Northrup-Gilbert House
Why it's listed
Built around 1840 on a small village lot at the corner of Church and Jefferson streets in Phoenix, New York, this one-and-one-half story frame house reflects the modest Greek Revival homes of central New York's growing canal and mill towns. Its mortise-and-tenon frame, vertical plank walls, clapboard siding, corner pilasters and cornice returns are typical of 1840s village construction. Inside, the original plan, plaster walls, chestnut floors and early hardware survive, with only minor changes such as plumbing added in the 1930s. Early occupants included Rensselaer and Clarissa Northrup, and later William Gilbert, a lawyer and canal collector who served as a Civil War staff officer. Local tradition links the Gilberts to Underground Railroad support. The house was listed for its architecture, as an unusually well-preserved example of a type that has mostly been altered or lost. It remains a home and is used to teach local history to schoolchildren.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is architecturally significant as a representative example of vernacular mid-nineteenth century residential architecture in central New York. It shows the proportions, construction methods and finishes typical of small village houses of the 1840s. It is notable for its strong integrity, since most similar houses have been altered or lost.
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 00000049, listed February 4, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 25 Church St., Phoenix |
|---|---|
| County | Oswego County |
| Listed | February 4, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000049 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1840 |
| 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 dwelling; the owner lives there and shows it to local schoolchildren. It was designated a local landmark in 1987. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 43.22873, -76.29649 (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 00000049.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7059694
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.