Alverson-Copeland House
Why it's listed
Built around 1853 for James Alverson, a mathematics professor at Genesee College, this two-story brick house on Rochester Street in Lima combines late Greek Revival and early Italianate features. It has a cubic main block, a low hipped roof with wide eaves, cut-stone lintels and sills, and a one-and-one-half-story rear wing that gives it a T-shaped plan. Its most unusual feature is the front verandah, whose tapered columns with lotus capitals reflect Egyptian and Moorish Revival influence. Very few such porches survive in the county or region, and the design resembles a house in Rochester attributed to Henry Searle, A.J. Warner or Merwin Austin, any of whom may have designed this one. Brick was rare for Lima houses, and the interior retains moldings, mantelpieces, pocket doors and an 1854 cast-iron kitchen stove. A garage from the early twentieth century also survives. The property now occupies 1.54 acres of its former farmland.
Significance in brief: The house is significant as a distinctive example of late Greek Revival and early Italianate domestic architecture in Lima. It is built of brick, which is rare among the town's houses, and retains a high degree of integrity. Its Egyptian and Moorish Revival-inspired front porch is extremely rare in the region, and intact interior features and the garage add to its value.
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 89001133, listed August 31, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1612 Rochester St., Lima |
|---|---|
| County | Livingston County |
| Listed | August 31, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001133 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1853 - ca. 1930 |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; builder unknown, possibly H. Searle, A.J. Warner or M. Austin |
| Architectural style | Late Greek Revival / early Italianate, with Egyptian/Moorish Revival porch |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Private residence in good condition; no threats known; exterior visible from the public road. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.91459, -77.61630 (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 89001133.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4737980
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.