Stillman Farmstead
Why it's listed
This farmstead on Route 104 east of the village of Mexico, in Oswego County, covers 92.5 acres and includes a seventeen-room Queen Anne farmhouse, a barn, and an early-twentieth century garage. Chester and Almira Stillman bought the first 60 acres in 1828 and another 30 in 1835. They built a log cabin, then a small frame house. In 1889 their son Charles had his brother Henry, a printer by trade, build the present house, with carved dormers, a decorative porch and walnut interior woodwork. The barn, begun in 1840, grew in stages from storage building to dairy barn, and its later milkhouses and early square silo record changes in dairy farming. The garage reflects the growing role of automobiles on farms. The Stillman family owned the farm until 1913. Its listing rests on its agricultural history and its architecture, and it still operates as a farm.
Significance in brief: The farmstead is presented as a distinctive, intact example of farmsteads in the Town of Mexico, tied to the agricultural way of life from early settlement into the early twentieth century. It also has one of the few large, architecturally distinctive late-nineteenth century farmhouses in the town. It keeps all the acreage the Stillman family had assembled by 1835 and remains a working farm.
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 91000525, listed June 20, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NY 104 between Co. Rt. 58 and US 11, Mexico |
|---|---|
| County | Oswego County |
| Listed | June 20, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91000525 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1840-1913 (amended from the 1828-1913 stated on the form) |
| Architect / builder | Stillman, Henry |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Remains an active farm; the present owners have left dairying and use the land and barns for hay production and storage. |
| Acreage | 92.5 |
| Coordinates | 43.45925, -76.16198 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 91000525.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7617253
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.