Gurnee-Sherwood House
Also known as: Gurnee-Onderdonck House
Why it's listed
This one and one-half story house on Spook Rock Road in Wesley Hills, Rockland County, combines a five-bay brick façade with stone gable ends. Physical and documentary evidence suggests it was built in the 1790s, probably for the Gurnee family or possibly the Frederick family, and was enlarged in the 1840s to its L-shaped form with a rear kitchen wing and a salt box profile. Brick construction was rare in rural Rockland County at the time, and the common bond brickwork may reflect brick production at nearby Haverstraw. Inside, a Federal-style mantel survives in the east room, and later Colonial Revival touches date to about the 1920s. Reverend James Sherwood, a Methodist clergyman and mill owner, lived here from about 1813 to 1866. Local Methodists met in the house before Wesley Chapel was built in 1829, and the area came to be called Sherwoodville. The house is recognized for its architecture and for Sherwood's role in the community.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a somewhat unusual example of rural vernacular design in Rockland County because of its brick façade, which may relate to large-scale brick manufacturing at nearby Haverstraw. It is also tied to Reverend James Sherwood, a Methodist clergyman who owned it from about 1813 until 1866. Sherwood held early Methodist meetings there, helped establish Wesley Chapel, and ran a mill that shaped local development.
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 11000451, listed July 19, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 29 Spook Rock Rd., Wesley Hills |
|---|---|
| County | Rockland County |
| Listed | July 19, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000451 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1790-c. 1920 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current function is single dwelling; the form also lists a historic religious use. |
| Acreage | 1.54 |
| Coordinates | 41.15936, -74.09719 (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 11000451.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q23091731
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.