Blanchard House
Why it's listed
Built in 1914 at 329 Westcott Street in Syracuse, this two-story Arts and Crafts house was designed by architect Ward Wellington Ward for Orlow D. Blanchard, an executive in a hardware and building supplies firm who later led a sash, door and glass company. It sits in the M.C. Palmer Tract, laid out in 1885, among houses built between 1900 and 1925. The house is clad in dark-stained wood shingles and has a gable-on-hipped roof with wide eaves, circles within the gables, and a full-width front porch with Tuscan columns and lattice work. Inside, the living room has an inglenook with a Mercer tile fireplace flanked by leaded glass cabinets, and the principal rooms keep their original wood trim. A rear garage built between 1924 and 1938 also contributes. The house was listed as a well-preserved, representative example of Ward's residential work, even though it is one of his more modest designs.
Significance in brief: The house is significant under Criterion C as an intact and representative example of Ward Wellington Ward's residential architecture in Syracuse. It keeps signature Ward features such as circle designs in the gables, a lattice-trimmed porch, leaded glass and a Mercer tile fireplace. Although one of Ward's more modest designs, it retains integrity inside and out.
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 97000094, listed February 14, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 329 Westcott St., Syracuse |
|---|---|
| County | Onondaga County |
| Listed | February 14, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97000094 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1914-ca. 1930 |
| Architect / builder | Ward, Ward Wellington |
| Architectural style | Arts and Crafts |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a single-family dwelling; the exterior and interior are described as in good condition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Westcott-University Neighborhood Historic District |
| Coordinates | 43.04421, -76.11919 (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 97000094.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4924807
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.