Seward, William H., House
Why it's listed
Built in 1816-17 for Judge Elijah Miller, this yellow-painted brick house at 33 South Street in Auburn became the home of William H. Seward after his 1824 marriage to Miller's daughter Frances. Seward lived there for the rest of his life and enlarged it in 1847 with a tower, a rear wing, a porte-cochere and a carriage house, and again in 1870 with a southern extension and a second tower. The original block has a central hall plan, a round-arched doorway and a Palladian window. Inside, rooms such as the North Library, Parlor and Drawing Room retain furnishings of the Miller and Seward families. Seward served as New York governor, U.S. Senator and Secretary of State under Lincoln and Johnson, and is remembered for the purchase of Alaska from Russia. The property has been kept as a memorial and museum since 1951 and includes stone carriage houses and gardens on about 2.5 acres.
Significance in brief: The house was the home of William H. Seward from 1824 until his death in 1872. Seward was a New York state senator and governor, a U.S. Senator, a founder of the Republican Party and Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869. He is best remembered for negotiating the purchase of Alaska.
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 66000504, listed October 15, 1966. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 33 South St., Auburn |
|---|---|
| County | Cayuga County |
| Listed | October 15, 1966 |
| Reference number | 66000504 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 (specific dates 1824-1872, Seward's occupancy) |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated January 29, 1964 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Maintained as a memorial and historic house museum since 1951; condition listed as excellent in 1963; interior described as virtually unchanged since Seward's occupancy. |
| Acreage | 2.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.92916, -76.56650 (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 66000504.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8010584
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.