Yawger, Peter, House
The pin is a point inside the NPS boundary polygon, not a surveyed location.
Why it's listed
Overlooking Cayuga Lake from a knoll north of Union Springs, this brick mansion was built in 1838-40 for Peter Yawger, a plaster supplier who also served in the New York State Assembly, as Cayuga County sheriff and as a delegate to the 1846 State Constitutional Convention. The one and one-half story, gable-roofed house has five-bay front and rear facades, each with a massive pedimented portico; the front portico has four fluted Ionic columns. A raised stone foundation holds a mostly finished basement, and a kitchen wing and reconstructed frame carriage house extend to the south. Inside, a wide center hall, parlors, and a dining room survive with fireplaces, overmantels, rosette-ornamented cove moldings and carved door and window trim. The nomination describes the house as one of the finest and most intact Greek Revival homes in the region and notes its resemblance to Jefferson's Monticello in siting, massing and the separation of service spaces from public rooms. About seven acres remain of Yawger's former holdings.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an outstanding, virtually intact example of high-style Greek Revival domestic architecture in the Finger Lakes region. Its pedimented porticoes, wide center hall, raised basement and abundant classical interior detail embody the style, and its form emulates Jefferson's Monticello. Association with Peter Yawger, a local and state politician, was noted but judged insufficient for criterion B.
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 04000283, listed April 15, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NY 90, Union Springs |
|---|---|
| County | Cayuga County |
| Listed | April 15, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000283 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1838-40 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Early 19th Century: Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a single-family dwelling; renovations were carried out around 1999-2002, and the carriage house and porticoes were reconstructed from historic photos. |
| Acreage | 7 |
| Coordinates | 42.88997, -76.70753 (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 04000283.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7177821
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.