Coverdale Cobblestone House
Why it's listed
Built in 1837 for Isaac Barber, this cobblestone house in the town of Leicester, Livingston County, combines late Federal and Greek Revival features. It has a nearly square two-story main block under a low hip roof, a one-and-a-half-story kitchen wing and a cobblestone and frame carriage shed. The walls use closely matched field cobbles laid in horizontal rows, with finely dressed limestone quoins, sills and lintels. Inside, carved foliate window and door blocks, black marble fireplaces and a stair newel post carved in a pineapple design show a high level of craftsmanship. A deep basement has finished cobblestone walls. Barber prospered during the Genesee Valley wheat boom, but his guardians sold the property after his death in 1843. Thomas Coverdale bought it in 1853, and his family lived there until 2003. It is the only cobblestone building in Leicester and one of twenty-one in the county, which underlies its architectural significance.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a largely intact, finely crafted example of a large high-style cobblestone residence and of transitional Federal/Greek Revival architecture in Leicester. It is the only cobblestone building in the town and one of twenty-one in Livingston County. It also reflects the wheat-boom prosperity of the Genesee Valley in the 1820s and 1830s.
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 05000989, listed September 7, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2049 Coverdale Rd., Leicester |
|---|---|
| County | Livingston County |
| Listed | September 7, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000989 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1837-1954 |
| Architectural style | Federal; Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a single dwelling; the current owners were restoring the house to its historic appearance in 2005. |
| Acreage | 13.7 |
| Coordinates | 42.78473, -77.93221 (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 05000989.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5179221
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.