Kent-Delord House
Why it's listed
Built in 1797 at 17 Cumberland Avenue in Plattsburgh, this two-story clapboard house on a wood frame was the home of Captain John Bailey, an early settler in northern New York. His cousin Nathan Averill, Sr., an early Plattsburgh settler, was the builder. The house is reputedly the oldest in the city. It has a five-bay south facade, a gabled roof, brick chimneys at each end and a pedimented one-story entrance porch. Bailey's daughter Elizabeth inherited it and married James Kent, who became Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court and wrote Kent's Commentaries on American Law. In 1810 the Kents sold the house to Henry Delord, a native of Nimes, France, and a leading local citizen. British officers occupied it as headquarters during the 1814 Battle of Plattsburgh. It later passed to the Physicians Hospital and then to William H. Miner, who established it as a museum. It remains in excellent, unaltered condition.
Significance in brief: The house is reputedly the oldest in Plattsburgh and was built for an early northern New York settler. It was later owned by James Kent, author of Kent's Commentaries on American Law, and by Henry Delord, a leading local citizen. British officers used it as headquarters during the 1814 Battle of Plattsburgh.
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 71000532, listed February 18, 1971. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 17 Cumberland Ave., Plattsburgh |
|---|---|
| County | Clinton County |
| Listed | February 18, 1971 |
| Reference number | 71000532 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Built by Nathan Averill, Sr., a cousin of the Baileys |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent and unaltered, on its original site; in use as a museum with restricted public access and an admission fee. |
| Coordinates | 44.70334, -73.45180 (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 71000532.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6391578
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.