Vary, William L., House
Why it's listed
Built around 1885 on East Main Street in the village of Lima, this two and one-half story frame house shows the Queen Anne style at a high level. Its irregular form includes projecting bays, cross gables, oriels, a porte-cochere and porches decorated with turned posts, spindles and carved fan brackets. Fish scale and saw tooth shingles accent the clapboard walls, and a large corbelled brick chimney rises along the east wall. Inside, each room has woodwork of a different wood, including cherry, oak and birch, along with carved overmantels, pocket doors and stained glass panels on the stair landing. William L. Vary, a young farmer from a prominent local family, had it built at a reported cost of $18,000, and it is attributed to the Pierce Brothers of Honeoye Falls. It stayed in the Vary family until 1937. The house was listed for its architecture, as one of the finest and best preserved examples of high-style Queen Anne design in Lima.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a distinctive and unusually sophisticated example of Queen Anne architecture in Lima, where few intact examples survive. It retains a remarkably high level of integrity in design, craftsmanship and materials, inside and out. It also reflects the wealth and progressive taste of its farmer owner during a quiet building period in the village.
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 89001141, listed August 31, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 7378 E. Main St., Lima |
|---|---|
| County | Livingston County |
| Listed | August 31, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001141 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1885 |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; builder attributed to the Pierce Brothers of Honeoye Falls |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition rated good; in residential use, the same as its original use; no threats known. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.90595, -77.60797 (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 89001141.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8014228
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.