Brownell-Cornell-Gibbs Farmstead
Why it's listed
This farmstead in the Groveside section of Pittstown, Rensselaer County, began around 1800 on Lot 143 of the Third Tract of the Pittstown Patent. The district has five contributing resources: a two-story Federal-period house with an attached woodshed, a threshing barn, a corn house, a hen house, a garage and a 1940s hay shed. The house retains two stacked kitchen hearths with brick bake ovens, and the hewn-timber barn and woodshed are joined with mortise and tenon. The barn's framing shows English and Dutch influences. Later changes, such as early twentieth-century Craftsman-style remodeling of the house and a 1936 hen house built with reused house sash, show how the farm adapted over time. Owners included Preserved Gibbs, David B. Gibbs and, from 1903, Walter G. Cornell and his family. The property was listed for its intact, representative character as a Pittstown farmstead. Agriculture continued through 1962, and the land remains part woodland and part hay cropland.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farmstead is an intact and representative example of a historic farmstead in the Town of Pittstown, meeting Criterion C. It is nominated in association with the multiple property listing for Pittstown farmsteads. The period of significance runs from the settlement era through continued agricultural use of the buildings to the 50-year mark.
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 12000796, listed September 19, 2012. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 606 Groveside Rd., Buskirk |
|---|---|
| County | Rensselaer County |
| Listed | September 19, 2012 |
| Reference number | 12000796 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca.1800-1962 |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century (Federal-period house with Craftsman-style remodeling) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a single dwelling with agricultural storage, fields and animal facilities; the house interior is being remodeled. |
| Acreage | 124 |
| Coordinates | 42.88399, -73.43772 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 12000796.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q23091446
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.