Norton, Rev. Asahel, Homestead
Why it's listed
This two-story wood-frame farmhouse, built around 1797 on a hillside overlooking the Oriskany Creek Valley near Clinton, was the home of Reverend Asahel Strong Norton. It has a central-hall, five-bay plan, clapboard siding, a limestone foundation and a gable roof with modest cornice returns. Later changes include Greek Revival and post-Civil War window and door updates, a staircase from the 1860s and an early twentieth-century porch, yet the original plan, room dimensions and Federal woodwork and mantels survive. A post-and-beam barn, chicken coop, well and orchard remain on the eight-acre parcel, which once held about 80 acres. Norton arrived in 1792, served as pastor of the Clinton Congregational Church until 1833, helped found Hamilton-Oneida Academy in 1793, later Hamilton College, and introduced new grain and fruit varieties to the region. The property stayed in the Norton family as a working farm until 1920.
Significance in brief: The homestead is tied to Reverend Asahel Norton, an original Kirkland settler, the first minister in the region and founder of the Clinton Congregational Church. He was also a founder of Hamilton College and an early agricultural experimenter and pomologist. The house, outbuildings and landscape retain the character of a settlement-period homestead despite later updates.
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 85001546, listed July 11, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Norton Rd., Kirkland |
|---|---|
| County | Oneida County |
| Listed | July 11, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001546 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1798 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Federal |
| Areas of significance | Education, Exploration/Settlement |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence; condition listed as excellent and altered, on its original site. It is no longer a working farm. |
| Acreage | 8 |
| Coordinates | 43.06432, -75.41816 (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 85001546.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7317669
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.