{"nrhp_refnum":"82001269","name":"French Family Farm","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"SW of Potsdam on US 11","address_restricted":false,"city":"Potsdam","county":"St. Lawrence County","state":"NY","lat":44.63847640000006,"lon":-75.07138755999995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1982-11-04","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A farmhouse, former tavern and stagecoach stop on a nine-acre nominated tract of a larger farm, southwest of Potsdam on Route 11 (Canton Road) in St. Lawrence County, New York. The house was built in 1815 and extended by 1820.","why_significant":"The farmhouse is described as a remarkably intact, modest example of Federal period rural vernacular architecture, with a high degree of integrity of design, materials and workmanship. It served as a stagecoach stop, inn, polling place, post office and place of worship, making it a community focal point. It is also a rare surviving early nineteenth century rural property in northern New York that reflects the early development of Potsdam and St. Lawrence County.","narrative":"Southwest of Potsdam, along the road to Canton, a two-story clapboard farmhouse marks the French family farm. David French came to the area in 1805, built a cabin and farmed 100 acres, then raised a five-bay house in 1815 and extended it by 1820 to lodge and feed overnight travellers. Because the farm lay about halfway between Potsdam and Canton, it became a stagecoach stop. The house also served as a polling place, post office and meeting place for circuit preachers, and hosted camp meetings and militia drills. Income came from the tavern, dairying, crops, sheep, honey, a cheese factory and wood sold to the railroad. The house keeps modest Federal details, a kitchen wing from about 1828, and interior woodwork and plan largely intact from an 1870s renovation. Listed for its architecture and intact early nineteenth century character, the nine-acre property is still owned by David French's descendants.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"David French, son Ira T. French","architectural_style":"Federal period rural vernacular","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied, in good condition, used as a private residence and agriculture; still owned by descendants of David French.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:41.80745-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/82001269.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75321892","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Family_Farm","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5501753"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/st-lawrence-county/french-family-farm-82001269/"}