Shay, William, Double House
Why it's listed
Built around 1870 at 18 Point Street in New Hamburg, this two-story brick double house sits on a small corner lot near the Hudson River. It has a raised basement, a steep gable roof, a high central wall dormer with trefoil detail, and a wooden cornice with paired brackets and acorn pendants. Windows have stone sills and brick relieving arches, and a glazed wooden vestibule porch serves the two entrances. William Shay, a dealer in rags and cotton waste, built it in the early 1870s. Whether it housed his employees or served general rental use is unknown. The house is considered significant as a restrained Gothic Revival design in the Picturesque tradition, uncommon for utilitarian two-family housing, and as a rare example of large-scale speculative building in the hamlet. Its brick craftsmanship and plaster-ornamented interiors point to the prosperity of New Hamburg's river commerce. The house remains a double residence, with a later garage at the rear.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a distinctive example of vernacular Picturesque architecture with Gothic Revival detailing and a rare case of large-scale speculative housing in New Hamburg. Its decorated brickwork, interiors and glazed vestibule are unusually refined for rental housing. It reflects the prosperity of the hamlet during the era of river commerce.
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 87000121, listed February 27, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 18 Point St., New Hamburg |
|---|---|
| County | Dutchess County |
| Listed | February 27, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87000121 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Picturesque / Gothic Revival (vernacular, with Carpenter Gothic details) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a double residence; condition listed as deteriorated, with a non-contributing early twentieth century garage on the lot. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.58707, -73.94960 (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 87000121.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8018350
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.