Phelps, Stephen, House
Why it's listed
Set on a 39-acre parcel on Penfield Road east of Rochester, this farmhouse was built between about 1814 and 1817 and is described as the earliest intact dwelling in the Town of Penfield. The frame house has a two-story, five-bay main block with a center entrance, flanked by smaller one-and-a-half story wings added in stages. Original trim, wide-board floors, plaster walls, stairways and finely crafted pedimented lintels survive inside. A contributing barn complex stands nearby, and open meadows remain behind the house. Seth Antisdale built the house before Stephen Phelps of Canaan, Connecticut, bought the land in 1817. Phelps farmed there and became known as a cheese maker, and his family lived on the property until 1909. The house was listed for its architecture, as a well-preserved example of plain, functional Federal design from the settlement period in western New York.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a remarkably intact example of settlement-period rural domestic architecture in western New York, with a symmetrical main block, plain trim and finely crafted pedimented window and door details. It is described as the earliest intact dwelling in Penfield. The barn and open fields are cited as rare reminders of the town's agricultural heritage.
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 94001635, listed February 2, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2701 Penfield Rd., Penfield |
|---|---|
| County | Monroe County |
| Listed | February 2, 1995 |
| Reference number | 94001635 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1814-1817 |
| Architectural style | Early Republic; Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling; the form reports high integrity, with the kitchen and rear addition remodelled. |
| Acreage | 40 |
| Coordinates | 43.12730, -77.39196 (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 94001635.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7610241
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.