Brooks, Samuel, House
Why it's listed
This frame farmhouse on Pleasant Hill Road in Cornwall, Orange County, was built around 1860 on land owned by Samuel Brooks, a farmer descended from one of the town's earliest families. The two and one-half story, five-bay house has narrow clapboard siding, carved vergeboards, pointed-arch windows with hood molding, a cross gable and raised porches with cut-out railings. Two barns stand on the lot of under two acres, the only part of the larger Brooks farm that still retains its historic integrity. Inside, the center-hall plan keeps its original staircase, marble and wood mantels, wide floorboards, paneled doors and large first-floor rooms. The house was listed as an example of a Victorian farmhouse that also took in summer boarders, during the period when Cornwall was a popular resort. Verandas, big dining space, transoms over bedroom doors and a finished attic reflect that dual use. It is described as a rare intact example of its type.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a representative, highly intact example of a Victorian farmhouse that also served as a summer boarding house. It retains Gothic Revival features and boarding-house features such as verandas, large first-floor rooms and transoms over bedroom doors. It is linked to Cornwall's agricultural development and its popularity as a summer resort between 1850 and 1900.
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 96000148, listed March 8, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Pleasant Hill Rd., Cornwall |
|---|---|
| County | Orange County |
| Listed | March 8, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000148 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca.1860 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian / Stick Style (described in the text as eclectic with Gothic Revival detail) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current function is single-family domestic; the interior and exterior are described as highly intact. |
| Acreage | 1.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.42115, -74.06946 (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 96000148.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q2218036
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.