Howland, Augustus, House
Why it's listed
Set on 191.2 acres east of the hamlet of Sherwood in Cayuga County, this farmhouse began as a small double house built in the 1810s, probably by Thomas Lapham. Augustus Howland bought the farm in 1832, and sometime after 1850 the house was remodeled into a high-style Italianate villa. It is a two-and-one-half-story timber frame building with clapboard siding, a projecting center gable holding a round-arched attic window and balcony, wide paired brackets under broad eaves, and a scroll-sawn verandah. Inside, a Federal staircase, Greek Revival woodwork and mantels, and a Tudor-arched parlor opening survive. Four barns, a former laundry and two granite hitching posts remain from the farm. The house was recognized for its architecture, being far more elaborate than most Quaker-built homes and comparable to fine houses in nearby Aurora. Howland family members, including Augustus's son George, owned it for generations.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is architecturally significant under criterion C as an outstanding, little-altered example of Italianate domestic architecture in rural Cayuga County. Its bracketed cornice, Florentine window with balcony and decorative verandah are unlike anything else nearby. The form says agricultural significance is not justified because many farm structures are lost and crop information is lacking.
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 08000448, listed May 20, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1395 Sherwood Rd., Sherwood |
|---|---|
| County | Cayuga County |
| Listed | May 20, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08000448 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1850s/60s - ca. 1900 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th century: Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still a single-family residence; the form says Howland family members still owned the property as of 2008. |
| Acreage | 191.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.75898, -76.64726 (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 08000448.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4821451
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.