Traver, John H., Farm
Why it's listed
This farm complex sits on the southern edge of Wurtemburg, a farming hamlet settled by German Palatine families in the eighteenth century. Its main building is a two-story, five-bay frame farmhouse built about 1876, with clapboard siding, a low hipped roof, bay windows and a front verandah trimmed with scroll-sawn brackets. The interior keeps its center hall, parlors, staircase and woodwork largely unchanged. Across the road stand a Dutch-type barn dating from roughly 1800 and a late nineteenth century shed, while a carriage barn stands near the house. The house is valued as one of a few intact examples in Rhinebeck of a square, Italianate-influenced form that appears to reflect Continental European rather than English tastes, fitting the German character of the community. The Dutch barn, with its massive pegged H-frame, is a scarce survivor of an earlier farmstead. The surrounding open fields and the property's long agricultural use add to its importance as a local landmark.
Significance in brief: The farmhouse is an intact example of a cubic, hipped-roof, Italianate-inspired house form concentrated in the Wurtemburg area and linked to its German community. The Dutch barn is a rare survivor of an earlier farm on the site and recalls the Palatine settlement of Wurtemburg. Together with the carriage barn, shed and rural setting, the complex illustrates the area's continued agricultural prosperity.
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 87001081, listed July 9, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Wurtemburg Rd., Wurtemburg |
|---|---|
| County | Dutchess County |
| Listed | July 9, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87001081 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate-inspired late nineteenth century residential architecture (cubic massing, hipped roof); Dutch-type barn |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is rated good; the farmhouse remains in residential use and the interior survives substantially intact. |
| Acreage | 10.3 |
| Coordinates | 41.89454, -73.86695 (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 87001081.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14706668
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.