Melville, Herman, House
Why it's listed
This late-eighteenth century house in the Lansingburgh neighborhood of Troy, New York, was the home of author Herman Melville and his family between 1838 and 1847. The two and one-half story building has a brick west wall laid in Dutch cross bond, wood-clad north and east walls, a broad gable roof and a hand-hewn timber frame visible in the basement and attic. Around 1872 the entrance was moved to the north side and Victorian features such as a porch, bracework and bay window were added. Despite these changes, the original floor plan can still be read, including the small second-floor room that served as Melville's writing studio, which keeps its scale and its view of the Hudson River. Melville's years here were formative: he published his first sketches, sailed on his first voyages and began writing Mardi. The house also illustrates an urban rowhouse type next to its older Dutch-style neighbor, and it sits within the surviving 1770s village plan.
Significance in brief: The residence is significant under Criterion B for its association with Herman Melville, who lived here during a formative stage of his writing career. He published his first sketches, went on his first sea voyages and began Mardi while based here. It is also significant under Criterion C for its Dutch-influenced eighteenth-century construction and later Victorian alterations.
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 92001081, listed August 21, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2 114th St., Troy |
|---|---|
| County | Rensselaer County |
| Listed | August 21, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92001081 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c1786-1910 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Early Republic; Late Victorian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Literature |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Maintained and preserved by the Lansingburgh Historical Society; the rear wing was remodeled in the twentieth century into apartments. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Central Lansingburgh Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.77327, -73.67870 (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 92001081.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5740045
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.