Blake, John, House
Also known as: The Blake House
Why it's listed
Built in 1794, this brick farmhouse on Homestead Avenue in Maybrook was home to the Blake family, early English settlers of Orange County. It is a one-and-one-half story center-hall house on a stone basement, with brick laid in Flemish bond on the south and west walls, molded brick flat arches over openings and a molded brick water table. A kitchen wing was added in 1842. Inside, Federal-style mantels, doors, trim and stair balustrade appear within a plain, squarish farmhouse form that reflects older pre-Revolutionary traditions. John Blake, Jr., who lived here, served as sheriff, state assemblyman and United States Congressman. The property was listed because it is an exceptional, largely intact example of English-tradition brick building in a region better known for Dutch construction, and because it illustrates how Federal taste arrived late in rural areas. A shed, a privy and foundations of other farm buildings survive on the remaining 2.4 acres.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the house as an outstanding example of eighteenth-century brick vernacular architecture in Orange County. It shows Federal-style detail applied to a conservative farmhouse form and is tied to the prominent English Blake family. It also offers a basis for comparing English and Dutch building traditions in the Hudson Valley.
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 84000521, listed December 20, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 924 Homestead Ave., Maybrook |
|---|---|
| County | Orange County |
| Listed | December 20, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000521 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1700-1799 |
| Architect / builder | John Blake |
| Architectural style | Federal details on a conservative vernacular farmhouse form |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied and used as a private residence; described as largely unaltered, with a shed and privy surviving and foundations of a barn, smokehouse and buttery. |
| Acreage | 2.4 |
| Coordinates | 41.49358, -74.20869 (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 84000521.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6222158
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.