Stowell House
Why it's listed
Built in 1919 at 225 Robineau Road in Syracuse, this stone house was designed by architect Ward Wellington Ward for Harry Stowell, president of the Stowell Motor Car Co. It is Ward's only known stone design. The two-story, side-gabled house follows the Colonial Revival style, though its main facades are not symmetrical. Front-gabled wings hold a garage on the north and a library on the south. Leaded glass sidelights from the studio of Henry Keck flank the front door, and the original slate roof survives. Inside, the principal rooms keep their original plan and most finishes, including a Mercer tile fireplace with a Colonial Revival mantle and built-in library cabinets with leaded glass. Terraces behind the house mark former gardens sloping toward Hiawatha Lake. The house sits in the Roberts Estate subdivision, an intact collection of early twentieth century homes. It was listed for its architecture and its integrity as a representative work by Ward.
Significance in brief: It is significant under Criterion C as an intact, representative example of Ward Wellington Ward's residential work in Syracuse. It is Ward's only known stone design. It retains its distinctive period features and integrity of construction, form, materials and detailing on the exterior and interior.
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 97000086, listed February 14, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 225 Robineau Rd., Syracuse |
|---|---|
| County | Onondaga County |
| Listed | February 14, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97000086 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1919 |
| Architect / builder | Ward, Ward Wellington |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as good on the exterior and interior; the property remains a single-family dwelling, with few significant changes since 1919. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 43.02547, -76.17085 (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 97000086.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7620700
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.