Child, Jonathan, House & Brewster-Burke House Historic District
Also known as: Brewster-Burke House Historic District
Why it's listed
Two mid-nineteenth-century houses make up this small historic district in Rochester's Third Ward, once the city's most fashionable residential neighborhood. The Jonathan Child House at 37 South Washington Street was built in 1837-38 by Rochester's first mayor, a son-in-law of the city's founder, Nathaniel Rochester. It is a Greek Revival building with stuccoed stone walls, a gabled roof, carved wooden cornice and frieze, and a two-story portico with Corinthian columns. Its design has been attributed to S.P. Hastings, while architect Daniel Loomis has also been suggested. South of it, at 130 Spring Street, stands the Brewster-Burke House, an Italianate villa of local brick with Lockport limestone trim, a hipped roof, a low cupola, deep bracketed eaves, and an entrance porch carved in a Moorish style. Henry A. Brewster bought the land in 1849, and hardware merchant William Burke lived there from 1867. Together the houses illustrate changing architectural tastes.
Significance in brief: The two houses are important examples of their periods, and set side by side they show how architectural taste changed in the mid-nineteenth century. The Child House was built by Rochester's first mayor and is notable for its monumental two-story portico and detailing. The Brewster-Burke House is an important example of the Italianate villa and has become a city landmark. Both stood in what was once Rochester's most fashionable residential area.
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 71000543, listed February 18, 1971. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 37 S. Washington St. and 130 Spring St., Rochester |
|---|---|
| County | Monroe County |
| Listed | February 18, 1971 |
| Reference number | 71000543 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century; specific date given as 1837-38 |
| Architect / builder | Child House: built by Jonathan Child; design attributed to S.P. Hastings, with Daniel Loomis also suggested. Brewster-Burke House: attributed to Henry Searle or E.S. Barger. |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival (Jonathan Child House); Italianate villa (Brewster-Burke House) |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is marked good. The Child House is owned by a preservation society and leased to a research organization; the Brewster-Burke House is owned by an institute of technology. The open space between the houses is used for parking. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 43.15302, -77.61662 (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 71000543.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6272754
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.