Servoss House
Why it's listed
Set on ten remaining acres beside the Erie Canal west of Medina, this Greek Revival house was built between 1830 and 1833 for Christopher Servoss, who had bought 235 acres from the Holland Land Company in 1820. Canal carpenters and masons, free after the canal's completion, helped construct it. The three-bay main block has a hipped roof, large brackets, Doric pilasters and a paneled entrance with sidelights, flanked by porched wings. Its walls use horizontal plank-frame construction, in which planks are stacked solid and then covered with clapboard outside and plaster inside, a method rarely used. Interior finishes are carved from cucumber tree wood, and the floors are wide pine planks. A late nineteenth-century brick smokehouse stands behind the house. The property stayed in the Servoss family for over a hundred years before being sold in 1940. It is valued for its architecture, construction method and high integrity.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues significance under Criterion C for its Greek Revival architecture and its rare horizontal plank-frame (stacked plank) construction. It retains strong integrity in original materials, interior finishes and woodwork. It is described as a notable example of its type in Orleans County and along the Erie Canal.
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 08000104, listed February 28, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3963 Fruit Ave., Medina |
|---|---|
| County | Orleans County |
| Listed | February 28, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08000104 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1830-1833 |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century/Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Remains a single-family residence; interior and exterior woodwork restored and historic character maintained. |
| Acreage | 10 |
| Coordinates | 43.21892, -78.43080 (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 08000104.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7455933
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.