Livingston, Henry W., House
Also known as: "The Hill"
Why it's listed
Known as "The Hill," this large two-story mansion rises above Bell's Pond in Livingston, Columbia County, New York. Its brick walls are covered with stucco and painted white. The west front has a two-story portico with four Ionic columns on a cut stone base. Curved bays on the side elevations mark elliptical parlors inside, and a modified domed roof covers the central block. Wings extending from the north and south sides end in octagons and are linked to the main block by curved one-story porches with smaller Ionic columns. According to tradition, Henry Walter Livingston (1768-1810) began construction soon after his marriage in November 1796 to Mary Penn Allen. An Italian architect reputedly designed it, and it was completed in 1803. Livingston served as a county judge, state assemblyman and member of Congress. Mary Livingston made the house a social center, and guests reportedly included Louis Philippe, Joseph Bonaparte and the Marquis de Lafayette. The house is considered a local landmark for its Classical Revival design and these associations.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the house as a massive, large-scale landmark with Classical Revival features. It also cites its historical associations with Henry Walter Livingston, a judge and congressman, and with his wife Mary, who made the house a social center that welcomed famous guests.
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 71000536, listed February 18, 1971. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N of Bell's Pond, Livingston |
|---|---|
| County | Columbia County |
| Listed | February 18, 1971 |
| Reference number | 71000536 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Reputedly designed by an Italian architect (not named) |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as unoccupied, in good condition, on its original site, and privately owned. |
| Acreage | 9.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.17680, -73.74895 (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.
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 71000536.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14706349
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.