House at 46 South Main Street
Why it's listed
Located opposite the Moravia Central School, a few blocks south of the village business district, this two-story frame house was probably built between 1884 and 1887. Deed records show Sarah A. Rolls bought the lot for $400 and sold it about two and a half years later for $2,200, which suggests she built the house. Nathan P. Darby, a capitalist, then bought it, and his family kept it until 1943. The house is a notable Italianate design with an irregular plan, a low-pitched hipped roof, wide eaves with paired brackets, and one-over-one windows under heavy rope hood moldings. A full-width porch has turned and jigsaw-cut ornament, and a two-story bay window projects from the north side. The interior keeps its original floor plan and finishes. It was listed for its architectural value as one of the most elaborately detailed frame Italianate homes in Moravia.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be an intact and representative example of Italianate residential architecture in Moravia, tied to the village's post-Civil War prosperity. It retains its exterior and interior integrity and is described as one of the most elaborately detailed frame Italianate residences in the village.
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 95000065, listed February 24, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 46 S. Main St., Moravia |
|---|---|
| County | Cayuga County |
| Listed | February 24, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000065 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1885 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a single dwelling; the interior retains its historic floor plan and finishes. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.70693, -76.42132 (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 95000065.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5914338
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.