Taylor, Emma Flower, Mansion
Why it's listed
Built in 1896-1897 at what is now 241 Clinton Street in Watertown, this massive Queen Anne mansion was a wedding gift from Roswell Pettibone Flower to his daughter Emma, who married John Taylor. The New York City firm Lamb & Rich designed it, and local contractor Patrick Phillips oversaw construction. Walls are rock-faced Medina sandstone, hand-cut on site, beneath a steeply pitched tiled roof with many dormers, a conical-roofed tower, wraparound porches and a porte-cochere. A kitchen wing was commissioned in 1900. The nomination notes that few Queen Anne houses were built mainly of masonry, and that architect Charles Rich mixed in Shingle Style and Richardsonian Romanesque details, including hipped dormers and a round-arched entrance. In 1940 the house became eight apartments, with care taken to keep woodwork, fireplaces, coffered ceilings and other interior features. The property once covered nearly three acres and now occupies 1.2 acres.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the mansion is a high-style, architect-designed example of Queen Anne architecture, a type rarely built in masonry and seldom surviving. It also blends Shingle Style and Richardsonian Romanesque elements into a distinctive design by Charles Rich. It was built as a wedding gift from Roswell Pettibone Flower for his daughter Emma and her husband John Taylor, a local utilities figure.
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 02001114, listed October 10, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 241 Clinton St., Watertown |
|---|---|
| County | Jefferson County |
| Listed | October 10, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02001114 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Lamb & Rich (architects, New York City); Patrick Phillips (local contractor) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/Queen Anne |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Converted in 1940 into eight luxury apartments; the form lists current use as multiple dwelling and describes the building as retaining a high level of integrity. |
| Acreage | 1.2 |
| Coordinates | 43.97231, -75.91743 (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 02001114.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5372799
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.