Central Avenue Historic District, Historic district in Lancaster, United States

The Central Avenue Historic District covers 17 contributing buildings in the central business district of Lancaster, New York, built between about 1860 and 1940. It mixes residential, commercial and government structures, with notable examples of Italianate and Colonial Revival architecture. Among them are the Lancaster Town Hall and Opera House (c. 1894, 1976-1978), the Former Post Office (c. 1905), the Cushing Block (c. 1896) and the Potter-Eaton House (c. 1895, moved 1940).

The district covers 17 contributing buildings in Lancaster's central business district, built between about 1860 and 1940. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. Among its notable structures are the Lancaster Town Hall and Opera House (c. 1894, altered 1976-1978), the Former Post Office (c. 1905), the Cushing Block (c. 1896) and the Potter-Eaton House (c. 1895, moved 1940).

The name Central Avenue comes from the street itself, the village's main commercial spine. The Lancaster Town Hall and Opera House (c. 1894, rebuilt 1976-1978) still anchors it, and the Cushing Block (c. 1896) shows a mix of Italianate and Romanesque Revival detail. The Potter-Eaton House was moved to the district in 1940.

The district covers 17 contributing buildings along Central Avenue in the village center, so it can be walked in a short time. Several are private homes or businesses, including the Potter-Eaton House, a residence moved to its site in 1940; view those from the street. Lancaster Town Hall and Opera House is a public building.

The Potter-Eaton House, built around 1895, was physically moved to its present site in 1940, so its position within the district reflects a twentieth-century relocation rather than its original setting. The district's 17 contributing buildings were built between about 1860 and 1940.