Gridley, John, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1812 of native Onondaga limestone, this two-story house with basement and attic stands on East Seneca Turnpike in Syracuse. It has crow-stepped gables with paired brick chimneys, a Federal style front entry with slender engaged columns, and elliptical attic windows. Inside are seven fireplaces with original mantels, original woodwork, pine plank floors, iron cranes in two cooking fireplaces and a beehive bake oven. The house is one of the few survivors of the frontier settlement of Onondaga Hollow, which predates Syracuse by more than 30 years. Of three important stone buildings there, the Arsenal, this house and the Academy, only the house remains substantially intact, and it was the only residence. It is one of few New York examples of the turnpike step-gabled house and was one of three Syracuse buildings recorded in the 1935 Historic American Buildings Survey. The form also notes a high probability of archaeological remains nearby.
Significance in brief: It is one of the few surviving buildings from the frontier settlement of Onondaga Hollow and one of the few remaining examples in New York of the "turnpike step-gabled house." It is the only substantially intact example in the Syracuse area and an outstanding rural example of Federal period architecture, notable for its carved woodwork.
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 77000969, listed August 16, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 205 E. Seneca Tnpk., Syracuse |
|---|---|
| County | Onondaga County |
| Listed | August 16, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77000969 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | built ca. 1812 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence; condition listed as good. Some alterations are noted, including a steeper roofline, replacement front door and staircase, and rebuilt cornices and back porch. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 43.00069, -76.13963 (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 77000969.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14706665
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.