Cleveland, Ephraim, House
Why it's listed
Built about 1794 at what is now 210 North Main Street in Naples, New York, this two-story, five-bay frame house was the home of Ephraim Cleveland, a Massachusetts militia captain who helped found the town. In 1789 he and several partners bought the township that became Naples, and the settlers arrived in 1790. The house is described as the first frame dwelling in the village. It has a central chimney, clapboard siding, a heavy timber frame, symmetrical windows, and an elliptical-fanlight front entrance. A rear kitchen wing was added in the 1840s or 1850s. Inside, original trim, doors, fireplaces, plaster walls, and a spiral stair survive. The west upstairs bedroom is covered in red, green, blue, and black stenciling on a gray ground, done around 1828 by Stephen Watkins Clark, who later became a noted educator and textbook author. The property also includes a historic fieldstone wall and a modern carriage barn. The house is still a private residence.
Significance in brief: The house is a rare intact example of Federal era architecture in the Naples area and was built by a co-founder of the community, who is credited with the first frame house in Naples. Its second-floor west bedroom holds original polychrome wall stenciling from about 1828 by Stephen Watkins Clark, the only known surviving example of his work. The house also retains much original woodwork, plaster, and timber framing.
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 94000047, listed February 18, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 201 N. Main St., Naples |
|---|---|
| County | Ontario County |
| Listed | February 18, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000047 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1794-1828 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Art, Community Planning and Development, Exploration/Settlement |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a single-family residence, historically and currently. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.62625, -77.39444 (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 94000047.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5382251
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.