Glebe House
Why it's listed
Built about 1767 at 635 Main Street, Glebe House is a brick, 1½-story residence with a raised basement and a five-bay, symmetrical facade laid in Flemish bond. It was constructed as the parsonage for the Anglican churches of Poughkeepsie and Fishkill on a 260-acre church tract, and Rev. John Beardsley was its first occupant. Beardsley, a Loyalist, left the country during the Revolution, and from 1780 to 1783 Quarter Master officers of the Continental Army used the house. Colonel Udney Hay later lived there while the Clinton House was being rebuilt. The church sold the property in 1795, and silversmith Peter De Reimer bought it the next year. Facing demolition in 1929, it was bought by the City of Poughkeepsie with city funds and public subscriptions. Its early brick construction, formal Georgian character and panelled fireplace wall make it a rare survivor in a region of stone farmhouses. It is now a house museum.
Significance in brief: The house is described as one of the earliest in Poughkeepsie and rare for its early use of brick this far east in the village. Its symmetrical, Flemish bond facade and fully panelled fireplace wall reflect the wealth and formality of the Anglican Church. It is also one of a small number of formal Georgian-style brick buildings in the Mid-Hudson Valley stone farmhouse area.
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 82001139, listed November 26, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 635 Main St., Poughkeepsie |
|---|---|
| County | Dutchess County |
| Listed | November 26, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001139 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Georgian (mid-18th century residential architecture) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | In good condition and in use as a historic house museum; the porch was reconstructed in 1976. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.69850, -73.91174 (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 82001139.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5567432
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.