Henry-Remsen House
Also known as: Component No. 9
Why it's listed
Set directly beside Spring Street Road in Colonie, this farmhouse grew in stages over several decades. The oldest part is a one and one-half story ell with a gable front, tall first-floor windows and eyebrow windows, built between 1830 and 1850 by local farmer Jacob Henry. Henry R. Remsen bought the property in 1859 and is credited with the two-story Greek Revival main section, which has four pilasters, a pedimented gable with a fanlight, and a recessed entrance with sidelights and a transom. Italianate touches include scroll-sawn porch brackets and arched wooden chimney coverings. A kitchen wing and sheds were added from about 1860 to 1920. The house matters because it illustrates the move from central hall plans to side hall plans with kitchen wings, and because the early ell was kept within the new design. A clapboard barn of about 1875 stands behind the house on its 2.2 acre parcel.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a distinctive example of a Greek Revival farmhouse in the Colonie multiple resource area. It shows the shift from the central hall, five-bay plan of Federal and Georgian houses to the side hall plan with a kitchen wing used in mid-19th century rural homes. The early ell was kept and folded into the new design, a common practice of preservation and adaptation in rural architecture.
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 85002711, listed October 3, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 34 Spring St., Colonie |
|---|---|
| County | Albany County |
| Listed | October 3, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002711 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect and builder unknown; the front ell was built by Jacob Henry, a local farmer, and Henry R. Remsen is credited with the later Greek Revival sections. |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, with Italianate embellishments |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | In residential use; condition rated good; a clapboard barn behind the house contributes to the property. |
| Acreage | 2.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.71626, -73.75013 (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 85002711.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5716917
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.