Boughton/Haight House
Also known as: Schoonmaker Chapel
Why it's listed
Built around 1875 at 73-75 South Hamilton Street in Poughkeepsie, this three-story brick double townhouse was designed as an upper middle-class residence. Its first owners were James H. Boughton, who never listed a profession, and Elias Haight, an auctioneer. The Italianate facade has four bays, a bold bracketed cornice, an arcaded frieze, heavy cast iron lintels and sills, brownstone steps, and two sets of original paneled double front doors with round-arched, frosted glass panels. A shingled enclosed porch sits on the second story of the left side. Inside, marble fireplaces, a walnut staircase and bold molding survive. A clapboard rear addition was made about 1935, and the building now serves as a funeral home. It was recognized as an early and unusual double townhouse in the city and as one of Poughkeepsie's finest Italianate townhouses, standing opposite Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church.
Significance in brief: The house is an early example of a double townhouse in Poughkeepsie and one of the city's best Italianate townhouses. It has a bold bracketed cornice, an arcaded frieze, prominent cast iron lintels and frosted glass-paneled doors. The reviewer accepted it as architecturally significant in the Italianate style.
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 82001124, listed November 26, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 73-75 S. Hamilton St., Poughkeepsie |
|---|---|
| County | Dutchess County |
| Listed | November 26, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001124 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in good condition on its original site; now used as a funeral home. A rear clapboard addition dates from about 1935. No threats to the building were known. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.69818, -73.92556 (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 82001124.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4949418
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.