Collins, Jonathan C., House and Cemetery
Why it's listed
This nominated property consists of a Federal style farmhouse and a separate family cemetery on West Road near Constableville, Lewis County. Jonathan C. Collins, a Revolutionary War veteran from Connecticut, bought 355 acres in 1797 and completed the two and one-half story frame house in 1802. A salt box wing added in 1803 held a kitchen and a small tavern divided by a massive beehive oven. Inside, the main block keeps its wide plank floors, wainscoting, doors, hardware and some stencilled wall decoration. Collins served as first town supervisor of Turin, a county judge and a presidential elector, and founded the first Masonic lodge in the North Country, which met at his home. The cemetery holds about thirty markers dating from 1793 to 1943, including finely carved grave covers for Jonathan and Sarah Collins. The farm buildings are gone, so only the house and cemetery were included, as they retain a high degree of integrity.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as a rare, intact example of a substantial Federal period residence reflecting the Yankee building tradition in the North Country. It is also tied to Jonathan Collins, a Revolutionary War veteran who held many local offices and founded the area's first Masonic lodge in the house. The cemetery is significant as an intact burying ground with representative nineteenth-century funerary art.
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 88002137, listed November 9, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | West Rd., Constableville |
|---|---|
| County | Lewis County |
| Listed | November 9, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002137 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Jonathan C. Collins |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence; the cemetery is owned and maintained by the village. All historic farm outbuildings have been demolished. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 43.56876, -75.42015 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 88002137.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14706701
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.