Concklin, Abner, House
Also known as: Old Yellow House
Why it's listed
Built around 1859 on Closter Road in Palisades, Rockland County, this modest frame house was probably built by its first owner, Abner Concklin, a local carpenter and house builder who also served as sexton of the Methodist church. It is two stories tall and three bays wide, with a side-passage plan, a raised stone basement, a full-width porch and an uncommon hipped roof topped by a monitor-like cap. Greek Revival trim survives inside. A kitchen ell and a 1920s rear wing, both with mansard roofs, show how the family adapted the compact plan to changing needs. A shed and an early twentieth-century garage also remain. The house is recognized as a local landmark. It is valued as the best surviving example in the hamlet of the British-derived vernacular house type persisting into the Picturesque era, and for its long ties to the Concklin family. Nearby suburban development has reduced its setting, but the house itself remains largely intact.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as a distinctive, intact example of mid-nineteenth-century vernacular residential architecture in Palisades. It represents the British-derived two-story, side-passage house type, here with an unusual hipped roof and later mansard-roofed wings. Its long association with the Concklin family, a founding local family, lets the evolution of the house form be traced into the twentieth century.
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 87001358, listed August 6, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Closter Rd., Palisades |
|---|---|
| County | Rockland County |
| Listed | August 6, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87001358 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c1859 - c1920 |
| Architect / builder | Abner Concklin, probable builder |
| Architectural style | Vernacular two-story, three-bay, side-passage house with Italianate (hipped roof with monitor-like cap) and Greek Revival trim elements |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence in good condition, altered by later wings and interior changes. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 41.00743, -73.92021 (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 87001358.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4668123
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.