Van Derheyden House
Why it's listed
Set on a rise on the north side of Delaware Avenue in Delmar, this two-and-one-half-story, five-bay house grew in three phases over about fifty years. The earliest three-bay "half-house" dates to about 1804, when the land was part of 103 acres leased by John Vanderheyden from Stephen Van Rensselaer. In the 1820s the house was widened to five bays and updated with Adam-style ornament, probably under Joseph Hartmann. A Greek Revival rear wing was added in the 1850s, giving the building an L shape. The house is clad in clapboard and rests on stone foundations. Inside, it keeps a center hall, a flared staircase, six-panel doors with early brass hardware, wide floorboards and a west parlor mantel with a carved sunburst. Hand-hewn timber framing survives. The house was listed as a rare surviving example of Federal-era domestic architecture in the region, and it keeps much of its rural setting along the former Delaware Turnpike.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a rare, well-preserved example of Federal-era residential architecture in the region. It retains fine Adamesque interior woodwork, hand-hewn framing, original room layout and a rural setting that recalls post-Revolutionary development in Bethlehem.
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 01000582, listed May 30, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 823 Delaware Ave., Delmar |
|---|---|
| County | Albany County |
| Listed | May 30, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000582 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca.1804-ca.1854 |
| Architectural style | Early Republic/Federal; Mid-19th Century/Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a single-family dwelling, as it was historically. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 42.61031, -73.86676 (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 01000582.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7913281
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.