Pratt, John Wells, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1863 at 177 South First Street in Fulton, this two-story brick house was the home of John Wells Pratt and his wife Harriet. Pratt, a canal shipper, boatbuilder, banker and later coal dealer, came from a family among the earliest settlers at the Oswego River falls. The house has a hipped-roof main block with a cupola, paired round-arched windows, and a paneled, bracketed cornice, and a gabled service wing extends to the rear. Around 1880 a Queen Anne porch, a bay window and window finials were added. Inside, a center hall, a staircase with turned balusters and two carved marble fireplaces survive. It is regarded as perhaps the most intact Italianate house in the city and reflects Fulton's mill-town prosperity. The family occupied it until 1978, when a restaurant company bought it and razed the carriage barn. Civic leaders then helped preserve the house, and the Historical Society of Fulton now operates it as a museum.
Significance in brief: The house is significant for its architecture as a well-preserved example of Fulton's nineteenth-century residential building and perhaps the most intact Italianate house in the city. Queen Anne porch, bay window and window details added around 1880 show the owner keeping up with changing fashions. The house also reflects the prosperity of the Pratt family, prominent in the city's shipping, milling and banking.
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 99001490, listed December 10, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 177 S. 1st St., Fulton |
|---|---|
| County | Oswego County |
| Listed | December 10, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99001490 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1863-ca. 1880 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a local history museum by the Historical Society of Fulton; the carriage barn was razed and replaced by a fast food restaurant on the eastern part of the original lot. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 43.31842, -76.41450 (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 99001490.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6263457
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.