{"nrhp_refnum":"02000358","name":"Van Valkenburgh, James G. House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"31 Co. Rd. 13","address_restricted":false,"city":"Chatham","county":"Columbia County","state":"NY","lat":42.421581996500066,"lon":-73.60812495467835,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2002-04-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story Greek Revival frame farmhouse built in 1843 on a 97.5-acre property at 31 County Route 13, at the eastern edge of Chatham Center hamlet in Chatham, Columbia County, New York, with four contributing outbuildings.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is a distinctive example of Greek Revival residential architecture that reflects the lifestyle of a prosperous rural household in Columbia County. It was built for James G. Van Valkenburgh, only son of the community's most prominent merchant and farmer, and retains most of its original moldings, doors, windows, fireplace surrounds and kitchen hearths. With its farmland and full range of outbuildings it is an important local landmark.","narrative":"Set on a 97.5-acre property at the eastern edge of Chatham Center in Columbia County, New York, this Greek Revival farmhouse dates from 1843 and was built for James G. Van Valkenburgh and his wife Eveline after their marriage. He was the only son of the hamlet's most prominent merchant and farmer. The two-story, five-bay house has a slate hip roof, engaged corner pilasters, a deep entablature and a front porch with four fluted Doric columns. Inside, it keeps original moldings, black marble mantels, a painted-ashlar hall and a service wing with a brick cooking fireplace, bake oven and a built-in kettle base in the cellar. Foundation stones carry the dates 1761 or 1764 and 1843, and framing from an earlier building was reused. Four other buildings survive: a garage, a well house and two barns, one of them a four-bay English barn. Listed for its architecture, the property remains an important landmark in the town of Chatham.","period_of_significance":"1843 c. 1940's","architect_builder":"Unknown; the form says the house was undoubtedly built by a master builder yet to be identified.","architectural_style":"Mid-19th Century: Greek Revival","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Currently a single-family dwelling; the owner has undertaken an extensive restoration, and a barn is being fitted as an apartment or guest house and the garage as a garden shed.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:52.871391-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/02000358.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75317115","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_G._Van_Valkenburgh_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6134400"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/columbia-county/van-valkenburgh-james-g-house-02000358/"}