Donnelly House
Why it's listed
This eighteenth-century frame house sits on a small plateau partway up a steep mountainside on County Route 5 in New Lebanon, Columbia County, New York. It is a two-story, three-bay saltbox with a center entry and center chimney, set on a fieldstone foundation. The interior keeps its original plan and exposed framing, including gunstock corner posts, a paneled parlor fireplace wall and a large kitchen hearth with bake oven and iron crane. The 24.6-acre property also holds two small barns, one probably from the eighteenth century, and a small shed. The house was likely built in the 1760s, possibly for Ebenezer Ide, during the early settlement of the area by New Englanders. It was restored in 1983-84 after deterioration. The nomination treats it as a rare surviving Colonial New England saltbox in the county and possibly the state. Many New York houses only imitate the form by attaching a shed roof to a one-room-deep house, whereas this one is framed as a single piece.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a rare surviving Colonial New England saltbox in Columbia County and possibly in New York State. It is described as a museum-quality building that reflects the first wave of New England settlement in New York province. It retains its original form, framing and interior plan despite some repairs.
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 00000880, listed August 2, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Cty. Rd. 5, New Lebanon |
|---|---|
| County | Columbia County |
| Listed | August 2, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000880 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1760 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | COLONIAL: Postmedieval English (saltbox type) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a single dwelling; rehabilitated and restored in 1983-84, and a large barn on the property burned within the past ten years. |
| Acreage | 24.6 |
| Coordinates | 42.44700, -73.43300 (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 00000880.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5296592
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.