Anthony, Susan B., House
Why it's listed
Susan B. Anthony lived for forty years in this two-story brick house at 17 Madison Street in Rochester, New York. Built in 1845, it has a wood trim, a steep shingled gable roof, a basement and an attic. A front section with a side hall plan joins a slightly narrower, lower rear section holding the dining room, kitchen and bedrooms. Anthony's study sits above the back parlor, and the attic rooms served as study and office space. The house remained a private residence until 1945, when a memorial corporation acquired it and adapted it as a museum. Donated belongings, including furnishings, clothing and the front parlor lace curtains, many of them hers, fill the rooms. Little has changed structurally; only utilities and the kitchen were modernized. The property matters because Anthony was a central leader of the woman's rights movement in the later nineteenth century, organizing petition drives, helping found a national suffrage association and working for the vote. The house is the place most closely tied to her life.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the house is significant for its association with Susan B. Anthony, a leading figure in the nineteenth-century woman's rights movement. It served as her home for forty years and is relatively unchanged from the time she lived there. It is maintained as a memorial in her honor.
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 66000528, listed October 15, 1966. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 17 Madison St., Rochester |
|---|---|
| County | Monroe County |
| Listed | October 15, 1966 |
| Reference number | 66000528 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1866-1906 |
| Areas of significance | Social History |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated June 23, 1965 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Maintained as a house-museum by the Susan B. Anthony Memorial Corporation since 1945; the basement is the only area not kept as part of the museum. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Madison Square-West Main Street Historic District |
| Coordinates | 43.15319, -77.62807 (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 66000528.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7647528
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.