{"nrhp_refnum":"82003358","name":"Johnston, Capt. Simon, House","other_names":["Kemp House"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"507 Riverside Dr.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Clayton","county":"Jefferson County","state":"NY","lat":44.24190059500006,"lon":-76.08795320399997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1982-06-17","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 2 1/2-story Italianate villa-style frame house at 507 Riverside Drive in the commercial center of the village of Clayton, Jefferson County, New York, built in 1880-82 for shipbuilder and ship captain Simon G. Johnston.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it a fine example of Italianate residential architecture, perhaps the finest in the Clayton area, with a wealth of original exterior and interior detail intact. It represents architectural taste after the Civil War. It is also tied to Captain Johnston, owner of one of Clayton's largest shipyards, and to builder Albert Kenyon. Its location in the downtown commercial area makes it a visual and historical landmark.","narrative":"Overlooking the St. Lawrence River at the corner of Riverside Drive and John Street, this Italian villa-style house stands in the middle of Clayton's downtown. Built in 1880-82 by Albert Kenyon, the area's leading builder, it was the home of Captain Simon G. Johnston, a ship captain who owned one of the largest shipyards in Clayton and much of the village land. The clapboard frame house has a three-bay facade, a central tower with a pagoda-style roof, a bracketed cornice and round-arched windows. Inside, a center hall divides four main rooms per floor. Local basswood, white oak, black walnut and white pine were used, with original millwork, hardware, wood-grain painted trim and plaster ceiling ornament. Johnston and his wife Emmeline raised six children here, and the house stayed in the family until 1962. It is considered perhaps the finest Italianate residence in the Clayton area and a landmark amid the surrounding stores, library and post office.","period_of_significance":"1880-1882","architect_builder":"Albert Kenyon, Builder","architectural_style":"Italianate (Italian villa style)","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as occupied, in excellent condition, on its original site; used as a private residence and commercial space. Roof, stoops and mechanical systems were altered in the 20th century.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:41.885958-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/82003358.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82003358/a75909673e-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82003358/a75909673e-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Steven Hamsness","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Capt_Simon_Johnston_House_(front)_-_Clayton_NY.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Steven Hamsness</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Capt_Simon_Johnston_House_(front)_-_Clayton_NY.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75318251","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capt._Simon_Johnston_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5036473"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/jefferson-county/johnston-capt-simon-house-82003358/"}