Pagan-Fletcher House
Why it's listed
Located on Hendrickson Avenue in Valley Stream, this large clapboard house began as a modest mid-nineteenth century farmhouse and was later expanded into a two-story, five-bay Colonial Revival residence. Robert Pagan, a Scottish immigrant farmer, bought the property in 1841. Local records indicate the house dates to the early 1840s, and it was enlarged in 1847 with a second floor and rear kitchen wing. Pagan named the settlement Valley Stream in 1843, and his home housed the first post office. Between 1900 and 1916 the building was nearly doubled in size and given a two-story portico with Ionic columns. The east side of the interior retains Greek Revival trim and hand-hewn framing, while the west side is Colonial Revival. It is the only surviving nineteenth-century structure in the village. The village government purchased it in 1977 and is exploring its rehabilitation as a museum. The nominated parcel of under one acre is all that remains of the original Pagan farm.
Significance in brief: It is the only surviving nineteenth-century structure in Valley Stream and the earliest extant building in the village. It was the home of Robert Pagan, the area's first permanent settler, who named the settlement Valley Stream in 1843. The village's first post office was established in the house.
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 83001715, listed September 8, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 127 Hendrickson Ave., Valley Stream |
|---|---|
| County | Nassau County |
| Listed | September 8, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001715 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival (early twentieth century remodeling of a mid-nineteenth century farmhouse with Greek Revival detailing) |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the village of Valley Stream, which hopes to restore it as a local historical museum. The form lists the condition as fair and the use as vacant. The Ionic portico columns are temporarily stored inside. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.68462, -73.69740 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 83001715.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7124155
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.