Shore Farm
Why it's listed
Shore Farm occupies a sloping 114-acre site above Black River Bay, just outside Sackets Harbor. Its main house began as a ca. 1822 limestone farmhouse built for the Luff family, early millers in the area. About 1895, Nathaniel Wardwell of Watertown added a shingled, wood frame upper story and wing in the Colonial Revival style, wrapping the house in a two-story veranda and using the old stone story as its base. His son later revived farming, and in 1922 a gambrel-roof cattle barn was raised from a James Way plan, with a clay tile silo beside it. A former playhouse served as a milk house until about 1945. Nine cottages and cabins near the shore, some from a summer camp run between 1930 and 1946, are considered non-contributing. The property is notable as a farm that evolved into a lakeshore estate while keeping modern agricultural practices.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farm is architecturally significant for its Colonial Revival seasonal house built atop an earlier stone farmhouse, and for a documented 'James Way' plank truss dairy barn. Together the buildings show the shift from a working farm to a lakeshore estate run by a 'gentleman farmer'. It is also tied to the Luff family, early millers in the county, and the Wardwell family.
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 89001623, listed October 18, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Military Rd., E of Mill Creek, Hounsfield |
|---|---|
| County | Jefferson County |
| Listed | October 18, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001623 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good; still used as a residence, with a seasonal family compound of cottages and cabins on the shore. |
| Acreage | 114 |
| Coordinates | 43.95876, -76.10325 (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 89001623.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7501296
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.