Allen-Beville House
Why it's listed
This two-and-one-half-story white clapboard farmhouse at 29 Center Drive in Douglaston, Queens, dates to the late 1840s. It is five bays wide and three deep, with front and rear porches, fluted Doric columns, paired Italianate brackets, eared window moldings and a bracketed octagonal cupola. Inside, a central hall plan, a double parlor with marble mantelpieces and an original central stairway survive. Benjamin P. Allen is believed to have built it soon after acquiring the site in 1847. He reportedly hosted a school for community children in 1865 and served Zion Episcopal Church as vestryman and sometimes warden. The land later became part of the William P. Douglas estate, where the house was probably a guest house, and then part of the Douglas Manor suburban development after 1905-06. It is valued as a rare Italianate farmhouse in Queens and one of few nineteenth-century farmhouses left in New York City.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a fine example of an Italianate farmhouse and a rare surviving one in Queens. It is also one of the few farmhouses from nineteenth-century New York City that remain. Its history ties to the Allen family farm and later to the William P. Douglas estate and the Douglas Manor suburb.
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 83001760, listed September 22, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 29 Center Dr., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Queens |
| Listed | September 22, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001760 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1848-1850 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied, in excellent condition, unaltered, on its original site, and used as a private residence. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Douglaston Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.77285, -73.75042 (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 83001760.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4731479
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.