House at 58 Eighteenth Avenue
Why it's listed
Built in 1893 as a boarding house, this two-story, three-bay clapboard building on 18th Avenue in Sea Cliff served the village's growing summer population. Sea Cliff was then at the height of its resort development and drew many visitors from the New York City area, so boarding houses and hotels were common. The house has a low cross-gable roof and a symmetrical composition. Its two-tiered front porch carries a spindle frieze, scrollsawn corner braces and spindle balustrades, with a small central gable decorated in fishscale shingles. Fishscale shingles and trusswork also decorate the other gable ends. The interior keeps French doors, a marble fireplace, exposed beams and an oak stairway. The only exterior change was removal of a west-side balcony in the late 1960s. As Sea Cliff became a year-round residential community, many hotels and boarding houses were demolished. This is one of a small group that remain, and it recalls the tastes of the late nineteenth century resort.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is architecturally significant as a distinguished late nineteenth century summer house that shows Sea Cliff's original character as a vacation resort. It was built as a boarding house during the village's resort peak and is one of a small group of surviving boarding houses. It keeps its picturesque Victorian-era appearance and decorative porch.
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 88000002, listed February 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 58 Eighteenth Ave., Sea Cliff |
|---|---|
| County | Lewis County |
| Listed | February 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000002 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian-era design and details |
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now a private residence in excellent condition; the only exterior alteration was removal of a deteriorated west-side balcony in the late 1960s. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.84685, -73.64998 (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 88000002.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5914420
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.