Adsit Log House
Why it's listed
This small log house on Willsboro Point, in Essex County, New York, dates to about 1778. Settlers Samuel Adsit and his wife built it on a ridge overlooking Lake Champlain while squatting on land of the Montressor patent. The dwelling measures roughly twenty-two by nineteen feet and is built mostly of round white oak logs joined with simple inverted V notches, with a half-story loft and a hall-parlor style plan. Around 1830 a frame addition and clapboard siding covered the logs, and the original chimney was removed. When the enlarged house was being demolished in the early twentieth century, the log section was rediscovered. It was restored about 1928, with the additions removed, rotten logs replaced, a new fieldstone chimney built and the interior whitewashed for use as a museum. About ninety percent of the logs are believed to be original. The house remains on its original site and is notable as a rare, long-surviving example of an eighteenth-century settlement-era log dwelling in northern New York.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that this is a rare surviving settlement-era log dwelling that has lasted far longer than most of its type. It keeps physical evidence of its c1778 construction, its c1830 enlargement and clapboarding, and its c1928 restoration as a museum. It also illustrates early settlement of the Lake Champlain region by squatters.
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 92001053, listed August 18, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Point Rd. N of Ligonier Pt., Willsboro |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | August 18, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92001053 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Adsit family (built by Samuel Adsit and his wife, per the narrative) |
| Architectural style | Other: log house |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic function was a single dwelling; current function is listed as museum. Restored c1928 with a recreated fieldstone chimney. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 44.42159, -73.37597 (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 92001053.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4685836
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.