Sacket, General, House
Also known as: Bldg. #20
Why it's listed
Built between 1872 and 1875 on James Street in Cape Vincent, this twenty-five room mansion was the summer home of Brigadier General Delos Bennett Sacket, a village native and West Point graduate who served in the Mexican War and the Civil War and later as an Inspector General. The three-story main block has a mansard roof of fish-scale slate, round-headed dormers, molded cornices with paired brackets, and pedimented window hoods. A rear wing is an earlier nineteenth-century house that Sacket incorporated as a service wing. Inside, an ornately carved oak staircase, plaster ceiling medallions, Greek-pattern cornices and marble fireplaces survive. The original two-story carriage house stands south of the house. Sacket hired Fred A. Johnson as estate manager, and greenhouses once supplied flowers for urns along Broadway. The house is described as the largest and most elaborate residence of its time in Cape Vincent, and as the town's finest high-style Second Empire example.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an intact, high-style example of Second Empire architecture and the most refined of its type in Cape Vincent. It is also tied to its original owner, General Delos Bennett Sacket, a Cape Vincent native and Army officer. The property reflects his wealth and the influence of Victorian styles in the town.
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 85002464, listed September 27, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 4407 James St., Cape Vincent |
|---|---|
| County | Jefferson County |
| Listed | September 27, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85002464 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; builder Fred A. Johnson (Estate Manager) |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Residential use, both originally and at the time of the form; condition described as good. Most iron cresting was removed and porch posts replaced in 1980, and vinyl siding was added in 1980. |
| Acreage | 3.6 |
| Coordinates | 44.12180, -76.33071 (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 85002464.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5532165
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.