Tripp House and Store Complex
Why it's listed
This one-acre complex in the hamlet of Oak Hill, Durham, New York, brings together a brick house, two generations of general store and several farm outbuildings. Lewis and Philo Hickok, who bought the land in 1831, are credited with building the late Federal style brick house and the original store around 1830. Alfred Tripp purchased the property in 1846 and ran the store. After his death in 1881, his son Isaac Utter Tripp moved the old store back on the lot and built a larger Queen Anne style store in 1888. That building has a two-story porch and an intact storefront with colored and etched glass transoms. Inside, the house and stores keep original woodwork, shelving, counters, a pair of safes and early paint and wall coverings. A barn, privy, shed and corn crib complete the group. The buildings are valued for their architecture and for recording about a century and a half of commerce in Oak Hill.
Significance in brief: The complex is significant as an exceptional regional collection of residential, commercial and support buildings tied to the Hickok and later Tripp merchant families. The brick house is an outstanding example of late Federal Adam style architecture. The ca. 1830 store is a rare surviving early commercial building, and the 1888 store is one of the region's most intact Victorian-era commercial buildings.
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 01000240, listed March 12, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NY 81, Durham |
|---|---|
| County | Greene County |
| Listed | March 12, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000240 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | Ca.1830-1890 |
| Architectural style | Early Republic/Federal; Late Victorian/Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The form describes the buildings as retaining outstanding integrity. Modern heating, plumbing and electrical systems were added to the house in the late 1990s. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Oak Hill Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.41233, -74.15501 (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 01000240.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14707512
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.