Roosevelt, James Alfred, Estate
Also known as: Yellowbanks
Why it's listed
Yellowbanks is a Shingle Style country house on twelve acres above Oyster Bay, close to Sagamore Hill on Long Island's north shore. James Alfred Roosevelt commissioned architect Bruce Price to design it as a family summer house in 1881, and he named it for the forsythia on the slopes down to the bay. The house has a gambrel roof, shingled walls banded with clapboard, and a central hall with a marble fireplace and stick-style staircase. Price considered it a successful adaptation of his ideas to an irregular lot, and it was his only Long Island house. Three generations of Roosevelts lived there, a family whose business moved from plate glass into banking, investment and cable financing. The house was altered in the twentieth century, with porch changes, a demolished kitchen wing, a 1950s garage and a 1970s pool house. It is valued as a late nineteenth-century summer residence and as part of the Roosevelt enclave at Oyster Bay.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is both historically and architecturally significant. It is a major example of Bruce Price's Shingle Style work and his only Long Island house. It also housed three generations of Roosevelts who contributed to American commerce and banking, and it forms part of a group of Roosevelt-related buildings in Oyster Bay.
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 79001592, listed May 17, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 360 Cove Neck Rd., Cove Neck |
|---|---|
| County | Nassau County |
| Listed | May 17, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001592 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1881 |
| Architect / builder | Bruce Price |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style |
| Areas of significance | Economics, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a private residence; the form lists it as occupied and altered, in good condition, with additions and removals over the years. |
| Acreage | 12.2 |
| Coordinates | 40.88419, -73.50791 (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 79001592.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6128588
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.