Baum-Wallis Farmstead
Why it's listed
Baum-Wallis Farmstead is a rural farm complex on Baum Road in Johnsonville, in the Town of Pittstown, Rensselaer County. John Wallis assembled the farm beginning in 1810, and the Wallis family, later spelled Wallace, held it until 1942. The Baum family bought it in 1946. Six contributing buildings and structures remain: a one-story frame house of about 1811, a main barn group joining a threshing barn of about 1815 with a sheep barn of about 1826, a wagon barn, a corn crib, a milk house that began as an ice house, and a pig house later converted to a garage. Hewn timber framing and vertical board siding reflect New English building traditions. Later changes, such as mid-1940s dairy goat racks and a 1946 stanchion base, show how the buildings were adapted over time. The farmstead is valued as an intact example of Pittstown agriculture and sits in an open landscape of fields, hedgerows and stone walls.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farmstead is an intact, representative example of a Pittstown farm under Criterion C, with a house and agricultural outbuildings showing regional construction features from about 1800 to the mid-twentieth century. It also cites Criterion A for agriculture. The buildings show how later generations adapted earlier structures to new needs.
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 12001130, listed January 2, 2013. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 132 Baum Rd., Johnsonville |
|---|---|
| County | Rensselaer County |
| Listed | January 2, 2013 |
| Reference number | 12001130 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca.1810-1962 |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century; Early Republic |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling with agricultural fields and outbuildings; the land is partly cultivated and partly fallow, and has a conservation easement. |
| Acreage | 91.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.89289, -73.50376 (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 12001130.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q23091406
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.