Watkins Glen Commercial Historic District, Historical commercial district in Watkins Glen, United States.

The Watkins Glen Commercial Historic District covers 33 contributing buildings in the central business district of Watkins Glen, Schuyler County, New York, developed between about 1844 and 1939. Its buildings represent Greek Revival, Italianate, Classical Revival, Colonial Revival, Second Empire and Romanesque Revival styles, among them the 1844 Haring Building, the 1891 Hotel Kendall, the 1911 Watkins State Bank and the 1939 Municipal Building.

The area grew between 1844 and 1939 as businesses and public buildings appeared one after another. The Municipal Building, Fire Station, and Hotel Kendall are examples of key structures built during this era.

The Freer Opera House dates to about 1860 and is one of the 33 contributing buildings in the district. Its name recalls the building's use as a theatre, a type of venue that drew townspeople together for performances in the decades after the Civil War. Look for the decorative cornice and arched windows noted in the district's inventory.

The district is easy to explore on foot since all the buildings sit close together in the downtown area. You can stroll through at a relaxed pace and view the different facades and details up close.

The district's oldest building, the Haring Building, dates to 1844, while the Municipal Building and Fire Station were added in 1935 and 1939, so a single walk covers nearly a century of construction. The Freer Opera House, from about 1860, is among the earlier survivors.