Cox, Isaac, Cobblestone Farmstead
Also known as: Letson Farm
Why it's listed
Set on a rise above the Genesee Valley in Wheatland, this 26-acre farmstead centers on a cobblestone house begun in 1838 by Isaac Cox, a Quaker settler who prospered growing wheat and running mills. The house has a two-story, five-bay center block with three-bay wings, small uniform cobbles laid in horizontal rows, cut stone trim, and finely crafted Federal woodwork inside. Cox designed it as a double house, with two apartments sharing a central stair hall. Behind it stand two gambrel-roofed Wells truss barns from 1897, an earlier barn with a pig sty and corn crib from about 1892, and a reconstructed smokehouse. A short section of the original cobblestone wall survives along River Road. Together the buildings show how farming changed through the nineteenth century, including the rise of dairying. The house is also regarded as an outstanding example of cobblestone construction in New York State.
Significance in brief: The house is a finely crafted, highly intact example of cobblestone construction and of late Federal style architecture in Wheatland. The farm complex, with its two 1897 Wells truss barns, pig sty/corn crib and smokehouse, illustrates the evolution of nineteenth-century farming in the northern Genesee Valley.
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 03000092, listed March 7, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 5015 River Rd., Scottsville |
|---|---|
| County | Monroe County |
| Listed | March 7, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000092 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1838-1897 |
| Architect / builder | Isaac Cox (builder); Wells barns developed by John Talcott Wells, Sr. |
| Architectural style | Early Republic: Federal (vernacular late Federal cobblestone) |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The house was abandoned after a 1962 sale, then rehabilitated by a later owner from 1966 onward; it is now a single dwelling and the land remains in agricultural use. |
| Acreage | 26 |
| Coordinates | 42.99532, -77.74485 (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 03000092.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14706563
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.