House at 21 West Cayuga Street
Why it's listed
Standing on West Cayuga Street in Moravia, this one-and-one-half-story frame house with a long one-story rear wing was probably built between 1810 and 1830. It is a vernacular version of Federal style architecture, with a stone foundation, clapboard siding, an asphalt shingle roof, an open bed pediment in the gable end and a four-light transom over the front door. Inside, it keeps a side hall plan, wide plank floors, simple finishes and first-floor joists made of logs squared on their upper surfaces. A porch was added about 1890, and a few windows and sash have changed, but these alterations do not greatly affect its integrity. The house was listed for its architecture. Moravia's early frame mechanics' cottages built between 1810 and 1860 have mostly been extensively altered, so this house is a rare, well-preserved example of that early housing type in the village. It remains a single-family residence.
Significance in brief: The house is significant under Criterion C as a rare and largely intact example of a vernacular Federal style house from the early housing of Moravia. It retains its period characteristics and integrity of construction, form, materials and detailing inside and out. Most similar early cottages in the village have been heavily altered, which makes this one an important representative of the type.
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 95000103, listed February 24, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 21 W. Cayuga St., Moravia |
|---|---|
| County | Cayuga County |
| Listed | February 24, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000103 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1810-1830 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Early Republic: Federal (vernacular interpretation) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently in use as a single dwelling, the same as its historic function. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.71358, -76.42373 (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 95000103.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5914123
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.