Cleveland, L.E., House
Why it's listed
Standing on the east side of Route 81 in the hamlet of Oak Hill, this two-story frame house grew in stages from about 1790 through about 1850. It has a five-by-two-bay, central-hall, single-pile plan, clapboard siding, a stone foundation, a gable roof and a bracketed cornice. A recessed Italianate entrance and a wraparound porch with Picturesque posts mark the front. A single-story kitchen wing at the rear may be the original dwelling on the site. Inside, Federal and Greek Revival moldings sit alongside Italianate elements such as the center-hall staircase. The house was listed for its architecture. It shows how a late Federal era building was modernized to follow mid-nineteenth-century taste, and it is among the largest homes in a hamlet whose economy rested on mills and iron foundries. After years of decline, the house was acquired and is being carefully restored, and it retains a high degree of integrity.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an intact example of large-scale, mid-nineteenth-century residential architecture in Oak Hill. A late Federal era house was updated with Greek Revival and Italianate features. As one of the hamlet's largest homes, it reflects the prosperity of its owner and of Oak Hill's growing iron-based industrial economy.
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 01001385, listed December 28, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 7818 NY 81, Durham |
|---|---|
| County | Greene County |
| Listed | December 28, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01001385 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca.1790-ca.1850 |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century / Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as having declined over the years, then recently acquired and undergoing sensitive restoration, including its entrance and porch elements. Current use is a single dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Oak Hill Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.41053, -74.15224 (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 01001385.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6456270
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.