House at 199 Prospect Avenue
Why it's listed
Built in 1890 on a small, narrow lot along Prospect Avenue in Sea Cliff, this two-story frame house was constructed as a private summer residence during the peak of the village's development as a seaside resort. It has a slate jerkin-head roof, a projecting shed-roof dormer over the entrance porch, and spool-turned porch posts with a pedimented entrance, bargeboard, and sunburst brackets. The walls combine clapboard, board and batten, and fishscale shingles, and the windows have stained-glass borders. The exterior is virtually unaltered and the interior retains many period finishes. The house is regarded as a local landmark partly because it is identical to its neighbor at 195 Prospect Avenue. Its ornate detail on a relatively small house reflects the tastes and lifestyles of the seasonal visitors who shaped the community in the late nineteenth century. It remains a private residence.
Significance in brief: The house is considered a distinctive example of Sea Cliff's late nineteenth century summer resort architecture. It is associated with the village's rapid growth as a seaside resort. It is a well-known local landmark because of its intact appearance and because it is identical to the neighboring house at 195 Prospect Avenue.
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 88000008, listed February 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 199 Prospect Ave., Sea Cliff |
|---|---|
| County | Nassau County |
| Listed | February 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000008 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Victorian era summer resort architecture |
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a private residence; condition is listed as good, and the exterior remains virtually unaltered. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.84695, -73.65069 (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 88000008.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15225971
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.