Fried, Samson, Estate
Also known as: Birch Hill
Why it's listed
Birch Hill is a summer estate on the south shore of Paradox Lake, near Severance in Essex County, New York. Its centerpiece is a large, rambling Shingle Style house completed in 1902, with a wraparound verandah, stone chimneys and a rooftop widow's walk. Inside, pine paneling, fireplaces, brass fixtures and Arts and Crafts ceilings survive largely intact. Around the house stand a boathouse, barn, hen house, garage, ice house, guest cottage, tennis court, well and stone gate posts and walls, together forming a nearly complete service complex on a wooded 34.3-acre parcel. Samson Fried, a New York City silk importer and amateur musician, had the estate built. He joined a circle of musicians who spent summers at Paradox Lake around their teacher, Edward Herrman. Family tradition credits Fried with the design, with technical help from architect Harry Allen Jacobs. The estate was listed for its architectural quality, its high integrity and its intact setting, and it remains in the Fried family.
Significance in brief: The estate is argued to be architecturally significant as a distinctive early twentieth century Adirondack summer estate. Its Shingle Style exterior has Arts and Crafts interior decoration, and it keeps a full set of service buildings, remnants of designed landscape and a wilderness-like setting. It was built for Samson Fried, a New York City merchant and amateur musician who belonged to a group of musicians with summer retreats at Paradox Lake.
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 87000225, listed February 26, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NY 74, Severance |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | February 26, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87000225 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900-; specific dates 1902; 1920s |
| Architect / builder | Attributed to Harry Allen Jacobs (family tradition says Samson Fried designed it, with Jacobs's technical assistance) |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style exterior with Arts and Crafts interior |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence in excellent condition, largely unaltered, and still owned by the Fried family. |
| Acreage | 34.3 |
| Coordinates | 43.87579, -73.71460 (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 87000225.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7410368
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.