Van Vredenburg Farm
Why it's listed
Set on eight acres along Cedar Heights Road in north-central Rhinebeck, this farmstead centers on a one-and-one-half-story frame farmhouse built around 1830. The five-bay, center-hall main block has recessed side wings, a wide frieze with eyebrow windows, broad corner pilasters and a Greek Revival entrance with Doric pilasters. Late nineteenth-century porches with Victorian woodwork were added, along with rear wings. Nearby stand a late nineteenth-century barn and shed, a wagon house across the road, a dry-laid stone well and two stone cisterns used until the 1950s. The property was leased in 1826 by Rutsen Suckley to William Mink, and by 1844 it belonged to the Van Vredenburg family, which gave the farm its name. It was listed as an intact rural example of Greek Revival design and as a farmstead showing how local building traditions and agricultural life developed in the mid-Hudson Valley between about 1830 and 1900.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an outstanding collection of farm architecture in Rhinebeck. The farmhouse is a distinctive, intact, text-book example of rural Greek Revival design, showing the shift from eighteenth-century stone farmhouses to more standardized nineteenth-century styles. The surviving outbuildings and open farm setting show how a working farmstead evolved and reflect the town's growth as a prosperous agrarian community.
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 87001079, listed July 9, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Cedar Heights Rd., Rhinebeck |
|---|---|
| County | Dutchess County |
| Listed | July 9, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87001079 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1830 - ca. 1900 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a residence, in good condition, with no known threats; the original site and integrity are retained. |
| Acreage | 8 |
| Coordinates | 41.94290, -73.87912 (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 87001079.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7913748
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.