{"nrhp_refnum":"03001513","name":"Wellscroft","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"158 NY 9N","address_restricted":false,"city":"Upper Jay","county":"Essex County","state":"NY","lat":44.343296607500065,"lon":-73.77165338327629,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2004-01-28","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Entertainment/Recreation"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Wellscroft is a Tudor Revival/Arts and Crafts summer estate built in 1903 near the hamlet of Upper Jay, Town of Jay, Essex County, New York. It sits on 15 acres at the base of Ebenezer Mountain and includes a 15,000 square foot main house and several outbuildings.","why_significant":"The main house is described as a distinguished, highly intact example of Tudor Revival and Arts and Crafts architecture, retaining its original plan and finishes. The estate was built for Jean Wells and Wallis Craig Smith of Saginaw, Michigan, and reflects the growth of large private retreats in the Adirondacks. The Smiths also left a civic legacy in Upper Jay, including the Wells Memorial Library.","narrative":"Wellscroft is a large summer estate near Upper Jay in Essex County, New York, built in 1903 in the Tudor Revival and Arts and Crafts styles. The complex stands on 15 acres at the base of Ebenezer Mountain, with views across the AuSable River Valley. The 15,000 square foot main house has a fieldstone first story, a second story of wood shingles and half-timbering, diamond-paned windows, and a stone porte-cochere. Inside, the common rooms keep beamed ceilings, paneled wainscoting, brick fireplaces, built-in seating and hand-painted murals. Outbuildings include a powerhouse, firehouse, icehouse, gazebo and root cellar. Jean Wells and Wallis Craig Smith of Saginaw, Michigan, had it built as a summer home. Jean Wells's father was a native of Upper Jay. The Smiths funded the Wells Memorial Library in 1906 and helped establish a water system and a volunteer fire department. The estate reflects the Adirondack trend of building large private retreats, and its high integrity supports its listing.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Tudor Revival (with Arts and Crafts features)","criteria":[],"status_note":"Current use is listed as inn (B&B)/residence. The main house is described as intact despite several decades of abandonment, and some lost outbuildings survive only as ruins.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:53.16499-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/03001513.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"93001451","name":"New York Central Railroad Adirondack Division Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/new-york/new-york-central-railroad-adirondack-division-historic-district-93001451/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75317806","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellscroft","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7981744"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/essex-county/wellscroft-03001513/"}