Jackson, Samuel and Elbert, House
Why it's listed
This two-and-one-half-story, shingle-sided house on Wantagh Avenue in Wantagh, Nassau County, grew in three stages. Samuel Jackson built the oldest part around the middle of the eighteenth century: a one-and-one-half-story timber-frame wing with a central hearth, a room on each side and a sleeping loft. His descendant Elbert Jackson added a much larger Greek Revival main block in the early-to-mid nineteenth century, with a wide central stair hall, two parlors, six-panel doors and a transom-and-sidelight entrance. A kitchen wing was added in the late nineteenth century after Elbert Jackson's death in 1884, and a pedimented porch followed in the early twentieth century. The Jackson family descended from Robert Jackson, a founder of the Town of Hempstead, and held land in the area for about three centuries. The house is listed for that settlement history and for its layered vernacular architecture, which remains a reminder of the area's rural past amid suburban development.
Significance in brief: It is significant under Criterion A for its link to the settlement and evolution of the Town of Hempstead through the Jackson family, who held land in the Wantagh area for three centuries. Under Criterion C, it shows a clear progression of architecture from the mid-eighteenth to the early twentieth century with a high degree of integrity. It is also a rare surviving example of early vernacular architecture in Nassau County.
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 06000563, listed July 14, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1542 Wantagh Ave., Wantagh |
|---|---|
| County | Nassau County |
| Listed | July 14, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06000563 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1750-1930 |
| Architect / builder | Samuel Jackson (west wing); Elbert Jackson (Greek Revival main block); carpenter-builder of the main block unnamed in records |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current function are both residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Jones Beach State Park, Causeway and Parkway System |
| Coordinates | 40.68451, -73.51048 (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 06000563.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7412990
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.