Upenough
The National Park Service has not published a boundary polygon for this district; the map shows the listed properties inside it and the district's reference point.
Why it's listed
Upenough is a five-acre summer estate on a rise above Rippleton Road, south of Cazenovia in Madison County, New York. Its two-story wood-frame house, built about 1910, combines Dutch Colonial Revival and Craftsman features, including a broad gambrel roof, wrap-around porch, shingled upper story and a large living room with exposed beams. A garage, guest cottage and tool shed complete the estate. It was built for Ophelia King by her nephew Chester King, a Syracuse lawyer, and is attributed to Syracuse architect Melvin King, though that remains unverified. Clarence Hancock, later a congressman, bought it in 1921 and added a porch, a rear addition and the outbuildings. The property is valued as the first of three Syracuse-commissioned estates, with Old Trees and Longshore, that drew on Adirondack rusticity. It keeps its original setting and the relationship between main and service buildings, making it a well-preserved example of an early twentieth century summer estate.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | 1910-c1930 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Colonial Revival (Dutch Colonial Revival, with Craftsman and Shingle Style elements) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Acreage | 4.9 |
| Boundary source | not published |
| Full listing page | Upenough (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.