Sager House
Why it's listed
Built in 1884 at 12 West Cayuga Street in Moravia, this two-and-one-half-story frame house is an intact example of Queen Anne residential design. It was built for George S. Sager, who owned the property from 1883 to 1896, and it replaced an earlier house on the same site. Newspaper reports from 1884 name Patten and Harris as construction managers, probably the carpenters James Patten and James Harris. The cruciform plan has a front gable and two cross gables with paired shuttered windows and bracketed, projecting peaks. A band of sawtooth shingles circles the house, and the front porch has turned spindles, jigsaw-cut ornament and carved paired doors. The brick foundation, asphalt roof and interior floor plan and finishes remain in place, as does a two-story board-and-batten carriage house. The house is valued as one of the most intact Queen Anne residences in Moravia, reflecting the village's prosperity after the Civil War.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to meet Criterion C as an intact, representative example of Queen Anne 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 intact Queen Anne 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 95000061, listed February 24, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 12 W. Cayuga St., Moravia |
|---|---|
| County | Cayuga County |
| Listed | February 24, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000061 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1884 |
| Architect / builder | James Patten and James Harris, carpenters |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a single dwelling; interior retains its historic floor plan and finishes. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.71392, -76.42307 (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 95000061.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7399197
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.