Bennett Hill Farm
Why it's listed
Bennett Hill Farm is a 30-acre farm complex in the hamlet of Clarksville, Town of New Scotland, Albany County. It began in 1797, when Jonas T. Bush leased the land from Stephen Van Rensselaer and a large timber-framed Germanic barn was built. A limestone farmhouse followed in 1821, and in the 1830s Rushmore Bennett's family added a Greek Revival frame wing with eyebrow windows and a recessed entrance with sidelights. Later buildings include a smokehouse, animal barn, wagon shed, fruit barn with concrete-lined cold storage rooms, and a tenant house that housed farm hands and, later, guests of the farm's seasonal inn. The farm stayed in the Bennett family for 133 years, growing sheep, apples, pears, oats and potatoes. It is recognized as a largely intact tenant farmstead that keeps its buildings and open setting, and as a resource for studying regional agricultural practices and rural life.
Significance in brief: The complex is argued to be an outstanding, largely intact late-18th to early-19th century tenant farmstead on the former Van Rensselaer manor, which kept its original buildings and agricultural setting. Its Germanic barn is of particular interest, and the buildings show how the farm adapted over about 169 years of continuous operation. It is also a resource for studying agriculture and rural life in New Scotland and the Capital District.
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 03001241, listed December 5, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Bennett Hill Rd. at Rowe Rd., New Scotland |
|---|---|
| County | Albany County |
| Listed | December 5, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03001241 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1797-1946 |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century/Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture, Entertainment/Recreation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The 30 acres east of the road remain open and in agricultural use. The buildings have been carefully restored and renovated under the current ownership, and a small flock of sheep uses the farmyard. |
| Acreage | 30 |
| Coordinates | 42.57109, -73.95706 (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 03001241.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14706178
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.