Chapin, Thaddeus, House
Why it's listed
Set on a 1.7-acre lot on the western edge of Canandaigua, this two-story brick house was built in the 1820s on a slightly raised basement. Its gable roof has stepped gable ends, and semi-elliptical oculi pierce the gables beside the interior chimneys, of which only the northwest one survives. The six-bay facade is unusual. Tradition holds that the southern three bays were built first with a side-hall plan, and three more bays were added to the north, giving two distinct sections with differently spaced windows. A rear wing, a twentieth-century entrance porch and a deck were added later. Inside, the house retains wainscoting, wide pine floors, brick flooring in the basement and a staircase with a carved pineapple newel. A late nineteenth century frame barn also survives. The house is valued as a substantially intact example of Federal architecture in Canandaigua and as a reminder of the town's early growth and its wealthy settlers' large estates.
Significance in brief: The house is considered a distinctive example of the Federal style residential architecture typical of Canandaigua in the 1820s, with stepped gable ends, semi-elliptical oculi and delicate entrance trim. Its unusual six-bay facade resulted from three bays being added to an original three-bay, side-hall section. It also recalls Canandaigua's first major period of development and the early nineteenth century trend of wealthy settlers building mansions on large estates away from the town core.
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 84002861, listed April 26, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 128 Thad Chapin St., Canandaigua |
|---|---|
| County | Ontario County |
| Listed | April 26, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002861 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a residence, as originally; condition listed as good, with the original site retained. |
| Acreage | 1.7 |
| Coordinates | 42.88212, -77.29142 (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 84002861.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7708971
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.