Harding, Stephen, House
Why it's listed
This small cottage at 182 14th Avenue in Sea Cliff, New York, was built in 1878 by Stephen Harding, a Brooklyn carpenter and builder who became a photographer. It is a one-and-one-half-story wood house with a steep front gable, clapboard siding, fish-scale shingles and a full-width porch rebuilt in 1999 from early photographs. Balloon framing and beadboard interior surfaces reflect its purpose as an economical summer residence. Sea Cliff began in 1871 as a Methodist camp meeting ground, and Harding's house is one of fourteen known homes surviving from that era, when tents gave way to cottages arranged around parks and worship areas. Harding belonged to the camp association and photographed its activities, participants and the village, operating a studio in the west portion of the house that continued beyond the camp period. The house is recognized for its link to this social history and for its modest Queen Anne-influenced design, with a significance period of 1878 to 1911.
Significance in brief: It is one of fourteen known houses in Sea Cliff surviving from the Methodist Camp Meeting Era (1871-1884), and Harding documented the camp community as a photographer from a studio in the house. It also reflects modest Queen Anne-influenced vernacular design and balloon-frame construction typical of seasonal cottages of the period.
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 11000597, listed August 24, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 182 14th Ave., Sea Cliff |
|---|---|
| County | Nassau County |
| Listed | August 24, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000597 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1878-1911 |
| Architect / builder | Stephen Harding |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a residence; the porch was rebuilt in 1999 from historic photographs and rear additions were made around 1999. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.85035, -73.64903 (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 11000597.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q23091753
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.