Holyoke Cottage
Why it's listed
Built in 1905-1906 for the Reverend E.O. Holyoke of Providence, Rhode Island, this shingled summer cottage sits on a hilltop in Sandy Creek, facing North Pond and Lake Ontario. It is a one and one-half story Bungalow with a low hipped roof, a broad front veranda with tapering columns, exposed rafter ends, a Dutch type door and a central dormer behind a rooftop balustrade. The dormer, reached by a hinged ladder, was used to set up a telescope for watching boats on the water. Inside, open rafters, original wainscotting and many furnishings survive. The only addition is a small bedroom added before 1939. The 19.5-acre site also holds a pump house modeled on a Dutch windmill, a dry-laid fieldstone wall with a rustic gate, and a tennis court. The property is valued as the area's only intact example of a lakeside seasonal cottage type, and it has stayed in the original owner's family.
Significance in brief: The cottage is described as an outstanding, intact example of a Bungalow style seasonal residence. It recalls the early twentieth century development of the Lake Ontario shoreline as a vacation area. It is the only property in the Sandy Creek multiple resource area that represents this theme, and it retains its exterior and interior design and materials.
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 88002216, listed November 15, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Seber Shore Rd., Sandy Creek |
|---|---|
| County | Oswego County |
| Listed | November 15, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002216 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect: none (unknown); Builder: E. H. Smith and Son (the significance statement names C.H. Smith and Sons) |
| Architectural style | Bungalow |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent; in continuous use as a summer residence by the original owner's family, except during World War II. |
| Acreage | 19.5 |
| Coordinates | 43.64714, -76.16473 (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 88002216.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5887078
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.