Payne Cobblestone House
Why it's listed
This cobblestone farmhouse on Federal Road in Conesus, Livingston County, was built in the mid to late 1830s, probably by Bethnel Payne, who may have built it before gaining title to the land in December 1838. The main block is one story and five bays wide, with a gable roof and a one-and-one-half story frame wing. Its walls are laid with field cobbles in horizontal rows, with sandstone quoins, sills and lintels. The finest masonry is on the west façade, and the rear wall is random fieldstone. Inside, a central vestibule is flanked by the original kitchen and a parlor, and the simple Greek Revival woodwork is unpainted black walnut. The property later passed to George F. Coe, who granted a railroad right-of-way in 1852. Two culverts and an embankment from that line survive on the parcel. The house is listed for its architecture as an intact Early Period cobblestone farmhouse, one of twenty-one in Livingston County.
Significance in brief: The house is nominated as a highly intact example of Early Period cobblestone construction and vernacular farmhouse planning in northern Livingston County. It keeps a high degree of integrity of design, materials and craftsmanship, including simple black walnut Greek Revival woodwork. It is one of only two cobblestone buildings in the Town of Conesus and one of twenty-one in Livingston County.
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 06000969, listed November 1, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 5813 Federal Rd., Conesus |
|---|---|
| County | Livingston County |
| Listed | November 1, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06000969 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1835 - ca. 1955 |
| Architect / builder | Probably built by Bethnel Payne |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently in use as a single dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.73586, -77.66383 (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 06000969.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7156814
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.