House at 203 East 29 Street
Why it's listed
Tucked into a block of East 29th Street in Manhattan, this gambrel-roofed wooden house is a rare survivor of the vernacular building once common across New York City and its surrounding countryside. It is a braced-frame structure sheathed in wide clapboards, with windows that shrink on each higher story. The land was part of the eighteenth-century Rose Hill Farm and was divided into city lots in 1811. Between 1830 and 1850 the house was raised over a brick ground-level foundation, and a brick carriage house was added around 1870. The house served as a residence until 1902, when it began commercial use. It has since been rehabilitated as a multiple-family residence. Inside, the original stair location, some lath and plaster, recessed panels, trim and chimney fireplaces remain. The listing rests on its status as an unusual surviving example of a house type that street-grid changes and the 1835 fire largely erased from Manhattan.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a unique surviving example in mid-Manhattan of a modest wooden house typical of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It exemplifies a vernacular braced-frame type with a high-shouldered gambrel roof once common in the New York City region. Most such houses were removed for the 1811 street grid or lost in the 1835 fire.
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 82003377, listed July 8, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 203 E. 29th St., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | July 8, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003377 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1790-1870's |
| Architectural style | Vernacular wooden braced-frame house with gambrel roof |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Recently rehabilitated as a multiple-family residence; the form lists the property as occupied, with the interior described as remarkably intact. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.74250, -73.97982 (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 82003377.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5914090
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.