Durkee, Almeron, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1820 of locally quarried limestone, this farmhouse on Cayuga Street (NY 90) in Union Springs is a two-story, three-bay, side-hall dwelling with a one and one-half story side wing. Its Federal style details include a wide wood entablature at the roofline, stone quoins, smooth stone sills and lintels, a trabeated entrance with half-sidelights, and a leaded glass oval window in the front gable. Inside, room layouts and decorative trim survive, including Adamesque mantelpieces, a winding staircase, and Greek Revival trim in the rear wing. Almeron Durkee, the first recorded owner, bought the house in 1827 and built a farm of about 90 acres. A barn and a stone smokehouse remain from that farm. The house stayed in the Durkee family until 1907. It was listed for its architecture as an outstanding local example of Federal style building, not for its farming history, since most of the farmland has been lost to subdivision.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an outstanding, remarkably intact example of early nineteenth century Federal style domestic architecture in Union Springs. It is a finely crafted vernacular adaptation of high style trends in the Central and Finger Lakes regions, built of locally quarried limestone. The surviving barn and smokehouse illustrate its past as a working farm, though the loss of farmland means it is not significant for agriculture.
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 04001455, listed January 5, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 13 Cayuga St., Union Springs |
|---|---|
| County | Cayuga County |
| Listed | January 5, 2005 |
| Reference number | 04001455 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1820 - ca. 1900 |
| Architectural style | Early-19th Century: Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a single-family dwelling; the exterior and interior are described as remarkably intact. |
| Acreage | 9 |
| Coordinates | 42.83433, -76.69549 (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 04001455.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4733790
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.