Columbia Turnpike-West Tollhouse
Why it's listed
Built around 1800 of locally quarried Becraft limestone, this two-and-one-half-story house on Route 23B in Greenport served as the tollkeeper's residence at the west gate of the Columbia Turnpike. The turnpike, chartered in 1799, ran about twenty miles between Hudson and Hillsdale, and toll records from 1803 to 1820 show the west gate was the most heavily used of its three. The house has three bays, a gable roof, walls about two feet thick and splayed brick lintels over its openings. The wooden gate and attached frame office were removed in the early twentieth century. The turnpike company operated the road until about 1907, when the county bought its rights. The house later became a rental home, then storage, and was acquired by the City of Hudson in 1969. It is valued as a rare surviving turnpike-era building in the county and as a representative example of vernacular Federal architecture in local stone. It is now vacant.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a rare surviving early-19th-century transportation building in Columbia County and probably the best remaining turnpike tollhouse there. It is also a representative example of vernacular Federal architecture built of locally quarried Becraft limestone. Its association with the Columbia Turnpike, which operated as a toll road until about 1907, supports its transportation significance.
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 00001571, listed December 28, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NY 23B, Greenport |
|---|---|
| County | Columbia County |
| Listed | December 28, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00001571 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1800 - 1907 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Early Republic: Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Transportation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant for many years and in deteriorated condition inside; the tollgate portion is gone, but the building retains a high degree of integrity to its construction date. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.23936, -73.75977 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 00001571.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5149884
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.