{"nrhp_refnum":"79001612","name":"Smith, Reuel E., House","other_names":["The Cove"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"28 W. Lake St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Skaneateles","county":"Onondaga County","state":"NY","lat":42.941907007000054,"lon":-76.43442539999995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-07-27","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story Gothic Revival cottage of stucco-covered brick at 28 West Lake Street in Skaneateles, Onondaga County, New York, built 1849-52 and also called \"the Cove.\" It sits on a small knoll across the road from Skaneateles Lake.","why_significant":"It is the only extant house in central New York designed by architect Alexander Jackson Davis. It is a clear example of the Gothic Revival, expressing Andrew Jackson Downing's ideas of a picturesque house in harmony with its landscape. It also reflects the 19th-century pattern of wealthy city residents building summer homes at Skaneateles.","narrative":"Built between 1849 and 1852 on a knoll overlooking Skaneateles Lake, this two-story Gothic Revival cottage of stuccoed brick was designed by New York architect Alexander Jackson Davis for Reuel E. Smith, a wealthy New York wholesale merchant who wanted a summer home in the village. It is the only surviving Davis house in central New York. The design shows a steep gabled center section, an oriel window, pointed and Tudor arches, wrought-iron porch supports with oakleaf and acorn motifs, and chimneys topped with three pots each. Inside, the plan centers on a hall and staircase flanked by a parlor and dining room, with plaster cornices, marble mantels and angled ceilings. The design reflects the ideas of Andrew Jackson Downing, a friend and collaborator of Davis, who held that a house should blend into its landscape and convey a mood. Later alterations include removal of service additions and vergeboards, but the house keeps its picturesque character.","period_of_significance":"1849-1852","architect_builder":"Alexander Jackson Davis","architectural_style":"Gothic Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Private residence in good condition with some alterations; peeling paint and crumbling sandstone trim around the entrance arch are noted.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:39.922674-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/79001612.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79001612/f23d83232d-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79001612/f23d83232d-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 2.5","author":"The original uploader was Phmalo at English Wikipedia.","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SkanGothicRH800.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">The original uploader was Phmalo at English Wikipedia.</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 2.5</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SkanGothicRH800.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75320439","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reuel_E._Smith_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7317548"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/onondaga-county/smith-reuel-e-house-79001612/"}