Pierrepont Manor Complex
Also known as: William Constable Pierrepont House
Why it's listed
Five wooden buildings along Ellisburg Street north of Mannsville make up this district, all built between 1822 and 1856 for William Constable Pierrepont. The manor house and carriage barn (1826) and the land office (1822) stand on the south side of the street, while Zion Episcopal Church (1836) and its board-and-batten parish hall (1856) face them on the north. Pierrepont arrived at age nineteen to manage his family's North Country lands, and from this base he directed settlement and development across southern Jefferson and northwestern Lewis Counties. He also served as town supervisor, assemblyman and president of the Watertown and Rome Railroad. The buildings are restrained examples of early Federal design, with later Gothic and Queen Anne touches on the church and parish hall. Together they show how an influential but isolated family lived and worked on the northern New York frontier, and they survive as a rare example of a manorial enclave in the region.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the group is an important survival of a self-sufficient rural manorial enclave in the North Country frontier. From here Pierrepont directed settlement and economic development across southern Jefferson and northwestern Lewis Counties. The buildings are vernacular examples of Federal and later picturesque Gothic styles, reflecting function rather than distinguished design.
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 77000943, listed September 15, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | N of Mannsville on Ellisburg St., Mannsville |
|---|---|
| County | Jefferson County |
| Listed | September 15, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77000943 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1822-1856 |
| Architect / builder | Built for William Constable Pierrepont; no architect named |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Federal, with Gothic and Queen Anne Revival elements in the church and parish house |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition given as good to fair, with the manor house altered; the manor is a private residence, and the church and parish house remain in religious use. |
| Acreage | 9 |
| Coordinates | 43.73424, -76.06090 (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 77000943.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7192548
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.