Wales House
Why it's listed
Built in 1896 at 23 West Market Street in Hyde Park, this brick Colonial Revival house was designed by Charles F. McKim of McKim, Mead and White for Frederick W. Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt built it on his newly acquired estate as a home for Edward Wales, a friend and secretary, a yachtsman who lived there until 1922. After Vanderbilt's death in 1938 the house and its five and a half acres were separated from the estate and left to the estate superintendent, Herbert C. Shears. The two-story house has a shingled gable roof, pedimented dormers, a modillioned cornice, an off-center entrance and a balustraded porch. Its restrained design contrasts with the grand neighboring Vanderbilt Mansion. The original windows, doors, room layout, mantels and staircases survive. The house is valued as an intact example of McKim's reinterpretation of Colonial styles and as a surviving part of the Vanderbilt estate.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an intact example of a late nineteenth century country house and of Colonial Revival design as interpreted by McKim. It was part of the complex McKim designed for Frederick W. Vanderbilt's estate. It retains its original location, setting, design, materials and interior features.
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 93000858, listed August 19, 1993. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 23 W. Market St., Hyde Park |
|---|---|
| County | Dutchess County |
| Listed | August 19, 1993 |
| Reference number | 93000858 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1898 |
| Architect / builder | McKim, Charles F., Architect |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current use is single dwelling, the same as its historic function; the house retains a high degree of integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.73701, -73.93694 (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 93000858.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7961772
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.