Willis, Alexander, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1852 on Church Street in the Hudson River hamlet of Coeymans Landing, this two-story frame house combines Greek Revival and Carpenter Gothic design. It has clapboard siding, a rubblestone foundation, steeply pitched metal-shingled gabled roofs, bracketed eaves, and paired diamond-shaped chimney flues. The south facade is dominated by three wall dormers with scroll-sawn vergeboards and pointed casement windows. Inside, a central stair hall is flanked by two parlors, one with monumental Greek Revival trim. Alexander E. Willis, a freight, flour and feed mill businessman who became one of the town's wealthiest residents, had the house built, and he married into the locally prominent Blaisdell family. Local tradition says his wife declined to live in the old Coeymans stone house he had acquired, prompting construction of this home. The house is considered significant as a well-preserved and uncommon local example of a Carpenter Gothic cottage, with the porch recreated from historic images.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be architecturally significant as a distinctive example of a transitional Greek Revival/Carpenter Gothic residence. It combines formal classical elements with Picturesque Movement ornament. It retains a high degree of integrity and is described as a rare local example of a Carpenter Gothic cottage.
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 04000289, listed April 16, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NY 143, Coeymans |
|---|---|
| County | Albany County |
| Listed | April 16, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000289 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1852 |
| Architectural style | Transitional Greek Revival/Gothic Revival (Carpenter Gothic) |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a single dwelling; the porch has been recreated from historic images and the original parlor mantel is being restored. |
| Acreage | 1.9 |
| Within district | Coeymans Landing Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.47463, -73.79633 (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 04000289.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4720389
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.