Bonfoy-Barstow House
Why it's listed
This house at 485 East Main Street in West Winfield was built in 1888 for David Bonfoy, his wife Helen and his daughter Roxanna. It is a two-and-a-half-story frame house with clapboard siding, a standing seam metal roof and a raised stone foundation. A rear block, added at the same time, received a second story in the 1940s to create a separate apartment. The front gable carries Eastlake-style ornament, including a spindle frieze, carved volutes and a window with multi-colored lights. Inside, the house keeps its plaster walls, moulded trim, paneled doors and a decorative stair. A carriage barn behind the house is now a garage. Marye and Gerald Barstow owned the property from 1926 to 1979, and locals still call it the Barstow House. It was listed as a modest, vernacular example of late Victorian middle-class building on the old Cherry Valley Turnpike, which is now US Route 20, with good integrity.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is locally significant as a vernacular example of middle-class late Victorian domestic architecture in West Winfield. It shows asymmetrical massing, decorative texturing and moulded surrounds, with Eastlake-influenced detailing in the front gable. The house retains good interior and exterior integrity and sits in its original turnpike setting.
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 11000595, listed August 24, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 485 E. Main St., West Winfield |
|---|---|
| County | Herkimer County |
| Listed | August 24, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000595 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1889-c1940 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (likely a local builder) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian (some Eastlake-style detailing) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a single dwelling, with a separate upstairs apartment added in the 1940s; the carriage barn has been converted to a two-car garage. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | West Winfield Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.88816, -75.18642 (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 11000595.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q3311210
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.