Kimlin Cider Mill
Why it's listed
Kimlin Cider Mill is a wood-frame complex on the east side of Cedar Avenue in the Town of Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County. An old barn forms its core. The Kimlin family, who had farmed the land since 1850, added a cider-pressing section in the 1880s. From about 1925 to 1935, Ralph R. Kimlin expanded the building into a cider mill, museum and public attraction. He added stone fireplaces and chimneys, a rugged stone entrance surround, decorative windows, and a rear exhibit wing. He intended to cover the whole building in stone to make a castle, but never finished it. The museum held thousands of donated items, and the grounds offered sheep, trails and a pond. Vassar College students and local schoolchildren visited often, and a 1937 guide to Dutchess County listed the mill as a local showplace. The building is recognized for its commercial and social role and its link to Kimlin. It is now abandoned and in disrepair but structurally stable, and the press machinery remains in place.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is significant locally under Criteria A and B. It was a commercial cider producer and a social and recreational landmark in the Town of Poughkeepsie. It is also tied to Ralph R. Kimlin, a local figure and storyteller who ran a museum of historical curiosities that Vassar College students and area schools often visited. The building is not claimed to be architecturally significant, but it remains essentially intact from its period of 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 03000020, listed February 13, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Cedar Ave., Poughkeepsie |
|---|---|
| County | Dutchess County |
| Listed | February 13, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000020 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1925-1952 |
| Architect / builder | Ralph R. Kimlin |
| Architectural style | OTHER (Picturesque-style barn appearance noted in description) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Entertainment/Recreation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as abandoned and in disrepair but structurally stable, retaining sufficient integrity; the form lists current function as work in progress. |
| Acreage | 1.8 |
| Coordinates | 41.66726, -73.90433 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 03000020.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6410163
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.