York-Skinner House
Why it's listed
Located at 31 Union Street in Westfield, this one and one-half story frame cottage grew from a dwelling built before 1833, apparently by early settler James McClurg, who subdivided the surrounding land into residential lots. In 1866 industrialist George P. York, owner of an iron foundry on Chautauqua Creek, acquired the property and enlarged the house in the fashionable Gothic Revival style for his daughter Jennie, who married John Arthur Skinner. The old house was folded into the new structure, which has board and batten siding, a steeply pitched cross-gable roof, elaborate bargeboards, paired miter-arched windows and projecting bay windows. Early twentieth century additions include a porch and a rear shed-roofed wing. The house is regarded as the best of only two Gothic Revival examples in the village, and it embodies the verticality, irregular plan and ornamental detail of the mid-nineteenth century picturesque movement. It remains a residence in excellent condition.
Significance in brief: The house is considered an outstanding example of Gothic Revival architecture, one of only two examples of the style in the village. It is also associated with James McClurg, a prominent early settler, and with industrialist George P. York, who enlarged it in the 1860s.
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 83001661, listed September 26, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 31 Union St., Westfield |
|---|---|
| County | Chautauqua County |
| Listed | September 26, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001661 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect and builder unknown; James McClurg is the apparent builder of the original portion |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a residence, in excellent condition, with a non-contributing modern garage on the property. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | French Portage Road Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.32252, -79.57431 (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 83001661.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8055344
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.