Cottage Farm
Why it's listed
Cottage Farm is a seasonal house on Richmond Avenue in Fair Haven, a village on Little Sodus Bay along Lake Ontario in Cayuga County, New York. Built in the late 1830s for Thomas Phoenix, it has a low hipped roof that extends over full-width verandas on the street and bay sides, with a smaller hipped center block above. An 1858 railroad prospectus illustration provides the earliest documented evidence of the house. After a court-ordered sale in 1874, John N. Knapp repaired it, gave it a new roof and windows, and added a kitchen wing. The Turner family bought it in 1884 and in 1910 removed the kitchen wing, which was moved closer to the bay as another summer cottage. Early Greek Revival moldings survive inside. The house was listed for its architecture, as a remodeled vacation cottage, and for its link to the village's long tradition as a recreation destination, begun when the surrounding farm was subdivided into lots in 1874.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is significant under Criterion C in architecture because it retains features from several periods as it was remodeled to serve as a summer cottage. It is also significant under Criterion A in recreation, tied to the 1874 subdivision of the surrounding 93-acre farm into lots promoted for boating, fishing and other recreation. Its historic integrity relates to the late nineteenth and early twentieth century form.
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 12000952, listed November 21, 2012. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 14475 Richmond Ave., Fair Haven |
|---|---|
| County | Cayuga County |
| Listed | November 21, 2012 |
| Reference number | 12000952 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1858-1910 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival; Folk Victorian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a seasonal residence; historic and current function is domestic/residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 43.31939, -76.70391 (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 12000952.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q23091481
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.