Lexington House
Why it's listed
Lexington House is a three-story frame hotel built around 1883 on the Schoharie Creek in the Greene County hamlet of Lexington, New York. J.P. Van Valkenburgh had it built, and master carpenter Jerome Campbell supervised construction of the 30-room hotel, which opened on July 4, 1883. Its low hipped roof, bracketed eaves, two-story verandah and richly cut and applied woodwork reflect Italianate and Eastlake influences. Inside, the large ground-floor public rooms, corridors of small guest rooms and rear service areas survive largely intact. Four outbuildings from the resort era also remain: an ice house, a wagon house, the River Theater with its bowling alley, and a small shed. The property was listed as a rare surviving medium-sized Catskill resort from the period when railroads made the mountains accessible to middle-class vacationers. Of about six small hotels and boarding houses once in Lexington, it alone kept its design and materials. The building is vacant and deteriorated, with restoration as an arts facility under way.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is one of few surviving medium-sized Catskill resort hotels, recalling the region's popularity as a middle-class vacation destination in the late nineteenth century. It is also described as an outstanding example of picturesque late Victorian architecture, combining Italianate and Eastlake features with highly ornamental exterior woodwork. Four resort-related support buildings add to its significance.
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 86002175, listed September 4, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NY 42, Lexington |
|---|---|
| County | Greene County |
| Listed | September 4, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002175 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1883 - ca. 1920 |
| Architect / builder | Jerome Campbell, master carpenter (builder J.P. Van Valkenburgh) |
| Architectural style | Italianate and Eastlake (picturesque late Victorian era eclectic) |
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Marked unoccupied and vacant; shows recent neglect and deterioration but substantially intact original fabric. Being restored as a facility for the fine and performing arts. |
| Acreage | 2.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.23987, -74.36632 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 86002175.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6537825
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.