Barron, Thomas, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1848 on Route 20 between Geneva and Canandaigua, this cobblestone farmhouse was constructed by Thomas Barron after a fire destroyed the earlier frame house on the family farm. Barron chose cobblestone for its fireproof quality and the popularity of the technique in western New York. The walls are laid with carefully selected red sandstone cobbles in diagonal courses, trimmed with limestone quoins, lintels and sills. A central two-story block has a four-column Ionic portico, flanked by one-and-one-half-story wings with smaller porches. Inside, the original moldings, doors, mantels and staircase survive. Remodeling in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries did not seriously alter its character. The 13.3-acre parcel, a remnant of a 184-acre farm, still holds a privy and a shed and garage from the late 1920s. The house is valued as one of the finest Greek Revival cobblestone houses in the region, notable for its craftsmanship and integrity, and for its link to an early Seneca farming family.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as a distinguished, virtually intact example of Greek Revival architecture and of the regional cobblestone building tradition of Western New York. It was built by the son of an early Ontario County settler and stayed with a Geneva-area settlement family until 1927. The surviving rural setting and three outbuildings add to its value.
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 88001854, listed October 6, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1160 Canandaigua Rd., Seneca |
|---|---|
| County | Ontario County |
| Listed | October 6, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88001854 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899, 1900- (specific dates 1848 and ca. 1927) |
| Architect / builder | Thomas Barron |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, vernacular cobblestone domestic architecture |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence; the interior and exterior are described as largely intact despite two periods of remodeling. |
| Acreage | 13.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.86401, -77.03374 (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 88001854.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7787428
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.