Shafer, Jacob, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1842 on a rise of land along Kaisertown Road in Montgomery, Orange County, this Greek Revival farmhouse was commissioned by Jacob Youngblood Shafer, grandson of an early settler whose pioneer stone house stands on the adjacent tract. The frame main block has two stories and three bays, with a one-and-a-half-story kitchen wing, a raised stone foundation and gable roofs. Its front doorway has sidelights, pilasters and a transom, and original decorative porch balustrades survive. Corner pilasters, a wide frieze and shouldered window architraves complete the exterior. Inside, the hall and parlors keep Greek Revival woodwork, a mahogany stair and an unusual parlor mantel. The house was considered among the finest in the Kaisertown district. Later owners included the Comfort family and the author Kate Seredy. A barn ruin and a stone-lined well also contribute to the property, which was recognized for its architectural integrity and as a local landmark.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as an intact, mid-Greek Revival farmhouse that shows how the style was adapted to the local building tradition. Its high-quality exterior and interior detailing, including the doorway, porches, corner pilasters, frieze and woodwork, survives in only a handful of homes in the area. The barn ruin and well add to its significance.
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 96000864, listed August 16, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 388 Kaisertown Rd., Montgomery |
|---|---|
| County | Orange County |
| Listed | August 16, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000864 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca.1842 |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century/Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single-family dwelling; the form describes it as retaining an outstanding degree of architectural integrity. |
| Acreage | 7.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.52315, -74.27037 (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 96000864.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6119264
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.