Sheldon Cobblestone House
Why it's listed
This cobblestone house at 21 Mendon-Ionia Road in the hamlet of Mendon, Monroe County, was built around 1833 by a man named Sheldon, whose first name has not been established. It is a two-story, three-bay, side-hall building of variously colored field cobbles on a stone foundation. Its original six-over-six windows, stone sills and lintels, and a side entrance with half-sidelights and a delicate transom survive. The masonry is fairly vernacular, with small irregular quoins and roughly laid rows, yet the Federal detailing is relatively high-style. Inside, the room layout, staircase, panelled reveals and mantelpieces remain largely intact. A brick smokehouse of the 1830s also contributes, while a frame wing from the 1820s has been too altered to count. The house is one of ten surviving cobblestone buildings in Mendon. It was recognized for its architecture, not for any role in local agriculture, since the farm outbuildings are gone.
Significance in brief: The house is an architecturally significant example of cobblestone construction in Western New York and a distinguished example of Federal style domestic architecture in Mendon. It combines vernacular masonry with high-style Adamesque-inspired details and keeps a high degree of integrity inside and out. It is one of only ten surviving cobblestone buildings in the town.
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 96001392, listed November 29, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 21 Mendon--Ionia Rd., S of jct. with NY 251, Mendon |
|---|---|
| County | Monroe County |
| Listed | November 29, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96001392 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1833 |
| Architectural style | Early Republic; Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a single dwelling. The frame wing has been heavily altered and does not contribute, and the original farmstead has been reduced to 1.9 acres. |
| Acreage | 1.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.99691, -77.50405 (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 96001392.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7493472
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.