Waterman-Gramps House
Why it's listed
At the dead end of School Street in Nelliston stands a small stone house of coursed rubble with cut stone lintels and sills. Its gable and entrance face the street, and limestone steps lead to a recessed front door of Greek Revival inspiration. Inside are hand-hewn beams, a stone cistern in the cellar, and a simple off-center plan with an entrance hall, one large room and two small rooms downstairs, and two rooms in the half story above. A wooden kitchen and porch were added on the south side, and a separate frame house from the 1960s is attached to the north. The Waterman family, carpenters and builders who later made more substantial village homes, built the cottage in the 1860s, apparently as rental housing for a workman's family. It is the only known village example of a post-mid-century stone residence, and its fieldstone construction adds to understanding of stone use in the area.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the cottage has historical and architectural importance. It represents modest rental housing for workmen's families built as the village expanded in the 1860s. It is the only known village example of a post-mid-century stone residence, built of roughly coursed fieldstone rather than uniform cut stone.
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 80002660, listed September 27, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | School St., Nelliston |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | September 27, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80002660 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Waterman family, carpenters and builders |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival inspiration (recessed front door); simple vernacular stone cottage |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.93692, -74.61206 (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 80002660.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7974323
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.