Lord, Dr. John, House
Why it's listed
Dr. John Lord, a local physician, built this farmhouse in Busti in 1867. It sits on a hill above the village, on a 6.84-acre property in a rural setting that has changed little since the mid-nineteenth century. The wood balloon-frame house rises two and one-half stories on a coursed ashlar foundation and is clad in original board-and-batten siding. Its asymmetrical, cross-gabled form includes steep roofs, Gothic-arched windows with drip moldings, quatrefoil openings, an oriel, bay windows, and scroll-sawn vergeboards and porch brackets. Inside, wide pine floors, original four-panel doors, fireplaces and grained hall woodwork survive, although the kitchen and bathrooms were altered in the twentieth century. A garage and barn built in 1985 are modern additions. The house was listed for its architecture. It is considered a fine and rare local example of Carpenter Gothic design shaped by the Picturesque movement and pattern books such as those of A.J. Downing.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a distinctive and well-preserved example of mid-nineteenth century Carpenter Gothic residential architecture. It reflects Picturesque movement ideas promoted by Davis, Downing and Vaux. It is described as one of western New York's finest rural Gothic farmhouses and a rare example of the type in this rural area.
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 91000104, listed March 2, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Forest Rd. Extension, Busti |
|---|---|
| County | Chautauqua County |
| Listed | March 2, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91000104 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1867 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival (Carpenter Gothic) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a residence, with mid-twentieth century alterations to the porch, kitchen and bathrooms; the form says it retains a high degree of integrity. |
| Acreage | 6.8 |
| Coordinates | 42.04296, -79.28019 (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 91000104.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5304201
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.