Hutchinson Homestead
Why it's listed
Built around 1910 on a knoll above Lake Street in the village of Cayuga, this large Colonial Revival house looks west across the north end of Cayuga Lake. Edwin Cowles of Cleveland, Ohio, had it built as a summer home for his wife, Elizabeth Caroline Hutchinson Cowles, a granddaughter of the prominent local figure Elizabeth Boardman Hall Davis Hutchinson. The house sits on 4.75 acres that were once part of a 400-acre family estate. It has a five-bay main block under a low gambrel roof, four brick chimneys, modillioned cornices, clapboard siding, and a front porch with paired square columns. Inside, the original room layout, seven fireplaces, three staircases, and much of the trim survive. The property was recognized for its architecture, as an intact and representative local example of early 20th century Colonial Revival design. A mid-19th century barn behind the house is counted as non-contributing.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an intact, representative example of early 20th century Colonial Revival domestic architecture in the village of Cayuga. It also retains its original room layout and decorative interior details. It was built as a summer home on land that was once part of a 400-acre estate of the Davis and Hutchinson families.
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 09000478, listed September 9, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 6080 Lake St., Cayuga |
|---|---|
| County | Cayuga County |
| Listed | September 9, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000478 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1910 |
| Architect / builder | Levi Scofield |
| Architectural style | 20th Century Revival: Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a single-family dwelling; the interior and exterior retain original fabric. A mid-19th century barn on the property is non-contributing. |
| Acreage | 4.8 |
| Coordinates | 42.91458, -76.72522 (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 09000478.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5950681
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.