Brand, John, Sr., House
Why it's listed
Built around 1871 at 405 Maple Avenue in Elmira, this large brick Italianate house was the home of John Brand, Sr., a German-born businessman who came to Elmira in 1851. Brand made bricks, ran a grocery, and helped establish the county's tobacco packing and processing trade through John Brand & Co. The house has a three- by five-bay main block of two and one-half stories on a high bluestone basement, with a low hip roof, broad eaves, segmentally arched windows with cast-iron lintels, and stacked front porches. Inside are heavy moulded woodwork, a black walnut main stair, and an oak-detailed dining room and mahogany-detailed bedroom added in the 1890s. Around 1915 Charles W. Brand converted it to a duplex with minimal changes to the plan. A contributing garage and a fountain basin remain on the lot. The house was listed for its well-preserved Italianate design and its link to Elmira's nineteenth-century industrial prosperity.
Significance in brief: The house is significant under Criterion C as an intact, representative example of a large-scale Italianate residence in Elmira. It reflects the wealth and standing of John Brand, Sr., a self-made brick maker, grocer and tobacco businessman, and the prosperity of Elmira in the third quarter of the nineteenth century. Its 1890s interior alterations and the ca. 1915 duplex conversion respected the original fabric.
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 10000913, listed November 10, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 405 Maple Ave, Elmira |
|---|---|
| County | Chemung County |
| Listed | November 10, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000913 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1871-ca. 1915 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current function is single dwelling, with a multiple dwelling (duplex) function also listed; the house has been described as intact. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Maple Avenue Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.08651, -76.79549 (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 10000913.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6222959
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.