Bronk-Silvester House
Why it's listed
Built in 1811 for John L. Bronk, this brick house at 188 Mansion Street sits in the center of Coxsackie, where roads from the Hudson River landings and the upper village met. It is a five by two bay, center hall plan dwelling on a stone foundation, with a low gable roof and tall parapeted end walls that hold four chimneys. The north entrance has a six panel door, sidelights, a fanlight and a Greek Revival porch with fluted Ionic columns, added around 1835. Inside, a curved center hall staircase and intact plaster moldings, mantels and doors survive. Bronk was a Town Supervisor and the son of Judge Leonard Bronk. After his death in 1835, his daughter Catherine and her husband Peter Henry Silvester took the house. Silvester was a lawyer who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1847 to 1851. The house is valued as an outstanding regional example of Federal architecture and as a local landmark.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an excellent regional example of Federal style residential architecture that retains an outstanding degree of integrity. It is also tied to two prominent local families, the Bronks and the Silvesters, and recalls the early nineteenth century development of the river front village.
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 02000140, listed March 12, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 188 Mansion St., Coxsackie |
|---|---|
| County | Greene County |
| Listed | March 12, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02000140 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1811-1882 |
| Architectural style | Early Republic/Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling; a modern kitchen occupies the rear service wing and a non-contributing modern shed stands behind the house. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.35919, -73.81371 (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 02000140.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4974000
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.