Breese-Reynolds House
Why it's listed
Set back from South Street in the hamlet of Hoosick, this red brick house was built around 1825 on the remaining 8 acres of the original Breese farm. It has five bays, a center hall plan, stepped parapets at the gable ends, and a doorway with fluted Doric columns and a fanlight transom. Inside are a curving staircase, wide pine floors, and eight mantels, no two alike, drawn from Federal and early Greek Revival forms. A basement kitchen keeps its cooking hearth, crane and bake oven. A wood wing and former carriage barn were added at the rear by about 1875. The property is significant for its architecture, which reflects the pattern-book classicism of Asher Benjamin, and for its link to early settlement. Thomas Reynolds bought the farm around 1836, and his son Gideon Reynolds, a state legislator, sheriff and congressman, lived here through much of his political career.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as a distinguished, largely intact example of transitional Federal/Greek Revival residential architecture in Hoosick, with finely crafted interior and exterior detail. It is also associated with early settlement of the area. It was the home of Gideon Reynolds, a prominent Rensselaer County political figure who served in Congress and attended the 1860 Republican convention.
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 07000096, listed March 1, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 601 South St., Hoosick |
|---|---|
| County | Rensselaer County |
| Listed | March 1, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07000096 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | circa 1825-1875 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Early Republic/Federal-Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Remains a private single residence, preserved as a notable architectural landmark. |
| Acreage | 8 |
| Coordinates | 42.85800, -73.32528 (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 07000096.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4960319
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.