Tall Pines
Why it's listed
Tall Pines is a farmhouse on Ridge Road, about a mile north of Cazenovia village, built around 1835 and later enlarged. Its original block is a two-story, three-bay clapboard frame structure on a stone foundation, with a gable roof, cornice returns and a center entrance framed by slender pilasters and a molded entablature. A rear wing thought to date from the 1860s and an early twentieth-century addition with former sleeping porches were added over time. A late nineteenth-century guest house also survives. The property is considered significant as a late, vernacular example of Federal style architecture, built when Greek Revival designs were already common locally. Its changes reflect the shift from working farm to suburban residence as Cazenovia Lake grew popular as a summer resort. Local tradition names the house for the pines around it, and it is believed to have been built by William or Seth Haight. Little original interior fabric remains beyond floorboards in the 1860s wing.
Significance in brief: It is argued to be a representative example of vernacular Federal style rural farmhouse architecture in the town of Cazenovia, and an unusually late one built when Greek Revival was already established. Its additions and guest house show the change from working farm to suburban summer-resort residence. The house also holds information about rural building traditions in the first half of the nineteenth century.
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 87001875, listed November 2, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Ridge Rd., Cazenovia |
|---|---|
| County | Madison County |
| Listed | November 2, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87001875 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect and builder unknown; believed built by William or Seth Haight |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Federal |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residence, condition good; the guest house is used as storage. |
| Acreage | 2.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.95103, -75.85614 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 87001875.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7679951
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.