The Starr Clark Tin Shop lies in the Town of Mexico, Oswego County, New York. Its location in the center of the village, along three major transportation routes, made it an optimum spot for coordinating underground railroad activities. The Tin Shop stood at the juncture of two roads (Routes 69 and 104, both east-west routes from Rome and Utica to Oswego) and one water route (the Little Salmon River).
The Tin Shop satisfies Criterion A as a probable way station on the Freedom Trail and Criterion B as the best documented resource associated with the life and work of Stan Clark, a widely recognized abolitionist and supporter of the Underground Railroad. Clark began his abolitionist career in 1835 when he wrote and signed the earliest anti-slavery petition from Oswego County.
He described his participation in the underground railroad in detail in one incident in 1838, and he wrote many letters documenting his attempt to promote abolitionism within the Whig party. The Tin Shop served as Starr Clark’s place of business and Mexico’s post office during the historic period.
It was also the Clark Family home until they moved to the dwelling next door. Local tradition suggests that the Tin Shop was a place of assembly for abolitionists and a way station on the freedom trail.
The lot measures 102.44 feet wide on the front, 94.38 feet wide at the rear, and about 350 feet deep. The Tin Shop lies on the west side of the lot and Starr and Harriet Clark’s residence stands on the east side. Because of extensive late nineteenth century modifications post dating the period of significance, the residence is currently identified as a non-contributing element of the property. A small area in the rear contains a few shrubs and a parking space. A former barn is gone.
The Tin Shop fronts Main Street, in a neighborhood with a similar mix of commercial and residential buildings that existed in the historic period. To the west stands a small brick building (once a bank) and the Peter Chandler House (National Register listed). To the east, the Raymond DeLong family owns threes acres that border the Little Salmon River and all the rear property lines of neighboring buildings. Across the street is a gas station, located on the site of the former Mexico Hotel, along with the former Mexico Town Hall (now owned by the Mexico Masonic Lodge), with its landmark clock. West and south of the intersection, the Mexico Village Historic District (National Register listed) contains nineteenth century commercial buildings that look much as they did in the nineteenth century. The current mix of neighborhood commercial blocks and residences is almost identical to what it was in the historic period.
The Starr Clark Tin Shop is a two-story wood-framed vernacular building built circa 1827 with Federal details. including narrow returns at the eaves, with a later square wing at the rear and a two-story stairway on the west side to provide an entry to the second story. The Tin Shop measures 24 feet 4 inches in width and 32 feet in depth; the rear wing is 24 feet 4 inches by 25 feet 8 inches. The west stairway is 6 feet 20 inches wide.
The foundation is cut stone with a rear wall of fieldstone. In the basement, a small room with a heavy wooden door occupies the northwest corner. Another stone wall, four feet or so in height, may have formed part of a cistern.
Family tradition suggests that a tunnel once connected the basement of the Tin Shop with the house next door.