{"nrhp_refnum":"85002549","name":"Whitman, Walt, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"246 Walt Whitman Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"West Hills","county":"Suffolk County","state":"NY","lat":40.81715387300005,"lon":-73.41189658199994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-09-26","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Literature","Exploration/Settlement","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two and one-half story shingled farmhouse at 246 Walt Whitman Road in West Hills, Huntington, Suffolk County, New York, built circa 1815 by Walter Whitman, with an early nineteenth century barn.","why_significant":"It is an intact, representative example of early nineteenth century settlement-period architecture in Huntington, with a three-bay side-entrance plan, shingle sheathing and a restrained Federal entrance. It is also the birthplace of poet Walt Whitman (1819-1892), a member of the family that first settled West Hills.","narrative":"Built around 1815 by Walter Whitman, this shingled farmhouse on Walt Whitman Road in West Hills, Huntington, is the birthplace of poet Walt Whitman. The main dwelling has two and one-half stories, three bays, a side entrance, twelve-over-nine sash windows and a simple Federal-style doorway with a four-pane transom. A one-story, three-bay east wing adjoins it, and a mid-twentieth century addition matching the original in style and form is linked by a breezeway. An early nineteenth century clapboard barn on the 1.3 acre lot contributes to the historic farm setting, while a modern wellhouse does not. Commercial buildings now surround the property. Walter Whitman was the son of Joseph Whitman, who first settled West Hills. The poet lived here only four years before the family moved to Brooklyn, yet he drew on the area for inspiration. The house, now a museum and library, retains a high degree of architectural integrity as a settlement-period example.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Walter Whitman","architectural_style":"Federal (restrained Federal style entrance); early nineteenth century settlement period architecture","criteria":[],"status_note":"Operated as a museum and library, open Wednesday to Sunday 1-4 p.m.; condition excellent, with no known threats. A New York State Historic Site.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:46.233066-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/85002549.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85002549/2f43df7006-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85002549/2f43df7006-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"JERRYE &amp; ROY KLOTZ MD","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WALT_WHITMAN_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:WALT_WHITMAN_HOUSE.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75314967","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Whitman_Birthplace_State_Historic_Site","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7964077"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/suffolk-county/whitman-walt-house-85002549/"}