Clark, Ezra, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1780 on a small rise in the flood plain of the Webatuck Creek near Millerton, this brick house is a rectangular, gable-roofed dwelling with two interior end chimneys. It is set into a hillside so that the stone basement is exposed on the south front, where a two-story porch with six chamfered columns spans five bays. Inside, a center-hall plan survives with paired rooms on each side, original mantelpieces, exposed beams and a historic kitchen with a beehive Dutch oven. The house was listed as an exceptionally intact example of a late eighteenth-century masonry dwelling in the Hudson Valley and a variant of a distinctive regional house type. Local tradition names Ezra Clark as builder, and his family is known to have lived there from about 1795, but a brick inscribed "J.M. 1780" suggests another origin. Recent work includes a rebuilt porch, staircase and chimneys, and a cedar shingle roof. The parcel is the surviving remnant of a larger farm.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is architecturally significant as an exceptionally intact late eighteenth-century masonry dwelling in the Hudson Valley. It is built into a hillside with an exposed basement, a central-hall plan and a two-story porch across the main facade, a form it describes as a regional house type. It also notes that a brick inscribed "J.M. 1780" casts doubt on the traditional attribution to Ezra Clark.
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 85000338, listed February 21, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Mill Rd., Millerton |
|---|---|
| County | Dutchess County |
| Listed | February 21, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85000338 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1700-1799 (specific date 1780) |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Vernacular residence; regional Hudson Valley house type |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence, in excellent condition and described as unaltered, with some recent reconstruction of the porch, staircase and chimneys. |
| Acreage | 8.7 |
| Coordinates | 41.92079, -73.51772 (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 85000338.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5423342
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.