Arsenal House
Also known as: Commandant's House
Why it's listed
Built around 1813-1814, the Arsenal House, also called the Commandant's House, at 514 West Dominick Street in Rome, New York, was part of a three-acre federal complex of barracks, arsenal, magazine and workshops supporting American forces in the War of 1812. Major James Dalleba of the Ordnance Department supervised construction. The brick house originally rose two and a half stories on a stone foundation, with a pediment on the main elevation, stepped walls with chimneys and a pair of oval windows at the gable end. One-story rear wings and porches were added later, and the interior retains some original mantels, door frames and a stair railing. In April 1825 the Marquis de Lafayette was escorted here during his Erie Canal tour, and the arsenal still served as a supply depot in 1833. The house was listed as an outstanding example of Federalist architecture and as a rare surviving federally built structure of the early republic. It now contains apartments.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues dual significance: the house was built by the federal government as part of a War of 1812 supply complex, and it is an outstanding example of Federalist architecture. It features stepped walls with chimneys, oval gable windows and fine proportions. It also hosted Lafayette in 1825 and served as a depot into the 1830s.
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 74001284, listed July 18, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 514 W. Dominick St., Rome |
|---|---|
| County | Oneida County |
| Listed | July 18, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74001284 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | Circa 1813-1814 (19th Century) |
| Architect / builder | Built under the supervision of Major James Dalleba of the federal Ordnance Department |
| Architectural style | Federalist |
| Areas of significance | Military, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in fair condition, altered, and used as apartments; preservation work in progress is checked on the form. |
| Coordinates | 43.21562, -75.46741 (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 74001284.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7362968
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.