Chaumont Historic District
Why it's listed
Chaumont's historic district covers the western part of the village's Main Street and a short stretch of Washington Street in the town of Lyme, Jefferson County. It contains 23 residences, a commercial building, a Masonic hall and a church, plus carriage barns and carriage blocks. Contributing buildings date from about 1835 to 1931. The earliest are modest cottages of the mid-1830s, followed by Greek Revival houses and the 1845 Presbyterian church, later rebuilt in Gothic style in 1885. The arrival of the railroad in 1852 brought prosperity and more ambitious houses, including a rare Downingesque Gothic brick house and an Italianate palazzo-style house of 1861-2. Local Chaumont limestone appears in foundations, walks and carriage blocks, and the Copley Office Building of 1872 is limestone ashlar. Despite some porch, window and siding changes, the buildings largely retain their integrity. The district was listed for its architecture, which reflects the village's development through the nineteenth century.
Significance in brief: The district is nominated under Criterion C for architecture at the local level. It shows Chaumont's mid- to late nineteenth-century growth, especially during the railroad boom, through Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Eastlake and Queen Anne buildings. Local limestone foundations and the retained integrity of the buildings add to its value.
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 90001336, listed September 6, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Along Main St., roughly between Washington and Church Sts., Chaumont |
|---|---|
| County | Jefferson County |
| Listed | September 6, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001336 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Eastlake, and Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The Masonic Hall, the Presbyterian Church and many houses are described as contributing. Several buildings are non-contributing, including a commercial building, a 1960 trailer and modern garages. Eight non-contributing buildings are in the district. |
| Acreage | 10 |
| Coordinates | 44.06798, -76.13275 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 90001336.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5088188
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.