Fenton, Gov. Reuben, Mansion
Also known as: Walnut Grove
Why it's listed
Walnut Grove, also called the Governor Fenton Mansion, is a brick house at 68 South Main Street in Jamestown, New York. Built in 1863 to a design by Jamestown architect Aaron Hall, it sits on a hilltop above the Chadokoin River Valley. The house is an example of the Italian Villa style, with an asymmetrical plan shaped like an irregular Latin cross, a four-story tower, bracketed eaves, round-headed windows with heavy label moldings, and porches set into the corners. Inside are marble fireplaces, deeply molded doorways, foliate plasterwork and an elaborate wooden chimneypiece with a mirrored overmantel. It was built for Reuben Eaton Fenton (1819-1885), who served in Congress from 1853 to 1864, as Governor of New York from 1865 to 1869, and as Senator from 1869 to 1875. The City of Jamestown acquired it in 1919 as a Soldiers and Sailors Memorial. It now holds the Fenton Historical Society's offices, library and museum, and its grounds are a park.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a well-preserved, essentially original example of the mid-nineteenth-century Italian Villa style. It is closely associated with Reuben Eaton Fenton, a prominent New York political figure during the Civil War period, who served in Congress, as Governor and as Senator.
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 72000824, listed October 18, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 68 S. Main St., Jamestown |
|---|---|
| County | Chautauqua County |
| Listed | October 18, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000824 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1863 |
| Architect / builder | Aaron Hall, architect of Jamestown |
| Architectural style | Italian Villa |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and essentially original. It is city-owned, houses the offices, library and museum of the Fenton Historical Society, remains available to veterans' groups, and its grounds serve as a park. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 42.09136, -79.23864 (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 72000824.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5588531
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.