House at 251 Rocklyn Avenue
Why it's listed
This farmhouse at the corner of Rocklyn and Earle Avenues in Lynbrook, Nassau County, grew in stages from a late-eighteenth-century core into a suburban residence. The oldest section, a one-and-one-half-story wing built around 1793, was joined by a two-story center section in the mid-nineteenth century, which brought matching Greek Revival details such as brackets and a frieze band. Late-nineteenth and early-twentieth-century additions included rental space, porches with square Doric columns, and a sun porch, now a den. The wood-clapboard house sits on a brick foundation. It was part of a farm held by the Brower family from the 1870s, which was sold in 1904 and subdivided into building lots as the area changed from farmland to a commuter suburb. The house kept its last bit of the farm's land and survives as a rare link to the village's rural beginnings, valued both for its vernacular Greek Revival character and its place in local development.
Significance in brief: The house is significant under Criterion C as a representative of vernacular Greek Revival architecture on Long Island, with an older core updated by later additions. It is also significant under Criterion A as the last physical remnant of a farm that was subdivided during the early twentieth-century real estate boom that turned Lynbrook from a rural community into a suburb. It is described as a rare survivor from the village's early 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 07001454, listed September 15, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 251 Rocklyn Ave., Lynbrook |
|---|---|
| County | Nassau County |
| Listed | September 15, 2008 |
| Reference number | 07001454 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1793-1938 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival; Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a residence, with part of the house previously converted to rental space. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.65404, -73.66490 (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 07001454.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5914169
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.