Architecture/Engineering Year listed: 1979 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Person, Architecture/Engineering Periods of significance: 1850-1874, 1875-1899, 1900-1924 Historic function: Domestic: Single-Dwelling Current function: Domestic: Single-Dwelling 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   11/04/2007 yorelken visited it

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