Parrott Hall
Also known as: Denton House; Denton Place
Why it's listed
Parrott Hall, originally called Denton Place, is a brick Italianate villa on West North Street in Geneva, New York. Nehemiah Denton, a wealthy resident originally from New York City, built it in the early 1850s as his home, and it hosted large social gatherings reported in the local press in 1856. The yellow-painted house has a flat roof with paired wooden brackets, cast iron window cornices, and an ornate cast iron veranda that wraps nearly the whole building. Only the cupola has been lost; the exterior otherwise closely resembles its original appearance. In 1882 the State of New York bought the house, outbuildings and 125 acres for $25,000 to create an agricultural experiment station, and the house became its headquarters, with laboratories, offices, a museum and living quarters. It was later named for Dr. Percival Parrott, the station's first entomologist and later director. The station advanced work on seeds, crops, plant disease, milk production, nurseries and vineyards.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it an outstanding example of the mid-nineteenth-century Italianate villa style, with a notable ornate cast iron veranda. It later served as headquarters of the State agricultural experiment station at Geneva, which contributed to scientific agriculture in New York State.
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 71000553, listed August 12, 1971. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | W. North St. between Castle St. and Preemption Rd., Geneva |
|---|---|
| County | Ontario County |
| Listed | August 12, 1971 |
| Reference number | 71000553 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Architect / builder | Nehemiah Denton (built as his residence); no architect named |
| Architectural style | Italianate villa |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as in fair condition, altered (the cupola has been removed) and unoccupied; owned by the State of New York. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.87673, -77.00803 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 71000553.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7139859
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.