Pultneyville prospered as a Great Lakes shipping port because of its ideal site, valuable natural resources, and lake access, and early residents built magnificent houses in the hamlet center that have been well maintained and remain beautiful even as some approach 200 years old. Gates Hall, built in 1826 as a church, has served the community since 1860 as a playhouse and meeting hall and is the second oldest little theater in continuous use in the U.S. The Craggs House, built about 1870 by local miller James Craggs, has been described as half castle, half mansion, with a slate-clad Mansard roof crowned by iron work. The Throop House, built in 1832 by Captain Horatio N. Throop, a lake captain, inventor, entrepreneur, and the first person born in the hamlet, is a fine example of cobblestone architecture. The Palmer House, built in 1850 by Captain John Palmer in the Italianate style, served as a station on the underground railroad. The Customs House residence, built about 1840, is a renovated warehouse from the original Customs House site owned by Asa Todd. The Selby House, built in 1808 by Jeremiah Selby, was struck by a British cannonball during the War of 1812 and is an example of Federal-style architecture. The district's sophisticated architectural styles reflect the prosperity of the port.