{"nrhp_refnum":"84002405","name":"Benton, Dr. Abner, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Oxbow","county":"Jefferson County","state":"NY","lat":44.28881898800006,"lon":-75.62621134199998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1984-08-23","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Exploration/Settlement","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story, three-bay brick Federal style farmhouse built in 1819 on a five-acre former farm on Main Street in the rural hamlet of Oxbow, Jefferson County, New York.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is a distinctive example of a side-hall-plan Federal style residence from Jefferson County's first settlement period. Such stylish, urban-derived designs are rare in northern New York. It is also tied to the Benton family, who were important figures in the community's history.","narrative":"Built in 1819 for Dr. Abner Benton, this two-story brick house stands on a five-acre former farm in the hamlet of Oxbow, in northern Jefferson County. Its Federal style design includes Flemish bond brickwork, stepped parapet gable ends, a modest cornice and an entrance with sidelights and a semi-elliptical transom. Inside, a side hall holds a finely crafted staircase with thin turned balusters and a walnut handrail. Locally made brick was used, and the form suggests local builders imitated fashions from more developed areas. Benton came to Oxbow in the hamlet's first year of development, served as its first postmaster and was the area's only doctor for over twenty-five years. After his death in 1843, his son Colonel Zebulon Benton, who married a daughter of Joseph Bonaparte, lived here until the 1890s. The house is regarded as one of the better examples of its style in northern New York and retains a high degree of integrity.","period_of_significance":"1819","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Federal","criteria":[],"status_note":"Occupied as a private residence; the form reports good condition and a high degree of integrity despite minor changes, with two non-contributing motel units adjacent.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:41.767094-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/84002405.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84002405/950e84e37d-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/84002405/950e84e37d-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"JERRYE &amp; ROY KLOTZ MD","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DR._ABNER_BENTON_HOUSE.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">JERRYE &amp;amp; ROY KLOTZ MD</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:DR._ABNER_BENTON_HOUSE.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75318212","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Abner_Benton_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5303948"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/jefferson-county/benton-dr-abner-house-84002405/"}