Brower, Abraham, House
Why it's listed
Standing at the corner of Water and Division Streets in New Hamburg, this brick house was built around 1845 as a modest Greek Revival residence facing the Hudson River. It has three bays, one and one-half stories, a slate gable roof with returns, a wide cornice board broken by windows, and a full-length front porch with square columns and a spindled balustrade. A rear kitchen wing with eyebrow windows was added soon after construction, and a cellar beehive-shaped brick oven survives beneath it. Inside, a side-hall plan, parlors, mantels, doors and trim remain largely intact. A mid-nineteenth-century outbuilding, probably a boat house later adapted as a garage, also contributes. The lot was sold in 1841 to Abraham Brower, who was likely connected with the neighboring lime kiln and quarry works. The house is valued as a well-preserved local example of its style, closely matching the Adolph Brower house across the street, and as a reminder of the hamlet's early commercial life.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be an intact, representative example of Greek Revival residential architecture in New Hamburg, similar in form and detail to the nearby Adolph Brower house. The two Brower houses are described as the oldest surviving structures in the hamlet that retain integrity. The property is also tied to New Hamburg's early commercial development through the lime kiln and quarry operation on the corner. Its interior woodwork and a cellar beehive oven add to its significance.
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 87000116, listed February 27, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2 Water St., New Hamburg |
|---|---|
| County | Dutchess County |
| Listed | February 27, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87000116 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is given as good, with a residential use that is unchanged from the original; no threats to the building are known. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 41.58914, -73.94969 (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 87000116.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4668785
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.