{"nrhp_refnum":"82001138","name":"Freer House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"70 Wilbur Blvd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Poughkeepsie","county":"Dutchess County","state":"NY","lat":41.679568861000064,"lon":-73.91013256499997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1982-11-26","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Exploration/Settlement","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A small 1-1/2 story coursed fieldstone farmer's cottage at 70 Wilbur Boulevard in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, New York, built around 1728 with a later addition around 1850, probably by Simeon Freer.","why_significant":"The form calls it the earliest surviving structure in the City of Poughkeepsie and the best preserved of the city's few 18th-century buildings. It is valued for its rarity of type, method of construction and style. It is also linked to Albert K. and Alfred H. Smiley, Quaker educators who developed the Mohonk Mountain House site.","narrative":"Built around 1728, this modest fieldstone farmer's cottage at 70 Wilbur Boulevard in Poughkeepsie is considered the oldest surviving structure in the city. It is attributed to Simeon Freer, the first of his family to move from New Paltz, who likely built it within three years of buying the land in 1724-1725. The 1-1/2 story house has an asymmetrical four-bay facade, 2/2 windows and beaded framing. Inside are hand-hewn beams, evidence of a jambless fireplace, a small \"Dutch\" closet with original H hinges, and early paint colors described as buttermilk blue and Dutch red. Later changes include altered facade windows, a removed beehive oven and a 19th-century frame addition taken down around 1910. In the 19th century, Albert K. and Alfred H. Smiley, Quaker educators, owned the property; Alfred's hike from here led to the Mohonk Mountain House site. Its rarity, construction and associations make it important locally and regionally.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Probably Simeon Freer","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Described as in excellent condition and still used as a residence; the major elements are intact despite some alterations.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:42.118094-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/82001138.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82001138/0344bf1bc5-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82001138/0344bf1bc5-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Pksherpa","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Freer_House_70_Wilbur_Blvd_Poughkeepsie_NY.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Pksherpa</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Freer_House_70_Wilbur_Blvd_Poughkeepsie_NY.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75312660","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freer_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5501129"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/dutchess-county/freer-house-82001138/"}