Cocaigne, Nicholas, House
Also known as: Bldg. #8
Why it's listed
Built in 1839 by Nicholas Cocaigne, this limestone farmhouse sits on 102 acres along Favret Road, south of the village of Cape Vincent. Cocaigne was an immigrant from France and a founder of the Rosiere Catholic Church in 1832. The house has a one and one-half story, three-bay main block of rubble limestone, a single-story rear wing, and a gabled wooden ell. Around 1920 a pedimented porch with ten columns and a cross gable were added to the south side, giving the house a Colonial Revival look. Inside, the original wide pine floors, doors, hardware, fireplaces and trim survive. North of the house stand four late nineteenth-century wood-frame outbuildings: a gambrel-roofed barn and three small sheds, all on limestone foundations. The property was listed as a representative example of the local limestone farmhouse tradition and as an unusually intact farm complex. The document describes it as unoccupied, and the surrounding farmland as inactive.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as an intact example of the vernacular limestone building tradition used by settlers in Cape Vincent during early to mid-nineteenth-century agricultural development. It is also described as an exceptionally intact farm complex, with four outbuildings contributing to the property's character. It is one of ten nominated limestone farmhouses in the town and an early example of its type.
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 85002458, listed September 27, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Favret Rd., Cape Vincent |
|---|---|
| County | Jefferson County |
| Listed | September 27, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002458 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; builder Nicholas Cocaigne |
| Architectural style | Vernacular limestone farmhouse with early twentieth-century Colonial Revival elements |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The property is described as currently unoccupied, although the inventory section lists present use as residential. Condition is marked fair, and the surrounding agricultural land is inactive. |
| Acreage | 102.4 |
| Coordinates | 44.11634, -76.31189 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 85002458.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7025225
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.