Barr, Amelia, House
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Cherry Croft is a rambling two-story clapboard house with a stone foundation on Mountain Road in Cornwall-on-Hudson, built around 1881. The original house had three gabled pavilions with pointed-arch windows, and a three-story tower stood between the east and north pavilions. The top floor of the tower was removed in the 1930s, leaving a two-story projecting bay with a polygonal roof. A porte-cochere once extended from the veranda, and a one-story cottage on the south side appears original. A two-story frame addition and a porch were added during the 1930s alterations. From about 1883 to the mid-1890s the house was the home of Amelia Barr, a noted author who came to Cornwall to visit Nathaniel P. Willis and stayed. She became one of the most popular American writers of her day and entertained literary figures here. The house is valued both as a distinctive mountainside frame residence and for this literary association. It remains a private residence.
Significance in brief: The house is considered a distinctive example of the frame residences built on the Cornwall mountainside. It is also significant for its link to Amelia Barr, a popular American author who lived there from about 1883 to the mid-1890s and entertained other writers in an area known for its artists and writers.
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 82001211, listed November 23, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Mountain Rd., Cornwall-on-Hudson |
|---|---|
| County | Orange County |
| Listed | November 23, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001211 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Late-19th century residential architecture |
| Areas of significance | Literature, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a residence; condition rated fair; no threats known. The third floor of the tower was removed in the 1930s. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 41.42631, -74.02352 (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 82001211.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4742221
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.