Frey House
,_Palatine_Bridge_(Montgomery_County,_New_York).jpg){kind=link}
Why it's listed
Overlooking the Mohawk River from a rise on West Grand Street in Palatine Bridge, this two-story limestone house was built in 1808 by Henry Frey on land his family had held since the early eighteenth century. Its five-bay, center-hall plan, ashlar front wall, cut-stone quoins and pedimented porch reflect Georgian and Federal design, and the interior keeps carved mantels, paneled shutters and plaster detail. Stone came from an adjacent family quarry. A stonemason named T. Gould is named on the date stone, and a calling card found behind a mantel points to Giles Bishop as a possible woodcarver. Later owner Samuel Ludlow Frey, an antiquarian and woodcarver, altered the house and carved a mantel in 1901. The 8.9-acre property also holds a 1882 kitchen wing, a ca. 1930 garage, a nineteenth-century lime kiln from the family's quarry business, and a walled family cemetery. The house is recognized for its architecture and its exceptionally intact condition.
Significance in brief: The house is significant as a distinguished and highly intact example of formal Georgian/Federal residential architecture in the Mohawk Valley, with unusually refined stonework and interior woodwork. It is also tied to Samuel Ludlow Frey, an amateur archeologist, antiquarian, woodcarver and historian who lived there in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The lime kiln and Frey family cemetery add to its story.
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 02001644, listed December 31, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NY 5, Palatine Bridge |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | December 31, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02001644 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1808-1924 |
| Architect / builder | T. Gould (probable stonemason); Giles Bishop (possible carver of woodwork) |
| Architectural style | Early Republic / Georgian, Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a single-family dwelling; the form describes a recent rehabilitation. |
| Acreage | 8.9 |
| Within district | Palatine Bridge Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.91195, -74.58391 (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 02001644.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5503285
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.