Burns Family Farm
Why it's listed
Set high in a valley bowl on Crescent Valley Road in Bovina, Delaware County, this 195.5-acre farm was assembled by the Burns family in three parcels: 105.5 acres acquired by Moses Burns in 1801, 50 acres added by John Burns in 1855, and 40 acres bought by Alexander Burns in 1887. The farmhouse, built about 1833 with an addition of about 1870-75, faces a ca.1880 stable and a three-level banked dairy barn that incorporates an earlier four-bay frame. Dry-laid stone walls, some built to keep sheep from climbing them, divide the pastures and line the road beside sugar maples. Census records document dairying, butter production, sheep, field crops and maple sugar through the nineteenth century. A former one-room school moved from Delhi around 1956 became a guesthouse, reflecting recreational use. Later subdivided lots hold non-contributing houses, but the historic farm landscape remains largely intact.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the farm as a representative Catskill family farm, significant for settlement, agriculture, architecture and recreation. It retains buildings, stone walls, roads and fields reflecting more than a century of Burns family farming from 1801 to 1956. A relocated schoolhouse reused as a guesthouse shows the later recreation theme.
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 07000486, listed May 30, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Crescent Valley Rd., Bovina |
|---|---|
| County | Delaware County |
| Listed | May 30, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07000486 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1801-1956 |
| Architectural style | no style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Agriculture, Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The farmhouse is still a single dwelling; the dairy barn's stanchion area was retrofitted in the 1980s for raising fowl. Some post-1956 houses on subdivided lots are non-contributing. |
| Acreage | 195.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.29931, -74.68010 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 07000486.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5000067
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.