{"nrhp_refnum":"01001436","name":"Pfeiffer-Wheeler American Chestnut Cabin","other_names":["Pfeiffer Nature Center"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Lillibridge Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Portville","county":"Cattaraugus County","state":"NY","lat":42.092309853000074,"lon":-78.32394576573635,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2002-01-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story rustic log cabin built in 1941 of American chestnut logs on a 188-acre parcel along Lillibridge Road, about four miles north of Portville, Cattaraugus County, New York. It was built as a summer residence for Timothy and Eleanor Wheeler Pfeiffer.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is an outstanding example of traditional log cabin construction, illustrating a mid-twentieth-century phase of the type in the northeastern United States. It is thought to be one of very few private residences of this period framed in American chestnut logs. It retains nearly all its original furnishings and is one of only five known works by Olean architect Metcalf Shaffer.","narrative":"Built in 1941 on a high ridge above Portville, New York, this one-story cabin is framed with American chestnut logs gathered from the surrounding land after blight killed most of the species. Timothy and Eleanor Wheeler Pfeiffer had it built as a summer home, using plans by Olean architect Metcalf Shaffer. Craftsman Ivory Watters, who had built chestnut cabins at a New Jersey youth camp, led local crews in the construction. The untreated chestnut exterior has weathered to silver, while the 800-square-foot great room has a fieldstone fireplace, a slate floor and an open gabled ceiling of white pine. Much of the original chestnut furniture and many family belongings remain in place. A small second-story addition was made in 1970. The cabin sits within 188 acres of mature forest and trails, now operated as the Pfeiffer Nature Center. It was listed for its architecture, as a rare and well-preserved example of chestnut log construction with exceptional craftsmanship.","period_of_significance":"1941","architect_builder":"Shaffer, Metcalf","architectural_style":"Other/rustic cabin","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Owned by the Pfeiffer Nature Center, a not-for-profit educational organization, and used as a nature center. The cabin retains its original interior and furnishings, with one 1970 second-story addition.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:52.880554-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/01001436.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/01001436/ce2a05ee90-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/01001436/ce2a05ee90-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Pubdog (talk)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pfeiffer-Wheeler_American_Chestnut_Cabin_Apr_10.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Pubdog (talk)</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pfeiffer-Wheeler_American_Chestnut_Cabin_Apr_10.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75316666","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pfeiffer-Wheeler_American_Chestnut_Cabin","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7179783"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/cattaraugus-county/pfeiffer-wheeler-american-chestnut-cabin-01001436/"}