Brick House
Why it's listed
Built in the 1860s on Rippleton Road southwest of Cazenovia village, the Brick House is a two-story brick farmhouse in the Italianate style. It has a square main block with two brick wings, a low hipped roof with a cupola, and paired brackets under broad eaves. Details come from several styles: stone lintels recall Greek Revival, the corbelled brick frieze reflects Romanesque Revival, and the pierced woodwork of the entrance hood and porch brackets shows Eastlake influence. Brick was rare for local houses, which were mostly built of wood. The property also records a change in local farming. Part of the building once held a cheese factory, which was converted to living space when the north wing was added in the mid-1870s. The farm later turned to dairying, maple syrup and cider. Only 3.4 acres remain of the original farmstead, and the interior still has molded woodwork and marble mantelpieces. It was listed for its architecture and its link to local dairy history.
Significance in brief: The house is a distinctive and somewhat unusual Italianate farmhouse that blends Greek Revival, Romanesque Revival and Eastlake details. It is also a rare surviving brick building in Cazenovia, where wood was the usual residential material. It reflects the town's shift to large-scale dairy farming, since part of it once housed a locally important cheese factory.
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 87001863, listed February 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 3318 Rippleton Rd., Cazenovia |
|---|---|
| County | Madison County |
| Listed | February 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 87001863 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a residence, as originally; condition rated fair, with integrity of original site and no known threats. |
| Acreage | 3.4 |
| Coordinates | 42.90624, -75.87230 (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 87001863.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4965912
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.