Traver, J. E., Farm
Why it's listed
Set on a knoll overlooking the Feller Road and Violet Hill Road intersection, this Rhinebeck farmstead covers 14.5 acres of hilly, partly wooded and cultivated land. Its centerpiece is a two-story, five-bay, center-hall frame farmhouse with clapboard siding and a fieldstone foundation. Records show it existed by 1798, and its Federal-style entrance and interior woodwork survive. Around 1849 the house was remodelled with a front cross gable with a round oculus, bracketed cornice and a decorated verandah, giving it a Gothic-inspired Picturesque look. Later wings and a garage were added. Southeast of the house stands a large five-part barn complex from the 1860s, with board-and-batten siding, quatrefoil windows and a bracketed cornice. A wagon shed and small barn from the late nineteenth century also remain. The property is named for J. E. Traver, who owned it in 1850 and probably directed the remodelling. Together the buildings show how a working farm developed over a long period.
Significance in brief: The farmhouse is argued to be a distinctive example of a Gothic-inspired farmhouse. A modest Federal-period house was given picturesque decoration in the mid-19th century, a common practice in the Rhinebeck area. The surviving 1860s barn complex and late 19th-century outbuildings in a rural setting show how a working farm changed over time and offer a resource for studying rural life in the mid-Hudson region.
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 87001082, listed July 9, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Violet Hill Rd., Rhinebeck |
|---|---|
| County | Dutchess County |
| Listed | July 9, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87001082 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal farmhouse with Gothic-inspired Picturesque (Romantic Period) embellishment |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Private residence in good condition; the farmhouse and outbuildings survive, and no threats are known. |
| Acreage | 14.5 |
| Coordinates | 41.92650, -73.87475 (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 87001082.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6105512
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.