Defreest Homestead
Why it's listed
Two brick farmhouses and a Dutch barn on Jordan Road in North Greenbush, Rensselaer County, preserve the look of early Dutch farming life in the Hudson Valley. The Philip DeFreest and David DeFreest houses are one-and-a-half-story gambrel-roofed buildings of small, handmade, unevenly fired brick, with splayed brick lintels, simple wrought iron beam anchors and rooflines flush with the gable ends. The Philip DeFreest property also includes an 18th-century Dutch barn that remains in remarkably good condition. A 1767 map shows Philip's house on its present site, and the David house was likely built by 1774. Members of the DeFreest family farmed here for generations, served in the Revolutionary-era militia and held local offices. The Jordan family later owned both houses and ran a dairy farm. The nomination stresses the rarity of such buildings, the threat of commercial development along Route 4, and the archeological potential of land little disturbed since early settlement.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the houses and Dutch barn represent early Dutch settlement traditions in the Hudson Valley and are rare, relatively intact 18th-century survivals built entirely by hand. The DeFreest family also played a noteworthy local role, including Revolutionary-era militia service and public office. The largely undisturbed land is also considered important for historical archeology.
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 77000978, listed August 2, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | S of Troy at U.S. 4 and Jordan Rd., Troy |
|---|---|
| County | Rensselaer County |
| Listed | August 2, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77000978 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | One-and-a-half-story brick gambrel-roofed Dutch-derived Hudson Valley farmhouse |
| Areas of significance | Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Philip DeFreest house is boarded up and its barns are decaying; the David DeFreest house is occupied and well maintained. The condition is marked good to fair. |
| Acreage | 22 |
| Coordinates | 42.67615, -73.69586 (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 77000978.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5243894
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.