Smart, Fred, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1900 on Salina Street in Lacona, this two-story frame house was the work of Fred Smart, a lumberman, merchant and skilled carriage maker, boat builder and cabinet maker. Its rectangular gabled main block is flanked by round towers at the front corners, and a bowed one-story porch with turned posts and spindles links them. Three surfaces give the exterior texture: clapboard, scalloped shingles, and pressed metal made to resemble concrete block. Inside, the original maple floors, stairway and woodwork, handmade by Smart, remain intact. Behind the house stand the original carriage house, still used as a garage, and an early twentieth-century pergola in a perennial garden. The house is considered a distinctive, well-preserved example of Queen Anne design in Sandy Creek, with a symmetrical facade that hints at Neoclassical influence. Its restrained ornament and metal imitation of stone reflect the conservative tastes of small New York villages. It has always served as a dwelling.
Significance in brief: It is a distinctive and highly intact example of Queen Anne residential architecture in Sandy Creek, built by the locally prominent craftsman and lumberman Fred Smart. Its round corner towers, three siding textures and spindlework porch embody the style, and its symmetrical facade shows emerging Neoclassical influence. It is one of the two most distinctive substantial turn-of-the-century village residences in the area.
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 88002215, listed November 15, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Salina St., Lacona |
|---|---|
| County | Oswego County |
| Listed | November 15, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88002215 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Builder: Fred Smart; architect: NA |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Remains in use as a residence; condition listed as excellent, with the carriage house still used as a garage. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 43.64323, -76.06863 (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 88002215.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5496284
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.