Osburn, Mrs., House
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built around 1850 beside Squirmer Valley Creek in the hamlet of Oak Hill, this timber frame building combined a home with a small manufacturing space. It has five bays across and three deep, clapboard siding, a low hipped roof and six-over-six windows. A three-story porch spans the south facade, and the south wall rests directly on the creek's stone banks. Inside, the upper floors follow a center-hall, single-pile plan with Greek Revival finishes. A heavy-timber storage barn of the same era stands behind it. Oak Hill grew into an industrial center in the 19th century, with iron foundries and makers of small metal goods. The house was built next to the S. B. Smith Iron Works, and the foundries and other buildings of that complex have since disappeared. It is the last intact industrial building from that core. Its austere design reflects its practical origins, and it was listed for its architecture and its link to the hamlet's industrial past.
Significance in brief: The building is an intact local example of mid-19th-century combined residential and industrial architecture, and it served as both a manufacturing site and a residence. It is the last intact industrial building from Oak Hill's once-thriving manufacturing core. It keeps a high degree of architectural integrity, including Greek Revival finishes.
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 01001390, listed December 28, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 7872 NY 81, Durham |
|---|---|
| County | Greene County |
| Listed | December 28, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01001390 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca.1850 |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century / Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently in use as a single dwelling; the form reports a high degree of architectural integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Oak Hill Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.41197, -74.15412 (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 01001390.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6929838
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.