Frisbie, Augustus, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1805 on what is now NY Route 29A in Salisbury Center, this two-story, five-bay timber-framed house was commissioned by Augustus Frisbie, a New England settler who prospered in Herkimer County. Frisbie started the area's first textile finishing mill and acquired over 400 acres. He hired local housewright Bilious Avery to build a residence suited to his standing. The house has a center-hall plan, clapboard siding, a cut limestone foundation and many multi-pane windows. It also served as a tavern, with a large first-floor taproom and a long second-floor room used for sleeping and as a ballroom. A Greek Revival entrance was added in the 1840s. After later use as a two-family home and a period of disrepair, the Salisbury Historical Society bought it in 1981 and restored it. It is the community's only remaining timber-framed residence and now operates as a local history museum.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a rare, substantially intact example of Federal-period timber-frame vernacular architecture in Salisbury Center. It is also tied to early settlement, since Frisbie was a prosperous settler who pioneered water-powered industry there. The house was built to double as a tavern and is the only surviving timber-framed residence in a community that lost many early wooden buildings to two fires.
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 99001487, listed December 9, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NY 29A, Salisbury Center |
|---|---|
| County | Herkimer County |
| Listed | December 9, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99001487 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1805-ca. 1845 |
| Architect / builder | Bilious Avery (builder) |
| Architectural style | Early Republic/Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Exploration/Settlement |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned since 1981 by the Salisbury Historical Society, which has carried out a long-term rehabilitation; it now serves as a local history museum and hosts public programs. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 43.14288, -74.78663 (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 99001487.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4821427
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.