Strong House
Why it's listed
Built in 1744 and traditionally credited to Nehemiah Strong, this house at 67 Amity Street in Amherst began as a 2 1/2-story gabled structure with a center chimney and a rear lean-to kitchen. Over the following century it grew and changed. In the 1790s his son Simeon Strong, a lawyer and later a judge of the state Supreme Judicial Court, oversaw the conversion to a gambrel roof, added a pedimented entry with fluted Doric columns, and installed more elaborate paneling. Greek Revival mantels and doors followed in the 1850s, and a large rear ell was added in 1847. The house predates Amherst's founding in 1759 by fifteen years and illustrates eighteenth-century Connecticut River Valley building. The Strong family produced lawyers, a Yale professor, and a congressman. The property passed to the Amherst Historical Society in 1916 and operates as a museum. The grounds include an eighteenth-century garden and an old sycamore, and the site may hold archaeological evidence.
Significance in brief: The house's evolution parallels the history of the Strong family, prominent in Amherst, and the growth of the town itself. Its 1744 core predates Amherst's 1759 founding, and it is a well-preserved example of eighteenth-century Connecticut Valley architecture. The nomination also notes the site's potential for archaeological remains.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 84002457, listed July 5, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 67 Amity St., Amherst |
|---|---|
| County | Hampshire County |
| Listed | July 5, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002457 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Nehemiah Strong (traditionally credited with the 1744 construction) |
| Architectural style | Late Georgian (eighteenth-century Connecticut River Valley), with Greek Revival interior additions |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Law, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Maintained as a museum open to the public during the summer months, with a caretaker's apartment; the D.A.R. has used the large rear ell since 1899. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Within district | Prospect-Gaylord Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.37604, -72.52143 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 84002457.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7624495
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.