Constable Hall
Why it's listed
Perched on a hill above Constableville, this limestone house was built between 1810 and 1819 for William Constable Jr., whose father had been a major land speculator in northern New York. The main block has a central hall plan, a slate hip roof and one-story wings. Its east front carries a two-story pedimented portico with paired Doric columns and three-sided projecting bays, while the rear is more rustic coursed rubble. The designer is unknown, though tradition links the design to the Constable home near Dublin, Ireland. William Rees, a stone mason, and his brother James, a carpenter, helped construct it, using limestone from Talcottville. Interior woodwork is delicate but restrained, reflecting the remote location. The house stayed in the Constable family until 1948, when it was bought and restored as a museum. It holds Constable family furniture and library, and its outbuildings display tools, carriages and local history items. Its design and workmanship are described as exceptional for frontier New York.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the house surpasses many other Northern New York structures of the early nineteenth century in design and workmanship. It represents its builder's confidence in the new frontier and is an outstanding example of Federal architecture in Upstate New York. It also reflects the land-speculation history of the Macomb Purchase, which the builder's father helped acquire.
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 73001197, listed March 7, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Off NY 26, Constableville |
|---|---|
| County | Lewis County |
| Listed | March 7, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001197 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1810-19 |
| Architect / builder | Designer unknown; William Rees (stone mason) and James Rees (carpenter) helped build it for William Constable, Jr. |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition excellent; restored after 1948 and operated as a historic house museum open to the public. |
| Acreage | 22.4 |
| Coordinates | 43.56190, -75.42295 (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 73001197.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5163469
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.