Stanley House
Why it's listed
Built about 1857 on East Main Street in the village of Lima, this two-story frame house has a three-bay, hip-roofed main block, a one-story west wing, and rear wings. Clapboard siding, a limestone-faced foundation, a wide frieze with cast-iron attic grilles, fluted Doric porch columns and a deeply recessed, bead-and-reel doorway mark it as Greek Revival, while its cubic massing shows Italianate influence. The interior keeps original surrounds, doors, grained woodwork and an open stair. A mid-nineteenth-century carriage barn and privy also survive. Clinton Backus began the house in 1857 and sold it to Daniel Stanley within a year. Later occupants included the Grover and Gale families. It was listed as an example of the high-style, village-oriented homes built for prosperous merchants, professionals and gentleman farmers when Lima grew rapidly around the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary. It stood across from the similar J. Franklin Peck House and helped establish the neighborhood as an exclusive enclave.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to be a distinctive, relatively sophisticated example of Greek Revival domestic architecture in Lima, with Italianate influence in its cubic, hip-roofed form. It helped establish East Main Street as an exclusive residential enclave and reflects mid-century village-oriented housing for prosperous middle-class owners. Its highly intact interior and surviving carriage barn and privy add to its significance.
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 89001129, listed August 31, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 7364 E. Main St., Lima |
|---|---|
| County | Livingston County |
| Listed | August 31, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001129 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1857 |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; builder attributed to Clinton Backus and Daniel Stanley |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition rated good; in use as a private residence, with original site and high interior integrity. |
| Acreage | 2.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.90557, -77.60881 (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 89001129.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7599687
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.