Perry, Stuart and William Swezey Houses
Also known as: Riverview; The Three Islands; Green Tea Cup Inn; Villa Newlife
Why it's listed
Two limestone villas stand side by side on Main Street in Newport, Herkimer County, overlooking West Canada Creek. Built in the later 1840s for Stuart Perry and William Swezey, they follow plans by New York City architect Alexander Jackson Davis. Each combines gable and hipped-roof blocks with a three-story entrance tower, broad bracketed eaves, bay windows and porches. Walls are rough-hewn local limestone laid in random ashlar. Inside, asymmetrical plans centre on a stair hall with an elegant curving staircase lit by a skylight, along with plaster cornices, marble mantels and original paneled shutters. The Swezey house is slightly larger, with an extra hipped-roof block. Because the two were built together and closely resemble each other, changes to one can be understood by studying the other. Both later served as restaurants, and some lost porch details have been restored. The houses retain a high degree of integrity and are valued as a notable pair of mid-nineteenth-century villas by a leading architect of the period.
Significance in brief: The houses are presented as a well-preserved pair of mid-19th-century Italian villas designed contemporaneously by a major antebellum architect, A.J. Davis. Their related design, plan and finish let each be interpreted as originally built, and they retain original interior features such as curving skylit staircases. They are argued to be a noteworthy example of mid-19th-century domestic architecture in the Mohawk Valley.
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 12000982, listed November 28, 2012. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 7541 & 7551 Main St., Newport |
|---|---|
| County | Herkimer County |
| Listed | November 28, 2012 |
| Reference number | 12000982 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Alexander Jackson Davis (architect) |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century: Italian Villa |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce, Invention, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Both houses are described as single dwellings; the Perry and Swezey houses were operated as restaurants in the 1920s, and a small limestone building behind the Swezey house is now used as a guest house. |
| Acreage | 8.6 |
| Coordinates | 43.19245, -75.01878 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 12000982.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q23091995
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.