Clinton House
Why it's listed
Clinton House is a coursed-stone dwelling at 547 Main Street in Poughkeepsie, built about 1765 and rebuilt around 1783. It rises two and a half stories above a raised basement, has five bays, a slate roof, chimneys at both ends of the ridge, and a central door with sidelights and a transom under a porch with Doric columns. It was originally a large rural house outside the center of the settlement. Hugh Van Kleeck is credited with the original construction. Colonel Udny Hay owned the house when it burned in 1783 and received permission from George Washington to use Continental Army workmen from Newburgh to rebuild it. A tradition links the house to Governor George Clinton, though that claim is disputed. A late-nineteenth-century mansard roof and enlarged windows were later removed, restoring the peaked roof. It is one of two eighteenth-century stone houses in the city and a rare Georgian example in Dutchess County. It now serves as a historic resources center.
Significance in brief: It is one of only two eighteenth-century stone houses in the City of Poughkeepsie and reflects English Georgian design. Very few eighteenth-century stone dwellings survive in Dutchess County, so it is distinguished by the rarity of its material and style. It was restored to nearly its former appearance after later alterations.
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 82001128, listed November 26, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 547 Main St., Poughkeepsie |
|---|---|
| County | Dutchess County |
| Listed | November 26, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001128 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Hugh Van Kleeck is said to have built the original house about 1765; no architect is named. |
| Architectural style | English Georgian |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is listed as excellent. It was originally a residence and is now a historic resources center. The mansard roof was removed and the house restored to its original peaked roof. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.70034, -73.91603 (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 82001128.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5134157
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.