Belknap Stone House
Why it's listed
Beside a busy highway opposite Stewart Airport in Newburgh, New York, stands a stone house begun around 1760. The original block is a small one-and-one-half-story, three-bay building of brownstone and rubblestone with a side hall plan. Its south facade is distinguished by galleting, in which small stone chips are pressed into the mortar joints about two inches apart. The technique was meant to show the mason's skill, and the form describes this example as unusually extensive for the region. In 1861 Elmer Thompson, a New York City silk importer, added a single-story stone wing across the rear, using matching stone and placing it against the back wall so the older house stayed visible. Inside, Federal moldings survive in the early block, along with a basement cooking fireplace, while the wing has late Greek Revival and Italianate trim. Despite later commercial uses and surrounding development, the house retains much of its integrity and is valued as a rare surviving local stone building and a reminder of the Belknap family settlement.
Significance in brief: The house is significant as an outstanding example of mid-eighteenth century mid-Hudson Valley stone craft. Its facade has extensive galleting, decorative stone chips set in the mortar joints, to a degree rarely seen in the region. The 1861 wing was built in matching stone and attached to the rear so as not to disturb the look of the original house.
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 01000843, listed August 15, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NY 17K, Newburgh |
|---|---|
| County | Orange County |
| Listed | August 15, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000843 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca.1760-1861 |
| Architectural style | Early Republic/Federal; Late Victorian/Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current function is listed as single dwelling; the text says it has been used for various commercial purposes, most recently a funeral home, and retains a high degree of architectural integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.50948, -74.09176 (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 01000843.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4883052
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.