Beverwyck Manor
Also known as: St. Anthony-on-Hudson Seminary
Why it's listed
Beverwyck Manor is a three-story Greek Revival mansion of stucco-covered brick on a bluff above the Hudson River in Rensselaer, New York. Built between 1839 and 1842 for William Patterson Van Rensselaer, it has a four-column Ionic portico, a low hipped roof and a polygonal garden front with iron balconies. Inside are Scagliola columns, a cantilevered white marble stair and a trompe l'oeil frescoed ceiling in the music room. The architect was Frederick Diaper, an Englishman trained under Sir Robert Smirke, and the design resembles Smirke's Normanby Park. The house reflects imported English and French taste rather than local Greek Revival styles. It also recalls the Anti-Rent War, which erupted as Van Rensselaer tried to collect back rents from tenant farmers. Van Rensselaer sold the house in the 1860s, and the Franciscan order acquired it in 1911 for a seminary. The nominated area covers 1.9 acres around the mansion.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an architect-designed house with clear European antecedents, closely tied to English country houses and to Jefferson's Monticello rather than to other 1840s buildings in upstate New York. It was designed by Frederick Diaper in the manner of Sir Robert Smirke. It is also historically important as the home of William Van Rensselaer during the Anti-Rent War.
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 79001621, listed August 3, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Washington Ave., Rensselaer |
|---|---|
| County | Rensselaer County |
| Listed | August 3, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001621 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Frederick Diaper |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival / Neoclassical |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the Franciscan order; not occupied except for occasional daytime activities, but kept secure, in good repair and heated. |
| Acreage | 1.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.66345, -73.72240 (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 79001621.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4899644
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.