Shew, Godfrey, House
The pin is a point inside the NPS boundary polygon, not a surveyed location.
Why it's listed
Built in 1784 on a ridge above the Sacandaga Valley, this timber-framed farmhouse in Fish House, Fulton County, is the oldest surviving building in the town of Northampton. Godfrey Shew, a German-born settler recruited to Sir William Johnson's estate, and his sons raised it after raiders burned their earlier cabin and farm in 1778 and took the family captive to Quebec. The two-story house has five bays, clapboard siding, a stone foundation, a center-hall plan, wide plank floors, simple Federal moldings and an original kitchen hearth and oven. A circa 1885 carriage barn and a privy complete the historic group. The house reflects regional building practice of the post-Revolutionary settlement period and shows how a working farmhouse evolved into the late nineteenth century. It also survives as one of few remnants of old Fish House, much of which was flooded when the Great Sacandaga Lake was created around 1930.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is the oldest surviving building in the town of Northampton and a rare, intact example of a post-Revolutionary vernacular farmhouse in the Sacandaga area. It is tied to the Shew family, early settlers who rebuilt after their cabin was burned in a 1778 raid. It is also one of the few surviving buildings of the lost settlement of Fish House, much of which was flooded by the Great Sacandaga 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 06000574, listed July 12, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1632 S. Shore Rd., Fish House |
|---|---|
| County | Fulton County |
| Listed | July 12, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06000574 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1784-1885 |
| Architectural style | Early Republic/Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a residence; the form lists current function as domestic/residence and notes a modern kitchen installed in a rear wing. |
| Acreage | 7.8 |
| Coordinates | 43.14498, -74.12343 (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 06000574.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5576538
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.