Bixby, Constant Riley W., House
Why it's listed
Set on 69.8 acres of open farmland on Carmen Road in Hartland, this cobblestone farmhouse was built about 1845-50 for Constant Riley W. Bixby, who came from Vermont in 1839 and farmed the land until his death in 1889. The one-and-one-half-story house has a three-bay front, a deeply recessed central doorway with a massive stone lintel, Greek Revival fretwork and denticulation in its wide entablatures, and sandstone quoins at the corners. Its walls use smooth, evenly colored, lake-washed cobblestones laid in horizontal rows with carefully tooled V-joints, a refined example of the Middle Period of cobblestone building. It is one of about nine cobblestone buildings surveyed in Hartland. Two large late-nineteenth-century barns remain beside the road and help preserve the agricultural setting. Later owners, the Cassett and Shannon families, kept the property in farming into the late twentieth century. Although the interior and the south wing have been altered, the cobblestone block retains its character.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an outstanding example of cobblestone construction in Hartland, typical of the sophisticated Middle Period (ca. 1835-1845) of the technique. It uses smooth, evenly colored, lake-washed cobblestones, tooled V-joints, and stone quoins, lintels and sills. The surviving farm and barns also reflect the agricultural history of rural Niagara 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 02001333, listed November 15, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2888 Carmen Rd., Hartland |
|---|---|
| County | Niagara County |
| Listed | November 15, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02001333 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1845-ca. 1900 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century: Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Single dwelling in current use; the farm is inactive and the barns are slightly deteriorated. The interior has lost much of its original decorative fabric, and the south frame wing is heavily altered. |
| Acreage | 69.8 |
| Coordinates | 43.25681, -78.49259 (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 02001333.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5163635
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.