Strong, Jedediah, House
Also known as: Component No. 23
Why it's listed
Built around 1795 on the Van Rensselaer Manor, this farmhouse at 379 Vly Road in Colonie was erected for Jedediah Strong, a Justice of the Peace in the former town of Watervliet. The Strong family lived there until 1906. It is a two-story, five-bay wood frame building with clapboard siding, tall proportions, symmetrically placed end chimneys, a refined cornice with returns, and gable fanlights with pseudo keystones. A small hipped-roof portico with square columns marks the center entrance, which is flanked by pilasters and sidelights. Inside, a central hall plan survives, along with a simple newel and balusters and hand-crafted Federal mantels in the parlors. A two-story rear ell was added about 1880, and a garage and one-story addition followed around 1970. A one-and-one-half-story clapboard barn to the south contributes to the property. Described as a restrained but typical Federal style rural house, it was judged the best example of the style in the Colonie study area and still sits in a largely open, rural setting.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a distinctive example of a rural Federal style frame residence. It argues that, more than any other example in the Colonie multiple resource area, the house shows typical Federal characteristics inside and out. It was also built on the Van Rensselaer Manor for Jedediah Strong, a Justice of the Peace in the former town of Watervliet.
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 85002748, listed October 3, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 379 Vly Rd., Colonie |
|---|---|
| County | Albany County |
| Listed | October 3, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002748 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | In residential use; condition listed as good; retains its original site, with a rear ell (ca. 1880) and a garage and one-story addition (ca. 1970). No threats known. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 42.76679, -73.82783 (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 85002748.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6172738
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.