Peck House
Why it's listed
Standing at a crossroads on the northern edge of North Chatham in Columbia County, New York, this two-story, five-bay frame house was rebuilt about 1848 in the Greek Revival style. It likely reused the foundation and first-story frame of a late-18th-century dwelling. The Peck family, early settlers of the area, acquired the property in the early nineteenth century, and the rebuilding is tied to the marriage of Dr. Oliver J. Peck in 1848. Features include corner pilasters, a deep boxed cornice, six-over-six windows and a front porch with four Doric columns and a triglyph-and-metope frieze. Inside, the center hall, heavy moldings and six-panel doors survive, along with a Federal mantel that may come from the earlier house. A small brick smokehouse marked 1785 also contributes to the property. The house is recognized as a distinctive local example of Greek Revival architecture and as evidence of the Peck family's standing in a prosperous rural hamlet.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be a distinctive example of Greek Revival residential architecture in the town of Chatham, meeting Criterion C. It displays the style's hallmarks, including corner pilasters, a Doric porch with triglyphs and metopes, a deep entablature and classical interior woodwork. It also reflects the prosperity of its physician owner and of North Chatham in the 19th century.
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 99000869, listed July 22, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NY 203, Chatham |
|---|---|
| County | Columbia County |
| Listed | July 22, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99000869 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1848 |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century: Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a single dwelling; the exterior is almost completely intact from the c. 1848 reconstruction, apart from changes to the rear wing. |
| Acreage | 1.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.47522, -73.63290 (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 99000869.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7158716
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.