House at 9 Locust Place
Why it's listed
Built around 1880 on Locust Place in Sea Cliff, this large two-story house served as a summer residence for John Pirie, who later became a village trustee from 1883 to 1886. It was constructed as the village was changing from a rustic camp meeting ground into a built-up resort within commuting distance of New York City. The wood frame house has a cross-gable roof, an asymmetrical plan, clapboard and shingle sheathing, corbelled brick chimneys, picturesque bargeboards, a large two-story bay window and a two-story porch. A tower and porch added on the west side in 1978 are considered non-historic, but the interior keeps pine and oak wainscoting, an oak staircase and four brick fireplaces. A brick carriage house with a slate hipped roof also survives at the rear. The property was listed because it illustrates the prosperity and architectural tastes of Sea Cliff's affluent summer residents during the height of resort development.
Significance in brief: The house is considered architecturally significant as a distinguished Victorian-era summer house that reflects the character and prosperity of Sea Cliff's nineteenth-century resort development. Its asymmetrical plan, varied sheathing, gables, tall chimneys, two-story bay window, two-story porch and wooden ornamentation are typical of the village's late Victorian resort architecture. It retains a high level of integrity.
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 88000030, listed February 18, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 9 Locust Pl., Sea Cliff |
|---|---|
| County | Nassau County |
| Listed | February 18, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000030 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect and builder unknown; built for John Pirie |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne (embellished Victorian-era summer house) |
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a private residence; condition rated good. Exterior alterations include an enclosed porch (c. 1960), a front verandah (1977) and a west-side tower and porch (1978). |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.84452, -73.65098 (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 88000030.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15225993
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.