Hand, Elias, House
Why it's listed
Elias Hand built this one-and-a-half-story, three-bay, side-hall house around 1830 on what is now NYS Route 32, south of Mountainville in the Town of Cornwall. Hand came to the area about 1827, bought a farm from Nathaniel Sackett, and lived in an earlier hut on the property while building the new house. That hut, thought to be a Revolutionary War cantonment structure, stayed attached to the west side as a kitchen until 1934, when it was returned to New Windsor. The wood-frame house has clapboard siding, corner pilasters, a low gable roof with returns, and a portico with two square Doric columns. Inside are a large entry hall, adjoining parlors, wood mantels, wideboard floors, original plaster and an intact staircase. A barn stands west of the house. The property is listed for its architecture as a rare, well-preserved Greek Revival dwelling from Cornwall's early growth, though later subdivision has changed the surrounding farmland.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a representative and rare surviving example of a Greek Revival dwelling from Cornwall's post-Revolutionary period of growth. It keeps a high degree of integrity in its original room layout, doors, mantels, plaster, moldings and staircase. Its wide setback, picket fence and barn also convey a sense of nineteenth-century agricultural life.
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 98001119, listed August 28, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NY 32, Mountainville |
|---|---|
| County | Orange County |
| Listed | August 28, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98001119 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca.1830 |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century/Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a single dwelling; the surrounding former Hand Homestead land has been subdivided and modern infill has destroyed the integrity of the wider historic setting. |
| Acreage | 1.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.40048, -74.08049 (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 98001119.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5360516
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.