Craver Farmstead
Why it's listed
Craver Farmstead is a 40-acre property on Craver Road in East Greenbush, Rensselaer County, centered on a late eighteenth-century farmhouse and a large heavy timber frame barn. The farmhouse is a five-bay, two-story, side-gabled building of post and beam construction with clapboard siding, twelve-over-twelve windows and a carved Federal mantel. A rear ell and garage were added in 1942. The land was once part of a 225-acre farm leased from patroon Stephen Van Rensselaer in 1790, and the farmhouse appears to predate that lease. John W. Craver lived there his whole life, and his family held the farm longer than any other owners. An 1875 record shows him raising grains, potatoes, livestock and hundreds of apple and pear trees. The property was listed as an intact vernacular example of Federal architecture and as a reminder of the county's farming past and the patroon leasehold system.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farmhouse is an intact, representative vernacular example of Federal architecture, one of the oldest and best preserved in Rensselaer County. It is also significant for agriculture, as a landmark of the county's agrarian past tied to the Van Rensselaer patroon leasehold system and the long Craver family farming tenure.
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 96001423, listed December 16, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 115 Craver Rd., East Greenbush |
|---|---|
| County | Rensselaer County |
| Listed | December 16, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96001423 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1790-1888 |
| Architectural style | Early Republic/Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Remains a single-family dwelling, with a farmhouse, barn, orchard, pond and woodlands on 40 acres; the farmhouse retains a high level of integrity despite 1942 additions. |
| Acreage | 40 |
| Coordinates | 42.62371, -73.64294 (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 96001423.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5182765
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.