Rock Lawn and Carriage House
Why it's listed
Rock Lawn is a brick estate house on the west side of Route 9-D in Garrison, Putnam County, with a shingled carriage house to its east. The main block was built in 1852-53 to designs by Richard Upjohn for Henry White Belcher, who owned the Garrison and West Point Ferry Company. Later in the 19th century Hamilton Fish II, an attorney and politician, owned the estate, and the additions and outbuildings date from that period. The two-story house has a low hipped roof, a projecting gabled central bay, arched doors and windows, and sandstone moldings. A Shingle style addition, about as large as the original house, was added later. The carriage house, built around 1880, is in the Colonial Revival style and has crossed gambrel roofs. Rock Lawn is regarded as one of the area's most important estate buildings and as the only Italian Villa attributed to Upjohn in the Hudson Highlands.
Significance in brief: The house was designed by Richard Upjohn for Henry White Belcher and is described as one of the most important estate structures in the area. It is the only Italian Villa attributed to Upjohn in the Hudson Highlands. A Shingle style addition equal in size to the original house and a Colonial Revival carriage house add to its importance, as does its link to Hamilton Fish II.
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 82001254, listed November 23, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NY 9-D, Garrison |
|---|---|
| County | Putnam County |
| Listed | November 23, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001254 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Richard Upjohn (architect, main house); builder unknown |
| Architectural style | Italian Villa (main house); Shingle style addition; Colonial Revival carriage house |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a residence, as it was originally; condition listed as good, with the original site retained. |
| Acreage | 12.3 |
| Coordinates | 41.38089, -73.94428 (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 82001254.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7354548
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.